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The Ehlert Family Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

The Ehlert Family 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.

$532k
Granted FY2024still arriving
14
Grants FY2024still arriving
4
States reached
$141k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0197% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2024.

Animals$568kHuman Services$454kHealth$322kReligion$153kRecreation & Sports$110kCommunity Improvement$81kArts & Culture$64kEducation$62kOther$0
02FY2024 · 14 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2024

  • Under $10k6 grants · $30k
  • $10k–50k4 grants · $87k
  • $50k–250k4 grants · $415k
$10,000
Median grant
4
States reached
$5.5M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
INSPIRATION OUTREACH FOUNDATION$141,018
YMCA METRO OF CHICAGO$100,000
LIVE 4 LALI INC$91,981
ORIGINS BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE$82,350
PAWS OF CHICAGO$37,200
RAVINIA FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION$30,000
Individual grant recipient$10,000
SOLLY'S WAY FOUNDATION INC$10,000
GOLDEN WILLOW RETREAT INC$7,000
OFF THE STREET CLUB$6,000
Individual grant recipient$5,000
ST BALDRICK'S FOUNDATION$5,000
MULLIGANEERS$5,000
MCHENRY COUNTY SUBSTANCE ABUSE COALITION$1,500
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Its human-services grants (FY17–24, $118k) land where the poverty rate runs at 7%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 5% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Its grants skew toward lower-need ZIPs.

area typical 11%TURNING POINT INC: $50k → 6%SOLLY'S WAY FOUNDATION INC: $10k → 8%SOLLY'S WAY FOUNDATION INC: $10k → 8%SOLLYS' WAY FOUNDATION: $10k → 8%SOLLYS' WAY FOUNDATION: $10k → 8%SOLLY'S WAY FOUNDATION INC: $10k → 8%SOLLYS' WAY FOUNDATION: $10k → 8%FILL A HEART 4 KIDS: $500 → 8%SOLLY'S WAY FOUNDATION: $2k → 8%PALATINE TOWNSHIP SENIOR CITIZEN COUNCIL: $500 → 14%MULLIGANEERS: $5k → 14%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

75%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$1.4M · 12 repeat orgs$462k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +82% since the first grant, against -8% for those funded once.

12 repeat relationships: 9 still active in FY2024, 3 since wound down; 5 grantees were first funded in FY2024 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

12
18

Total granted

$1.4M
$223k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+82%
-8%

Still filing today

58%
56%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 55% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $239k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

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

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
HealthHuman ServicesPhilanthropyReligionAnimalsYouth DevelopmentOther
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.

Backed again, and grew

  • L4
    LIVE 4 LALI INC
    7× · 2017–2024 · $169k · revenue +369%
  • HW
    Humane World for Animals Inc
    2× · 2022–2023 · $150k · revenue +32%
  • PC
    PAWS CHICAGO
    3× · 2022–2024 · $102k · revenue +82%

Funded once

  • EW
    EVANSTON WILMETTE GOLF COURSE ASSOCIATION
    one grant, 2023 · $100k · revenue -56%
  • TP
    Turning Point Incgraduated
    one grant, 2022 · $50k · revenue +36%
  • ND
    New Directions Addiction Recovery Servicesgraduated
    one grant, 2020 · $15k · revenue +180%
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Target Als Foundation Inc

Our mission is to break down barriers to als research to find effective treatments. by uniting academia, the pharma and biotech industry, government, venture capital, related nonprofits, and the als community, we aim to overcome the…

Education
2
Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Ann & robert h. lurie children's hospital of chicago is dedicated to the health and well-being of all children. as the pediatric teaching facility for northwestern university feinberg school of medicine, this commitment drives us to be a…

Health
3
Targeting Resistance in Cancer Cooperative
Health
4
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

SRAlab is dedicated to providing the best patient outcomes through the highest-quality clinical care, translational research, scientific discovery and education.

Health
5
Respiratory Health Association

Mission is to prevent lung disease, promote clean air and help people live better through education, research, and policy change.

—
6
Chicago House & Social Service Agency

Provides housing and support services to individuals and families impacted by hiv/aids

Health
7
Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation
Human Services
8
University of Chicago Medical Center

Our mission at the university of chicago medicine is to provide superior health care through rigorous research, innovative education, and comprehensive care and healing. in partnership with our colleagues, we pursue life-changing…

Health
9
Marc Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Foundation

The lustgarten foundation is the largest private funder of pancreatic cancer research in the world. see schedule o.the lustgarten foundation is boldly leading the way through hope and innovation, turning fear into action through education…

Human Services
10
Heal Chicago

To strengthen communities through educational dialogue, leadership development, emotional resilience, and intercultural competence programs that help people bridge differences and build trust.

