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Illinois · Private foundation

Katherine L Olson Charitable Foundation

Its FY2024 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$397k
Granted FY2024(still arriving)
58
Grants FY2024
52
Organizations funded FY2023
0%
First-time grantees FY2023
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2024
$5,000
Largest grant, FY2024
$25,000
Organizations funded a year
44 to 56
FY2019 to FY2023
States reached, FY2024
10
Total assets, FY2024
$4.9M
Applications
Preselected organizations only
Per its most recent filing; check its own site

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2023, 0% of the organizations Katherine L Olson Charitable Foundation funded were first-time grantees, receiving 0% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2023, 100% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $0 went to new ones.

50%100%’20’21’22’23
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’20’21’22’23
HealthEducationHuman ServicesArts & CultureInternationalCivil RightsOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.
The numbers by year
Fiscal yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY2024still arriving55$397k7%
FY202352$358k0%
FY202256$347k23%
FY202150$304k2%
FY202049$285k20%
FY201944$199kn/a
100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2019 to 2024.

Arts & Culture$410kEducation$378kHealth$327kReligion$155kHousing & Shelter$150kInternational$109kFood & Nutrition$109kHuman Services$58kOther$0

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

VT
MT
IL
WI
NY
MA
IA
NJ
CA
CO
VA
MD
AR
DC
GA

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2019 to FY2024, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Greater Chicago Food Depository$91,50060%
Sarah's Circle$85,00060%
Kenilworth Union Church$80,0006n/a
United States Fund for Unicef$75,00030%
Window to the World Communications Inc$70,00060%
Williams College$70,00050%
Teach for America Inc$60,00060%
Scripps College$60,00060%
University of Wisconsin Foundation$60,00060%
Chicago Symphony Orchestra$55,00060%
Show all 62 grantees
All grantees of Katherine L Olson Charitable Foundation by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Greater Chicago Food Depository$91,50060%
Sarah's Circle$85,00060%
Kenilworth Union Church$80,0006n/a
United States Fund for Unicef$75,00030%
Window to the World Communications Inc$70,00060%
Williams College$70,00050%
Teach for America Inc$60,00060%
Scripps College$60,00060%
University of Wisconsin Foundation$60,00060%
Chicago Symphony Orchestra$55,00060%
The Art Institute of Chicago$50,00050%
The Woman's Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital$50,00043%
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago$45,00040%
Main Stay Therapeutic Farm Inc$40,00061%
Habitat for Humanity International Inc$40,00050%
Samaritan Institute Inc$40,00023%
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence$40,00030%
Chicago Waldorf School$34,00030%
The Anti-Cruelty Society$30,00030%
McCormick Theological Seminary 22-22148$30,0006n/a
Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc$30,00060%
Friends of Kafika House F/K/A Friends of the Plaster House$30,00031%
Noble Network of Charter Schools$30,00060%
Northwestern University$28,50060%
C J Jung Center$26,00053%
American National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches$25,00050%
Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness$25,00050%
Samaritan Interfaith Counseling Center$20,00011%
Writers Theatre Inc$18,00060%
Bozeman Public Schools Foundation Inc$18,00061%
Special Olympics Illinois$17,00060%
Chicago Shakespeare Theater$16,00060%
Rogers Park Montessori School$15,00030%
Safer Foundation$15,00060%
African Mission Healthcare Foundation$15,00030%
Chicago Theatre Group Inc$13,50060%
Association for Anthroposophic Psychology$13,00048%
Music Institute of Chicago$12,50060%
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Endowment$11,00010%
Chicago Foundation for Education$10,00041%
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Assn$10,00020%
The Hatch Inc$9,00031%
Angelic Organics Learning Center Inc$9,00030%
The Hap Foundation Inc (F/K/A Journeycare Foundation)$9,00030%
Alzheimer's Disease & Related Disorders Association Inc$8,00060%
Lakeland University$8,00060%
Meals on Wheels$8,00062%
Medecins Sans Frontieres USA Inc$8,00060%
Chicago Horticultural Society$8,00060%
The Family Institute$8,00060%
Eagle Mount$8,00060%
North Shore Senior Center$8,00060%
Merit School of Music$8,00060%
Hyde Park Art Center$6,00010%
Montecito Retirement Association$5,00010%
Evanston Art Center$4,50030%
North Shore Art League$3,50031%
Field Museum of Natural History$3,50030%
Parenting for Non Violence$3,00031%
Bay City News Foundation$3,00011%
The Seeing Eye Inc$2,00010%
Kenneth C Griffin Museum of Science and Industry$1,00010%

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 10 recipients with no EIN on record ($253k), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

Each grantee by its size and the share of its budget Katherine L Olson Charitable Foundation supplied at peak.

