William H & Lois J Mcessy Foundation
The William H & Lois J Mcessy Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 1997 and based in Lake Forest, Illinois. The foundation is designated as a 501(c)(3) organization and operates as a family foundation focused on philanthropic giving.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$2.1M
+110.9% YoY
Grant Count
8
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$261K
+110.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary funding interests include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- Religious and charitable causes
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept applications.
Grant Range
$93,000 (2024)
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2024):
- Total assets: $27.6 million
- Total revenue: $17 million
- Total expenses: $2.24 million
- Total liabilities: $0
Giving Rate: Approximately 3.0% of assets distributed annually
Tax-Exempt Status: Tax-exempt since June 1996
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 8 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
90 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation is associated with William H. McEssy and Lois J. McEssy. William McEssy is a former attorney who became a successful McDonald's franchisee, building a significant franchise operation across Illinois and Wisconsin. The couple are longtime residents of Lake Forest, Illinois.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| WILLIAM H MCESSY | DIRECTOR | 0.2 | — |
| DAVID BLOWERS | DIRECTOR | 0.2 | — |
| DAVID A LULLO | DIRECTOR | 0.2 | $7,000 |
| MONSIGNOR JOHN F CANARY | DIRECTOR | 0.2 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has supported educational and religious institutions, with notable grants to seminaries and theological centers. William and Lois McEssy have been involved in establishing an endowed chair in Church History at the University of St. Mary of the Lake (Mundelein Seminary).
William H. and Lois J. McEssy Endowed Chair in Church History - USMLSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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