Lake County Community Foundation

The Lake County Community Foundation is a left-of-center grantmaking foundation providing grants to organizations throughout Lake County, Illinois. The group was formed in 2003 as a division of Chicago-based grantmaking foundation Chicago Community Trust until it became its own entity in 2022. At the end of 2023, the foundation reported over $20 million in assets and contributions to local organizations such as homeless shelters, early childhood education, left-of-center immigration and LGBT advocacy groups, and animal welfare organizations. 1

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Issue Areas: Immigration Policy, Education Policy, LGBT Policy
Website: lakecountycf.org
Formation:

2003

Executive Director:

Maggie Morales

Location: Grayslake, IL View on map
Tax ID: 20-3654399
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2025): Assets: $26,906,757 Revenue: $2,194,383 Expenses: $3,152,056

Contents

    The foundation allows donors to create donor-advised funds and operates one family fund, the James and Madeleine McMullan Family Foundation Charitable Fund. 2 3 The group has supported diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, and its website contains a “Diversity Statement” on its commitment to racial justice.  4

    Background

    The Lake County Community Foundation was created in 2003 as an affiliate of grantmaking organization Chicago Community Trust, which provides grants and donor-advised funds for local left-of-center groups. 5 5 6

    Following its creation, the group received a $500,000 endowment from local community members as well as a $200,000 “seed grant” from the Chicago Community Trust. The group later started a leadership task force that, in 2012, became a standalone entity, Alliance for Human Services. 3

    By 2017 the foundation operated over $12 million in charitable endowments through several funds and had dispersed over $5 million in grants since 2003. In 2020, the foundation started the Lake County Crisis Relief Fund in response to COVID-19 pandemic while launching a Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion program. 3

    In 2022 the Lake County Community Foundation separated from the Chicago Community Trust, becoming an independent organization. 3

    In 2025, the Lake County Community Foundation partnered with the Trust Based Philanthropy Project through their “Meet the moment” initiative. This initiative seeks to bring its supporters together “in solidarity with nonprofits.” The group claims that the political climate could pose risks to nonprofits through reductions in funding, legal concerns, and lack of staff. 7

    Racial Justice and DEI Commitments

    In 2020, the Lake County Community Foundation posted a “Commitment to Racial Justice” message and diversity statement on its website advocating left-of-center policies to promote “racial justice.” The statement claimed that “the only way to work towards rectifying hundreds of years of slavery, segregation, culture and policy that has enabled systemic racism, is by forging deep relationships with communities of color to build trust and inform our priorities, creating opportunities for meaningful and long-term investment and building pathways for diverse leadership […] we know that dismantling systemic racism will benefit everyone in Lake County regardless of race or ethnicity.” 8

    Fundraising

    The Lake County Community Foundation has provided grants to left-of-center organizations annually through several programs. These include leadership development, animal welfare, early childhood, growing communities (previously called basic human needs), capacity building, and the James and Madeleine McMullan Family Foundation Charitable Fund. Recipients of these grants include the Alliance for Human Services, Faith in Place, Center for Immigrant Progress, the Partnership for a Safer Lake County, Chicago Workers Collaborative, LGBTQ+ Center Lake County, and the Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project. 1

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2025 $26,906,757 $2,194,383 $3,152,056
    2024 $25,353,374 $3,770,565 $2,823,875 View
    2023 $20,485,729 $4,808,735 $2,621,096 View
    2022 $17,830,952 $7,776,857 $4,025,060 View
    2021 $19,682,346 $7,569,623 $2,457,567 View
    2020 $15,432,645 $2,218,491 $1,880,068 View

    Prior year filings: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 7

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Maggie MoralesEXECUTIVE DI$133,199

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $12,811,311
    • Number of Grants: 266
    • Number of Funders: 63

