The Ora Kathleen Flynn-Barnett Family Foundation concentrates modest, targeted giving on community-level organizations serving education, economic opportunity for women, faith-based community life, and basic safety/net supports. Grants are frequently directed to a small set of repeat grantees in the Lake County, IL area (and nearby communities) alongside occasional support for specialized national programs such as outdoor leadership. The foundation favors general operating or program support and also makes scholarship awards and contributions to local higher-education fundraising.
The Ora Kathleen Flynn-Barnett Family Foundation’s grantmaking shows a clear preference for repeat support to a small circle of community organizations. Women Employed appears in multiple years, receiving $16,500 in 2024 and $16,000 in 2025, while Union Church of Lake Bluff also recurs with awards of $12,000 in 2023, $10,000 in 2024, and $12,000 in 2025. That pattern points to a funder that stays with organizations over time rather than moving broadly across many unrelated recipients. The foundation’s giving reaches community needs across sectors, including women’s economic empowerment, church-based community life, victim services, scholarships, and outdoor leadership. It has supported Lake County Haven in Libertyville, Illinois, and College of Lake County Foundation in Grayslake, Illinois, alongside grants to National Outdoor Leadership School in Wyoming. It also made scholarship and higher-education-related awards in Kentucky through Waldon Verona HSCTB Scholarship and WAVE Foundation. Across these grants, the foundation’s role looks practical and localized: modest awards, repeated relationships, and support for organizations serving broad community beneficiaries rather than individuals.
Women’s economic empowerment is one of the clearest themes in the foundation’s recent giving. It awarded $16,500 in 2024 and $16,000 in 2025 to Women Employed in Chicago for general charitable purposes, with an earlier $8,000 grant in 2023. Community and congregational support is another recurring thread. Union Church of Lake Bluff received $12,000 in 2023, $10,000 in 2024, and $12,000 in 2025, showing sustained support for a local church-based institution. The foundation also backs safety-net and education-related work. Lake County Haven in Libertyville received $10,000 in 2025, after grants of $5,000 in 2024 and $3,000 in 2023, while College of Lake County Foundation in Grayslake received $5,000 in both 2023 and 2024. Outdoor leadership appears as a separate interest through National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander, Wyoming.
Typical awards are small: the grant-size distribution sits at $3,750 at the 25th percentile, $5,000 at the median, and $11,000 at the 75th percentile. The foundation gives a modest amount annually relative to its asset base, with $140,000 in annual grants on $754,017 in assets. Its pattern is relationship-based. Several recipients recur across multiple years, including Women Employed, Union Church of Lake Bluff, Lake County Haven, College of Lake County Foundation, Pivotpoint WNC, and WAVE Foundation. The foundation is structured as a family foundation, and the grants shown are all charitable awards rather than program-related investments or individual aid.
$45K
$795K
$93K
$65K
Most grants fall between $4K and $11K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$11K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in IL.
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Concentrated, modest-size grants with repeat funding to a small roster of local grantees; primarily general operating/program support rather than many one-off new charities. Geographic focus is local/regional (Lake County area) with occasional support for mission-aligned national providers.
Notable grantees: Women Employed, Union Church of Lake Bluff, Lake County Haven, College of Lake County Foundation, National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS)
Grantmaking is regional and entirely U.S.-based in the recent sample. Illinois receives the most grants, with Chicago, Lake Bluff, Libertyville, and Grayslake all appearing as recipient locations. Kentucky shows up through Walton, and North Carolina through Ashville. Wyoming also appears through Lander. Despite being headquartered in Sanibel, Florida, the foundation gave 0% of its grants to Florida recipients in the data provided.
The typical grant size is modest: the 25th percentile is $3,750, the median is $5,000, and the 75th percentile is $11,000. In the recent grants list, many awards fall near that median, including $5,000 grants and several awards in the $3,000 to $12,000 range.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Women Employed, Union Church of Lake Bluff, Lake County Haven, College of Lake County Foundation, Pivotpoint WNC, and WAVE Foundation. The repeated awards suggest ongoing support rather than one-time grantmaking.
