The Lake County Community
Grayslake, IL · EIN 20-3654399. Reported 217 grants totalling $7,281,149 to 101 organizations across tax years 2020-2023, on Form 990 Schedule I.
Does this grantmaker accept applications?
Its tax return does not say, and we will not guess. Private foundations file Form 990-PF, which asks outright whether they fund only organizations they select themselves -- 78% say yes, and that one answer is what lets the rest of this site tell you which foundations are worth approaching. Grantmaking charities like this one file a regular Form 990 instead, and the IRS never puts the question to them. Anyone claiming to know the answer from the filing is inventing it.
Three things in the filing do bear on it:
- What kind of organization it is. For The Lake County Community, the IRS classifies it as a public foundation -- a grantmaker that raises its money from many sources rather than from one donor (NTEE T30).
- How spread out its giving is. 101 distinct organizations, with 14% of the dollars going to the largest single recipient. That is genuinely spread out -- the mark of a funder making many independent decisions rather than underwriting one institution.
- How much its list changes. 65% of one year's grantees are funded again the next, across 3 year-to-year transitions. That is about the 57% median for grantmaking charities -- noticeably lower than the 67% private foundations manage. Organizations like this one rotate more of their list each year, which is where an opening for a newcomer tends to be.
How big are its grants?
The median reported grant is $20,000. Half of what it reported fell between $12,000 and $35,000; the smallest was $5,500 and the largest $1,000,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong organization.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by the EIN the filer reported, not by name, so an organization that was typed differently in two years appears once rather than twice.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of Lake County Foundation | Grayslake, IL | $1,000,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Sedgebrook Opco (sl-Vii) LLC | Lincolnshire, IL | $454,236 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| The Roberti Community House | Lake Forest, IL | $235,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest | Lake Forest, IL | $217,100 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Lake County Crisis Center for the Prevtn & Trmt of Dom Violence Inc | Zion, IL | $195,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Ravinia Festival Association | Highland Park, IL | $170,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| The Josselyn Center Nfp | Northbrook, IL | $153,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Boys and Girls Club of Lake County | Waukegan, IL | $151,250 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Friends of the Highwood Public Library | Highwood, IL | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic | Highland Park, IL | $150,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Pads Lake County Inc | Waukegan, IL | $139,539 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science | North Chicago, IL | $137,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Reading Power Inc | Lake Forest, IL | $135,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| CASA Lake County Inc | Vernon Hills, IL | $130,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| University of Wisconsin Foundation | Madison, WI | $128,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Habitat for Humanity International Inc | Gurnee, IL | $125,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Keeping Families Covered | Waukegan, IL | $120,250 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Workers Collaborative | Waukegan, IL | $110,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Equal Hope | Chicago, IL | $110,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Most Blessed Trinity | Waukegan, IL | $106,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Youth & Family Counseling | Libertyville, IL | $105,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Legacy Reentry Foundation Nfp | Waukegan, IL | $103,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Nicasa Nfp | Round Lake, IL | $102,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| FIGHT2FEED a Charitable Organization | Lake Forest, IL | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Transform Capital | Libertyville, IL | $100,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Waukegan to College Nfp | Waukegan, IL | $100,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Antioch Area Health Access Alliance | Antioch, IL | $95,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Family Service of Lake County | Highland Park, IL | $95,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Curts Cafe | Skokie, IL | $91,500 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| United Way of Lake County Inc | Gurnee, IL | $91,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Eldercare Lake County | Waukegan, IL | $88,400 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Highwood Public Library | Highwood, IL | $85,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Mano a Mano Family Resource Center | Round Lake Pk, IL | $81,650 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Mothers Tr Foundation | Lake Forest, IL | $75,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Allies for Community Business Inc | Chicago, IL | $70,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Hanul Family Alliance | Chicago, IL | $70,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Northern Illinois Food Bank | Geneva, IL | $70,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Waukegan Public Library | Waukegan, IL | $65,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center | Gurnee, IL | $65,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Givenkind | Gurnee, IL | $61,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Waukegan Public Library Foundation Inc | Waukegan, IL | $59,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Lgbtq Center Lake County | Grayslake, IL | $55,276 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Zion Benton Childrens Service Inc | Zion, IL | $55,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Aspire of Illinois | Hillside, IL | $51,650 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Community Action Partnership of Lake County | Waukegan, IL | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Willow House | Bannockburn, IL | $45,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Lake Forest Lacrosse Association | Lake Forest, IL | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| The Beacon Place Nfp | Waukegan, IL | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project | Chicago, IL | $40,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Wauconda Fire Rescue Association | Wauconda, IL | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Yblc Inc | North Chicago, IL | $38,714 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Center for Immigrant Progress | Waukegan, IL | $36,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Center for Enriched Living | Riverwoods, IL | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Rebuilding Together North Suburban Chicago | Glenview, IL | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Rotary Club of Highland Park- Highwood | Highland Park, IL | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| American Association of University Women Nursery School | Waukegan, IL | $33,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Art Impact Project Nfp | Lake Bluff, IL | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Grow Your Own Illinois | Chicago, IL | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Kohl Childrens Museum of Greater Chicago Inc | Glenview, IL | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Liberty Prairie Nfp | Grayslake, IL | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| North Chicago Community Partners Nfp | Lake Bluff, IL | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Faith in Place | Chicago, IL | $29,550 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| My Fathers Business Nfp | Waukegan, IL | $28,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Ragdale Foundation | Lake Forest, IL | $25,644 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Ann & Robert H Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago Foundation | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Ascend Justice | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Direct Giving Lab | Highland Park, IL | $24,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Tenant Education Network | Chicago, IL | $22,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Alliance for Human Services | Grayslake, IL | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Chicago Community Foundation | Chicago, IL | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Connectwaukegan Nfp | Deerfield, IL | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Cool Ministries | Waukegan, IL | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Grandparent and Kins Raising Children- Lake County | Beach Park, IL | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Kids Above All Illinois | Chicago, IL | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Start Early | Chicago, IL | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Youth Conservation Corps | Waukegan, IL | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Lake Forest Open Lands Association | Mettawa, IL | $16,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Affirm Leadership Christian Academy Inc | Waukegan, IL | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Antioch Traveling Closet Corporation Nfp | Antioch, IL | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| College Bound Opportunities | Highland Park, IL | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Lake County Haven | Libertyville, IL | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Love Inc of Lake County | Gurnee, IL | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Save a Pet Inc | Grayslake, IL | $13,900 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Bravehearts Theapeutic Riding and Educational Center | Harvard, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Community Center for the Arts | Jackson, WY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Cool Learning Experience | Waukegan, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Cristo Rey St Martin College Prep | Waukegan, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| My Density Matters Nfp | Hawthorn Wds, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| North Chicago Public Education Foundation | North Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Preservation Foundation of the Lakecounty Forest Preserves | Libertyville, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Allendale Association | Lake Villa, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Treasure Seekers Church of God | Fox Lake, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| University of the South | Sewanee, TN | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Equestrian Connection Nfp | Lake Forest, IL | $9,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Reach Rescue Inc | Mundelein, IL | $8,400 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Lincolnshire Senior Care LLC | Lincolnshire, IL | $7,590 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Lake Forest Country Day School | Lake Forest, IL | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois | South Elgin, IL | $6,250 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Not-for-Profit Resources | Crystal Lake, IL | $6,250 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Erie Family Health Center Inc | Chicago, IL | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest | Lake Forest, IL | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
61 of 101 (60%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold. Remember the $5,000 floor: an organization funded every year at $3,000 shows up here as never funded at all.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose column of its filings, largest first. This is the closest thing to a statement of what it funds, in its own words.
- Roberti Community House
In support of the organization's emergency food assistance programs to feed individuals and families affected by COVID. - Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
To support the organization's Care Connection Program, a free mobile health program increasing access to healthcare, COVID-19 health literacy, vaccine literacy and COVID-19 vaccines for people in need throughout Lake County. - FIGHT2FEED a Charitable Organization
In support of providing emergency food relief to Lake County residents affected by COVID. - Waukegan Public Library
In support of the African American Community Partnership Group and the Asociacion Comunitaria Latina's grassroots efforts to register people for COVID-19 vaccine and provide education, outreach and vaccine incentives in communities that have been hardest hit by the pandemic. - Waukegan Public Library Foundation Inc
In support of the library's Community Technology Connection Program, designed to close the digital access gap experienced by low income, low literacy adults and parents. - Allies for Community Business
RESOLVED to make a grant of $50,000 to Allies for Community Businesses as fiscal agent for Waukegan business Drip & Culture Co. as LCCF's Small Business Growth Initiative pilot investment.
What kind of organizations it funds
By each recipient's own IRS classification, for the 77 of 101 recipients we could match to a registered organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses -- Schedule I reports the recipient's EIN, so this is a lookup rather than a name match.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants reported | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 57 | $1,641,539 | $16,000 |
| 2021 | 55 | $2,889,531 | $30,000 |
| 2022 | 57 | $1,380,771 | $21,000 |
| 2023 | 48 | $1,369,308 | $25,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- Form 990 arrives about a year after the year it covers, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a grantmaker winding down.
Where its money goes
98% of its giving went to organizations in Illinois. Community foundations and federated funds are usually the most geographically bounded funders there are -- being outside the footprint is normally disqualifying in a way that a weak programme fit is not.
Down to the city
Find more funders like The Lake County Community
We read newly filed IRS returns and email you the grantmakers whose giving matches your state and cause, as they are published. Free.
No spam, unsubscribe in one click. We never sell or share your address.
Funders that support the same organizations
These grantmakers and private foundations gave to organizations this one also funded. Shared grantees are the strongest signal available that two funders have overlapping priorities -- and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this grantmaker
- Look for a published programme first. Unlike most private foundations, organizations of this kind often do run open, deadlined grant cycles with written guidelines. Its own website is the authority on that; this page is the authority on who it has actually paid.
- Check you are its size. The median reported grant is $20,000 -- and because grants under $5,000 need not be reported, it very likely writes smaller cheques than this page can see.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving concentrates in Illinois.
- Read the recipient list for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer and a cheap one to get.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from The Lake County Community's own Form 990 Schedule I filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2020-2023). Nothing here is scraped, inferred or estimated.
On its most recent return it told the IRS it made grants to 46 section 501(c)(3) organizations and 3 other organizations. That is the filer's own count for one year; the totals above cover every year we hold.
Address of record on the latest return: 1200 University Center Dr 333, Grayslake, IL, 60030.
EIN 20-3654399 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
Is something here wrong about your organization? Email [email protected] and we will correct it.