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $1,079,2502024 National Philanthropic TrustEDUCATION
    $1,025,0002024 The Chicago Community TrustGeneral support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
    $1,016,0002023 National Philanthropic TrustPUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT
    $500,0002024 James & Madeleine Mcmullan Family Foundationgeneral support
    $500,0002023 James & Madeleine Mcmullan Family Foundationgeneral support
    $500,0002022 James & Madeleine Mcmullan Family Foundationgeneral support
    $425,0002022 Pert FoundationIn support of capacity building and development.
    $400,0002020 Julian Grace FoundationGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
    $260,0002021 James & Madeleine Mcmullan Family Foundationgeneral support
    $232,5002020 The Chicago Community TrustTO SUPPORT COVID-19 RESPONSE, CRISIS RELIEF FUND, THE ALFORD GROUP AS A DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT, AND GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
    $221,2502022 The Chicago Community TrustGeneral operating support, July 4th Highland Park Shooting Response Fund. Contribution to the Small Business Growth Initiative 2.0. In support of general operating support.
    $196,2502021 The Chicago Community TrustTO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH INITIATIVE, JOHN AND ELIZABETH GESCHEIDLE FAMILY FUND, ANNUAL FUND, ALFORD GROUP, AND GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
    $187,3502023 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $175,0002021 Pert FoundationIn support of capacity building and development.
    $130,0002021 Circle of Service FoundationCOMMUNITY SERVICES
    $125,0002021 John and Kathleen Schreiber Foundation D/b/a Schreiber PhilanthropyEmergency funding
    $115,0002020 John and Kathleen Schreiber Foundation D/b/a Schreiber PhilanthropyExempt Purpose of Organization – Program & Communications Associate; Special Grants – Emergency COVID-19 Assistance – COVID-19 Crisis Relief Fund
    $105,0002022 Circle of Service FoundationCOMMUNITY SERVICES
    $100,0002022 The First Spoke FoundationGeneral Operating Support
    $85,0002023 John and Kathleen Schreiber Foundation D/b/a Schreiber PhilanthropyCapacity Building
    $80,0002025 Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake CountyTogether Lake County (TLC) Fund
    $80,0002022 John and Kathleen Schreiber Foundation D/b/a Schreiber PhilanthropyCapacity Building
    $75,0002021 John and Kathleen Schreiber Foundation D/b/a Schreiber PhilanthropyCapacity Building
    $58,5002022 National Philanthropic TrustPUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT
    $50,2502021 The Blackbaud Giving FundGENERAL SUPPORT

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $10,448,040
    • Number of Grants: 347
    • Number of Recipients: 135

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $1,000,0002022 College of Lake County FoundationPROJECT SUPPORT
    $207,0002022 First Presbyterian Church of Lake ForestMISSION SUPPORT
    $150,0002021 Friends of the Highwood Public LibraryGeneral Operating Support
    $142,0002021 The Roberti Community HouseIn support of the organization's emergency food assistance programs to feed individuals and families affected by COVID.
    $140,0002025 Ravinia Festival AssociationCAPITAL CAMPAIGN
    $120,0002024 Ravinia Festival AssociationBUILDING CONST.
    $107,5002021 Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and ScienceTo 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.
    $100,0002021 Fight2FeedIn support of providing emergency food relief to Lake County residents affected by COVID.
    $100,0002020 Pads Lake County IncPADS Outreach Program, Prevention and Diversion, and in Support of Their Staffing Needs and to Meet The Increased Demand for Emergency Housing Services.
    $80,0002025 Pads Lake County IncOPERATING SUPPORT
    $80,0002022 Family Service of Lake CountyOPERATING SUPPORT
    $80,0002022 Highland Park-Highwood Legal Aid ClinicOPERATING SUPPORT
    $80,0002020 Crisis Center for Prevtn & Trmt of Dom ViolenceGeneral Operating Support for a Safer Lake County and Support of Emergency Shelter and Care of Low Income Victims of Domestic Violence during COVID
    $76,0002020 Twice As Nice Mother & ChildGeneral operating support and for Increasing Baby Supply Shortage in Lake County Durring COVID-19 Crisis.
    $75,0002025 Lake-McHenry Habitat for HumanityPROGRAM SUPPORT
    $75,0002022 Boys & Girls Club of Lake CountyOPERATING SUPPORT
    $70,0002022 Lake County Crisis Center (A Safe Place)OPERATING SUPPORT
    $65,0002022 Highwood Public LibrarySERVICES SUPPORT
    $65,0002021 Waukegan Public LibraryIn 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.
    $65,0002020 Northern Illinois Food BankGeneral operating support and Work to Respond to Increase in Food Insecurity Throughout the County
    $62,0002024 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN FOUNDATIONSCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT
    $60,5002025 First Presbyterian Church of Lake ForestOPERATING SUPPORT
    $60,0002025 Lake County Crisis Center (A Safe Place)OPERATING SUPPORT
    $60,0002025 READING POWER INCOPERATING SUPPORT
    $60,0002024 Pads Lake County IncOPERATING SUPPORT

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “Past Grantees.” Lake County Community Foundation. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://lakecountycf.org/past-grantees/
    2. [1] “Past Grantees.” Lake County Community Foundation. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://lakecountycf.org/past-grantees/
    3. “History.” Lake County Community Foundation. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://lakecountycf.org/history/
    4. “Diversity and Equity Statements.” Lake Country Community Foundation, Accessed November 21, 2024. https://lakecountycf.org/our-commitment/
    5. 2018 IRS Form 990 Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax: Chicago Community Trust. Schedule I, Part II: grants and other assistance paid to organizations and domestic governments.
    6. “The Chicago Community Trust.” ProPublica. Accessed November 14, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/362167000
    7. “Meet the Moment – Trust-Based Philanthropy.” Trust Based Philanthropy . Accessed September 29, 2025. https://www.trustbasedphilanthropy.org/meet-the-moment#signatories.
    8. “Our Commitment to Racial Justice.” Lake County Community Foundation. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://lakecountycf.org/our-commitment/