Public Benefit
11
Stanley Manne Childrens Research Institute

Stanley manne children's research institute strives to generate new knowledge and advance the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of pediatric diseases.

Health
12
Heartland Alliance Health

Heartland alliance health's mission is to transform healthcare for the most vulnerable, particularly people experiencing homelessness, mental illness or addictions, or struggling with multiple chronic illnesses, improving health for all…

Health
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is St Baldrick's Foundation Inc; the most unlike its peers is Inspiration Outreach Foundation. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

22 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 22 of the 35 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

2
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
6
Early backer (in before they grew)
21/22
Grantees still filing
13/22
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

YMCA METRO OF CHICAGO: $387,500 · OtherYMCA METRO OF CHICAGOIndividual grant recipient: $306,064 · OtherIndividual grant recipientEVANSTON WILMETTE GOLF COURSE ASSOCIATION: $100,000 · OtherEVANSTON WILMETTE GOLF COURSE ASSOCIATIONORIGINS BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE: $82,350 · OtherORIGINS BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE+13 more: $74,323 · Other+13 moreHumane World for Animals Inc: $150,000 · AnimalsHumane World fo…PAWS CHICAGO: $102,135 · AnimalsPAWS CHICAGOLIVE 4 LALI INC: $169,481 · HealthLIVE 4 LALI I…Golden Willow Retreat Inc: $27,000 · HealthGolden Willow…New Directions Addiction Recovery Services: $15,412 · HealthNew Direction…+3 more: $6,040 · HealthINSPIRATION OUTREACH FOUNDATION: $141,018 · PhilanthropyINSPIRATI…+2 more: $10,000 · Philanthropy+2 moreSOLLY'S WAY FOUNDATION: $62,014 · Human ServicesTurning Point Inc: $50,000 · Human ServicesMULLIGANEERS INC: $5,000 · Human Services+2 more: $1,000 · Human ServicesPROJECT HOOD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION: $80,000 · Community ImprovementRAVINIA FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION: $64,000 · Arts & Culture
Other$950,237Animals$252,135Health$217,933Philanthropy$151,018Human Services$118,014Community Improvement$80,000Arts & Culture$64,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetLIVE 4 LALI INC: $169,481 over 7y, 6.0% of budgetHumane World for Animals Inc: $150,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetINSPIRATION OUTREACH FOUNDATION: $141,018 over 1y, 100% of budgetPAWS CHICAGO: $102,135 over 3y, 0.2% of budgetEVANSTON WILMETTE GOLF COURSE ASSOCIATION: $100,000 over 1y, 2.1% of budgetPROJECT HOOD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION: $80,000 over 3y, 0.6% of budgetRAVINIA FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION: $64,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetSOLLY'S WAY FOUNDATION: $62,014 over 7y, 60% of budgetTurning Point Inc: $50,000 over 1y, 1.9% of budgetGolden Willow Retreat Inc: $27,000 over 2y, 5.9% of budgetNew Directions Addiction Recovery Services: $15,412 over 1y, 2.5% of budgetThe Hap Foundation Inc (F/K/A Journeycare Foundation): $10,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetOFF THE STREET CLUB: $6,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetGOOD NEIGHBOR NETWORK: $5,000 over 1y, 1.8% of budgetMULLIGANEERS INC: $5,000 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetST BALDRICK'S FOUNDATION INC: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION: $4,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetALZHEIMER'S DISEASE & RELATED DISORDERS ASSOCIATION INC: $1,680 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetPALATINE TOWNSHIP SENIOR CITIZENS COUNCIL: $500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetFILL A HEART 4 KIDS: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

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.

AbbVie FoundationThe Chicago Community…Morgan Stanley Global…American Endowment Fo…National Philanthropi…Network for GoodAmerican Online Givin…Fidelity Investments …Donor Advised Charita…Amazonsmile Foundation
AbbVie FoundationIL11.5× affinity4 shared granteesties to 9 of 9Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: AbbVie Foundation · The Chicago Community Trust · Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc · American Endowment Foundation · National Philanthropic Trust · Network for Good · American Online Giving Foundation Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · Amazonsmile Foundation

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.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization The Ehlert Family Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Ehlert Family Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 10%6%25%56%100%funder's share of their income ↑0%6%13%19%25%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    1get no government money at all
    7report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–25%
    typical government reliance, FY20–25
    How this is measured
    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.
    05Through Plinth

    Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

    How do I get to The Ehlert Family Foundation?

    Find your warmest path to The Ehlert Family Foundation through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

    Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

    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 35 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

    Play a game based on Ehlert Family’s filings →

    More from the funding graph

    The unnamed billions
    grants reported with no recipient in the public record
    The regranting layer
    51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
    The DAF merry-go-round
    $9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
    The endowment market
    who holds foundation money, and what just moved
    The camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home