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetGreater Chicago Food Depository: $91,500 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetSarah's Circle: $85,000 over 6y, 0.2% of budgetUnited States Fund for Unicef: $75,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetWindow to the World Communications Inc: $70,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetWilliams College: $70,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetTeach for America Inc: $60,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetScripps College: $60,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetUniversity of Wisconsin Foundation: $60,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetChicago Symphony Orchestra: $55,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetThe Art Institute of Chicago: $50,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetThe Woman's Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital: $50,000 over 4y, 3.1% of budgetRehabilitation Institute of Chicago: $45,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetMain Stay Therapeutic Farm Inc: $40,000 over 6y, 0.8% of budgetHabitat for Humanity International Inc: $40,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetSamaritan Institute Inc: $40,000 over 2y, 3.2% of budgetGiffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence: $40,000 over 3y, 0.2% of budgetChicago Waldorf School: $34,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetThe Anti-Cruelty Society: $30,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetPlanned Parenthood Federation of America Inc: $30,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetFriends of Kafika House F/K/A Friends of the Plaster House: $30,000 over 3y, 1.1% of budgetNoble Network of Charter Schools: $30,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetNorthwestern University: $28,500 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetC J Jung Center: $26,000 over 5y, 2.6% of budgetAmerican National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches: $25,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetChicago Coalition to End Homelessness: $25,000 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetSamaritan Interfaith Counseling Center: $20,000 over 1y, 1.0% of budgetWriters Theatre Inc: $18,000 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetBozeman Public Schools Foundation Inc: $18,000 over 6y, 1.1% of budgetSpecial Olympics Illinois: $17,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetChicago Shakespeare Theater: $16,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetRogers Park Montessori School: $15,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetSafer Foundation: $15,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetAfrican Mission Healthcare Foundation: $15,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetChicago Theatre Group Inc: $13,500 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetAssociation for Anthroposophic Psychology: $13,000 over 4y, 8.4% of budgetMusic Institute of Chicago: $12,500 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetMilwaukee Symphony Orchestra Endowment: $11,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetChicago Foundation for Education: $10,000 over 4y, 1.1% of budgetAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Assn: $10,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetThe Hatch Inc: $9,000 over 3y, 0.6% of budgetAngelic Organics Learning Center Inc: $9,000 over 3y, 0.4% of budgetThe Hap Foundation Inc (F/K/A Journeycare Foundation): $9,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetAlzheimer's Disease & Related Disorders Association Inc: $8,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetLakeland University: $8,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetMeals on Wheels: $8,000 over 6y, 1.7% of budgetMedecins Sans Frontieres USA Inc: $8,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetChicago Horticultural Society: $8,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetThe Family Institute: $8,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 60.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

The Chicago Community TrustIL22.7× affinity13 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Chicago Community Trust · Dr Scholl Foundation · Caerus Foundation Inc · Charles H and Beverly E Shaw Foundation · Ceres Foundation · Andrew and Alice Fischer Charitable Trust · Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago · The Ayco Charitable Foundation · AbbVie Foundation · National Philanthropic Trust · Baird Foundation Inc · Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Compare Katherine L Olson Charitable Foundation with peer funders

About Katherine L Olson Charitable Foundation

How much does Katherine L Olson Charitable Foundation give?
Katherine L Olson Charitable Foundation reported 58 grants totaling $396,500 in its FY2024 IRS filing. It funded between 44 and 56 organizations a year over FY2019 to FY2023.
What does Katherine L Olson Charitable Foundation fund?
By grant dollars over FY2019 to FY2024, its largest causes are Arts & Culture (22%), Education (20%), Health (17%).
Who are Katherine L Olson Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2019 to FY2024: Greater Chicago Food Depository ($92k), Sarah's Circle ($85k), Kenilworth Union Church ($80k).
Does Katherine L Olson Charitable Foundation fund new organizations?
In FY2023, 0% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Does Katherine L Olson Charitable Foundation accept unsolicited applications?
Its most recent filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and does not take unsolicited requests. Check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.
Which funders back the same organizations as Katherine L Olson Charitable Foundation?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include The Chicago Community Trust, Dr Scholl Foundation, Caerus Foundation Inc.
Where is Katherine L Olson Charitable Foundation based?
Katherine L Olson Charitable Foundation is based in IL.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 72 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2024, released 2024. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

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