The Cless Family Foundation concentrates its giving on local health care and medical research, alongside substantial support for suburban Chicago youth and education programs. Grants are typically large, institution-level gifts to hospitals, research initiatives and local school-related nonprofits, with a clear emphasis on cancer and brain-tumor research as well as community youth services. The foundation appears to prioritize organizations serving the Northbrook/Glenview/Evanston area and uses donor-advised vehicles for some gifts.
A single institution-level gift to Northshore University Health System sets the tone for Cless Family Foundation’s recent giving: large, local, and closely tied to health care and medical research. The foundation’s support also reaches suburban education and youth organizations, including Eths Education Foundation and Glenview Youth Services, which sit alongside its hospital and research grants in the recent record. Across the latest grants list, the pattern is not limited to one type of recipient; it includes major health systems, universities, research charities, and community-based nonprofit programs. Medical research is a visible thread in the portfolio, with grants to cancer and brain tumor research organizations as well as university-based research recipients. At the same time, the foundation continues to fund North Shore institutions and school-linked nonprofits in the Evanston and Glenview area. Its recent activity shows a foundation that uses sizable, organization-level grants to support both clinical and community-facing work, with the majority of its giving landing in Illinois.
Health care is one of the clearest cause areas in the recent record. Cless Family Foundation gave $100,000 in 2025 to Northshore Hospitals Foundation and previously made two larger charitable grants to Northshore University Health System, including $1,977,720 in 2023 and $904,961 in 2024. Medical research is another central theme. The foundation awarded $585,563 in 2024 to The Brain Tumor Research Charity, $502,292 in 2025 to Stand Up to Cancer, and $250,000 in 2023 and again in 2025 to Duke University for medical research. Education and youth services also appear repeatedly. In that area, it gave $700,000 to Eths Education Foundation in 2023, $425,000 to Glenview Youth Services in 2025, and $200,000 to Evanston Scholars in 2024. It also funded Glenview Education Foundation and Foundation 65.
Typical grants cluster in the mid-five-figure range, with a p25 of $20,010, a median of $39,975, and a p75 of $67,500. The recent record also includes several much larger, institution-level awards, which pull the portfolio upward. This is a recurring giver rather than a one-off funder: several organizations appear in multiple years, including Northshore University Health System, Eths Education Foundation, Glenview Youth Services, Foundation 65, Stuttering Foundation, Stand Up to Cancer, and Duke University. The foundation is a family foundation, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments. Some gifts flow through donor-advised vehicles such as Schwab Charitable.
$2.8M
$20M
$1.8M
$2.8M
Most grants fall between $20K and $68K, with a median of $40K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$40K
75th Percentile
$68K
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small set of repeat and institution-level grantees; a mix of direct charitable gifts to hospitals and research organizations plus use of donor-advised accounts. Few, large awards rather than many small grants, with geographic focus on the North Shore/Chicago suburban corridor.
Notable grantees: NorthShore University Health System, ETHS Education Foundation, The Brain Tumor Research Charity, Stand Up To Cancer, Glenview Youth Services
Cless Family Foundation’s grants are heavily concentrated in Illinois, which accounts for 81% of grants and is also the top state by grant count. The strongest city pattern is in the North Shore and nearby Chicago area: Evanston appears repeatedly through Northshore University Health System, Eths Education Foundation, Evanston Scholars, Foundation 65, and Youth & Opportunity United, while Glenview shows up through Glenview Youth Services and Glenview Education Foundation. Chicago and Skokie also receive grants. Outside Illinois, the foundation’s recent giving reaches Los Angeles, Durham, Stuart, Orlando, Baltimore, Memphis, Terre Haute, and Urbana.
The recent record centers on health care and medical research, especially hospital support, cancer and brain tumor research, and university-based medical research. Education and youth services are also major themes, with grants to school foundations, scholars programs, and local youth organizations in the Evanston and Glenview area.
Typical awards are in the five-figure range: the p25 is $20,010, the median is $39,975, and the p75 is $67,500. The recent list also includes several much larger gifts to hospitals, research charities, and school-related organizations.
Yes. The recent grants list shows multiple recipients appearing in more than one year, including Northshore University Health System, Eths Education Foundation, Glenview Youth Services, Foundation 65, Stuttering Foundation, Stand Up to Cancer, and Duke University.