The grants show support for women’s economic empowerment, congregational and local church programs, victim services and family shelter support, community college scholarships and higher-education support, and outdoor leadership. The foundation also makes general charitable grants across these areas.
Illinois is the top state by grant count. Recent recipients in Illinois include organizations in Chicago, Lake Bluff, Libertyville, and Grayslake. The recent sample is entirely U.S.-based.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women Employed | Chicago, IL | $12,000 | 2026 | General Charitable |
| Union Church of Lake Bluff | Lake Bluff, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | General Charitable |
| Lake County Haven | Libertyville, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | General Charitable |
| Pivotpoint WNC | Ashville, NC | $6,000 | 2026 | General Charitable |
| Waldon Verona HSCTB Scholarship | Walton, KY | $5,000 | 2026 | General Charitable |
| WAVE Foundation | Walton, KY | $2,000 | 2026 | General Charitable |
| Women Employed | Chicago, IL | $16,000 | 2025 | General Charitable |
| Union Church of Lake Bluff | Lake Bluff, IL | $12,000 | 2025 | General Charitable |
| Lake County Haven | Libertyville, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | General Charitable |
| Pivotpoint WNC | Ashville, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | General Charitable |
| Waldon Verona HSCTB Scholarship | Walton, KY | $5,000 | 2025 | General Charitable |
| WAVE Foundation | Walton, KY | $2,000 | 2025 | General Charitable |
| Women Employed | Chicago, IL | $16,500 | 2024 | General Charitable |
| Union Church of Lake Bluff | Lake Bluff, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | General Charitable |
| College of Lake County Foundation | Grayslake, IL | $5,000 | 2024 | General Charitable |
| Lake County Haven | Libertyville, IL | $5,000 | 2024 | General Charitable |
| National Outdoor Leadership School | Lander, WY | $4,000 | 2024 | General Charitable |
| WAVE Foundation | Walton, KY | $3,500 | 2024 | General Charitable |
| Pivotpoint WNC | Ashville, NC | $3,000 | 2024 | General Charitable |
| NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL | LANDER, WY | $14,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| UNION CHURCH OF LAKE BLUFF | LAKE BLUFF, IL | $12,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| WOMEN EMPLOYED | CHICAGO, IL | $8,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| COLLEGE OF LAKE COUNTY FOUNDATION | GRAYSLAKE, IL | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| LAKE COUNTY HAVEN | LIBERTYVILLE, IL | $3,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| PIVOTPOINT WNC | ASHVILLE, NC | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
Women Employed
$12,000General Charitable
Union Church of Lake Bluff
$10,000General Charitable
Lake County Haven
$10,000General Charitable
Pivotpoint WNC
$6,000General Charitable
Waldon Verona HSCTB Scholarship
$5,000General Charitable
WAVE Foundation
$2,000General Charitable
Women Employed
General Charitable
Union Church of Lake Bluff
$12,000General Charitable
Lake County Haven
$10,000General Charitable
Pivotpoint WNC
$5,000General Charitable
Waldon Verona HSCTB Scholarship
$5,000General Charitable
WAVE Foundation
$2,000General Charitable
Women Employed
$16,500General Charitable
Union Church of Lake Bluff
$10,000General Charitable
College of Lake County Foundation
$5,000General Charitable
Lake County Haven
$5,000General Charitable
National Outdoor Leadership School
$4,000General Charitable
WAVE Foundation
$3,500General Charitable
Pivotpoint WNC
$3,000General Charitable
NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL
$14,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
UNION CHURCH OF LAKE BLUFF
$12,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
WOMEN EMPLOYED
$8,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
COLLEGE OF LAKE COUNTY FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
LAKE COUNTY HAVEN
$3,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
PIVOTPOINT WNC
$1,000GENERAL CHARITABLE