Illinois receives 81% of the grants, and the most common recipient locations are in Evanston, Glenview, Chicago, and Skokie. The record also includes grants to organizations in several other U.S. cities, but the overall pattern is strongly local.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCHWAB CHARITABLE | ORLAND, FL | $667,176 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| STAND UP TO CANCER | LOS ANGELES, CA | $502,292 | 2025 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| GLENVIEW YOUTH SERVICES | GLENVIEW, IL | $425,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $250,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| NORTHLIGHT THEATRE | SKOKIE, IL | $250,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ETHS EDUCATION FOUNDATION | EVANSTON, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| NORTHSHORE HOSPITALS FOUNDATION | EVANSTON, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| BOOKS & BREAKFAST | EVANSTON, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| FOUNDATION 65 | EVANSTON, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| STUTTERING FOUNDATION | MEMPHIS, TN | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| CHICAGO ENGINEER'S FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| PROVENANCE PRECISION MEDICINE FOUNDATION | WILMETTE, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| THE CHICAGO LIGHTHOUSE | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| YOUTH & OPPORTUNITY UNITED | EVANSTON, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| WINNETKA PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION | WINNETKA, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| HONOR FLIGHT CHICAGO CORP | ROSEMONT, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| FRIENDS OF LINCOLN PARK HIGH SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| MCGAW YMCA | EVANSTON, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| WOLCOTT COLLEGE PREP | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| MORAN CENTER FOR YOUTH FOUNDATION | EVANSTON, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| LINCOLN PARK PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| REBUILDING EXCHANGE | EVANSTON, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| MISERICORDIA FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| CHILDCARE NETWORK OF EVANSTON | EVANSTON, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARTIBALE |
| COUNTRYSIDE DAY SCHOOL | NORTHBROOK, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| THE RECYCLERY COLLECTIVE | CHICAGO, IL | $7,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| NORTHSHORE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM | EVANSTON, IL | $904,961 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| THE BRAIN TUMOR RESEARCH CHARITY | STUART, FL | $585,563 | 2024 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| SCHWAB CHARITABLE | ORLANDO, FL | $554,113 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| STAND UP TO CANCER | LOS ANGELES, CA | $250,000 | 2024 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| EVANSTON SCHOLARS | EVANSTON, IL | $200,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| ALL CHILDREN THRIVE | BALTIMORE, MD | $175,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| ETHS EDUCATION FOUNDATION | EVANSTON, IL | $100,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| LINCOLN PARK PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $75,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS - CHICAGO | URBANA, IL | $75,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| ROSE-HULMAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | TERRE HAUTE, IN | $70,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| GLENVIEW EDUCATION FOUNDATION | GLENVIEW, IL | $60,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| CHICAGO LIGHTHOUSE | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| GLENBROOK HIGH SCHOOL FOUNDATION | GLENVIEW, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| FOUNDATION 65 | EVANSTON, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| STUTTERING FOUNDATION | MEMPHIS, TN | $50,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| BOOKS & BREAKFAST | EVANSTON, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| YOUTH & OPPORTUNITY UNITED | EVANSTON, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| HONOR FLIGHT CHICAGO CORP | ROSEMONT, IL | $49,950 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| CHICAGO ENGINEERS' FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| WOLCOTT COLLEGE PREP | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| WINNETKA PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION | WINNETKA, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| MISERICORDIA FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| MCGAW YMCA | EVANSTON, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| NORTHSHORE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM FOUNDATION | EVANSTON, IL | $20,039 | 2024 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
SCHWAB CHARITABLE
$667,176CHARITABLE
GLENVIEW YOUTH SERVICES
$425,000EDUCATION
ETHS EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$100,000EDUCATION
NORTHSHORE HOSPITALS FOUNDATION
$100,000MEDICAL RESEARCH
FOUNDATION 65
$50,000EDUCATION
STUTTERING FOUNDATION
$50,000CHARITABLE
CHICAGO ENGINEER'S FOUNDATION
$50,000CHARITABLE
PROVENANCE PRECISION MEDICINE FOUNDATION
$50,000MEDICAL RESEARCH
THE CHICAGO LIGHTHOUSE
$50,000CHARITABLE
WINNETKA PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION
$25,000EDUCATION
HONOR FLIGHT CHICAGO CORP
$25,000CHARITABLE
FRIENDS OF LINCOLN PARK HIGH SCHOOL
$25,000EDUCATION
WOLCOTT COLLEGE PREP
$15,000EDUCATION
MORAN CENTER FOR YOUTH FOUNDATION
$15,000CHARITABLE
LINCOLN PARK PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL
$15,000EDUCATION
CHILDCARE NETWORK OF EVANSTON
$10,000CHARTIBALE
COUNTRYSIDE DAY SCHOOL
$10,000EDUCATION
THE RECYCLERY COLLECTIVE
$7,500CHARITABLE
THE BRAIN TUMOR RESEARCH CHARITY
$585,563MEDICAL RESEARCH
SCHWAB CHARITABLE
$554,113CHARITABLE
ALL CHILDREN THRIVE
$175,000CHARITABLE
ETHS EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$100,000EDUCATION
LINCOLN PARK PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL
$75,000EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS - CHICAGO
$75,000EDUCATION
ROSE-HULMAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
$70,000EDUCATION
GLENVIEW EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$60,000EDUCATION
GLENBROOK HIGH SCHOOL FOUNDATION
$50,000EDUCATION
FOUNDATION 65
$50,000EDUCATION
STUTTERING FOUNDATION
$50,000CHARITABLE
HONOR FLIGHT CHICAGO CORP
$49,950CHARITABLE
CHICAGO ENGINEERS' FOUNDATION
$25,000CHARITABLE
WINNETKA PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION
$25,000EDUCATION