The Red Bird Hollow Foundation concentrates large, targeted gifts in and around Lake Forest, IL, with a clear emphasis on local historic preservation, open-space conservation, and independent education (day and boarding schools and colleges). It also supports conservative public-policy and civic-education organizations nationally. Grants are few but substantial, often repeated to the same institutions, indicating a preference for deep, place-based investments and a mix of local civic/cultural stewardship and ideological education initiatives.
A pair of $500,000 grants anchors Red Bird Hollow Foundation C/o Paula Lillard’s recent record: one went to Preservation Foundation of Lake County in 2024 and another to The Preservation Foundation in 2023. Those gifts sit alongside a pattern of concentrated support for Lake Forest-area institutions, especially preservation, open space, and independent education. The foundation also backs civic and policy organizations, including national groups tied to public policy and higher education, showing a mix of local stewardship and ideational support. Recent awards show repeated relationships rather than one-off experiments. Lake Forest Open Lands Association received grants in both 2023 and 2026, while Lake Forest Academy appears multiple times in 2024. Lake Forest College also received support in more than one year. The foundation’s giving reaches beyond its immediate area, but the clearest throughline is sustained funding for organizations tied to Lake Forest and nearby Lake County. Its recent gifts also include support for universities, scholarship funds, and selected national institutions in policy, education, and culture. The result is a grantmaking profile defined by large, targeted awards and a small set of recurring recipients.
Historic preservation is one of the clearest themes in the recent grants. The foundation gave $500,000 to Preservation Foundation of Lake County in 2024 and another $500,000 to The Preservation Foundation in 2023. Open-space conservation is another visible priority: Lake Forest Open Lands Association received $400,100 in 2023 and $51,281 in 2026. Independent education also receives sustained support. Lake Forest Academy was awarded $300,000 and $200,000 in 2024, and Forest Bluff School received $55,920 in 2024. Higher education appears as well, with grants to Lake Forest College in 2024 and 2026, plus support for the University of Virginia in 2023 and again through University of Virginia - the College Foundation in 2024. The foundation also funds civic and policy organizations, including Illinois Policy Institute, Jack Miller Center, Cato Institute, Open the Books, and American Council of Trustees and Alumni.
Typical gifts are modest for a few recipients and very large for a small number of institutions: the p25 is $1,000, the median is $2,500, and the p75 is $5,000, even though the recent-grants list includes several six-figure awards. The pattern suggests a narrow set of major relationships alongside smaller support elsewhere. Recipients recur across years, including Lake Forest Open Lands Association, Lake Forest College, Illinois Policy Institute, Cato Institute, Open the Books, and Church of the Holy Spirit. The foundation is structured as a private foundation and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$360K
$1.5M
$148K
$371K
Most grants fall between $1K and $5K, with a median of $3K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$3K
75th Percentile
$5K
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Concentrated giving: a small number of large grants, with multiple repeat awards to place-based beneficiaries and a mix of local cultural/conservation institutions and national conservative education/policy groups.
Notable grantees: Preservation Foundation / Preservation Foundation of Lake County, Lake Forest Academy, Lake Forest Open Lands Association, Illinois Policy Institute, Lake Forest College
Giving is regional, with 53% of grants going to recipients in Illinois and the top state by grant count being Florida. Lake Forest, IL appears frequently among recipients, including Preservation Foundation of Lake County, Lake Forest Open Lands Association, Lake Forest Academy, Lake Forest College, and Church of the Holy Spirit. Outside Illinois, grants reach Charlottesville, VA; Philadelphia, PA; Washington, DC; and The Villages, FL. All reported recipient grants in the dataset are in the United States.
Its recent grants favor historic preservation, open-space conservation, independent schools, colleges, and selected civic or public-policy organizations. Examples from the data include Preservation Foundation of Lake County, Lake Forest Open Lands Association, Lake Forest Academy, Lake Forest College, Illinois Policy Institute, and Cato Institute.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Lake Forest Open Lands Association, Lake Forest College, Illinois Policy Institute, Cato Institute, Open the Books, and Church of the Holy Spirit. That pattern suggests recurring relationships rather than one-time awards only.
The typical grant size is $1,000 at the 25th percentile, $2,500 at the median, and $5,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent grants also include much larger awards, including multiple gifts of $100,000 or more.
Illinois receives 53% of the grants shown, and Lake Forest-area organizations appear repeatedly in the recent-grants list. The top state by grant count is Florida, indicating that the most frequent recipient location is not the same as the foundation’s headquarters state.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NORTHWESTERN MEMORIAL FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| LAKE FOREST OPEN LANDS ASSOCIATION | LAKE FOREST, IL | $51,281 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | CHICAGO, IL | $30,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| MES FUND | ALFRED, ME | $25,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| CATO INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON DC, DC | $25,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| LAKE FOREST COLLEGE | LAKE FOREST, IL | $20,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT | LAKE FOREST, IL | $20,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| OPEN THE BOOKS | THE VILLAGES, FL | $12,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| AMERICAN COUNCIL OF TRUSTEES AND ALUMNI | WASHINGTON DC, DC | $10,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| TEACH FOR AMERICA | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| MONTESSORI CENTER OF MINNESOTA | ST PAUL, MN | $10,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| HOOVER INSTITUTION | STANFORD, CA | $7,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| BEACON ACADEMY | EVANSTON, IL | $5,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| GORTON COMMUNITY CENTER | LAKE FOREST, IL | $5,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| GASPARILLA ISLAND CONSERVATION | BOCA GRANDE, FL | $5,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| LAKE FOREST CEMETARY COMMISSION | LAKE FOREST, IL | $5,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| HILLSDALE COLLEGE | HILLSDALE, MI | $5,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN | GLENCOE, IL | $2,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| BOCA GRANDE WOMEN'S CLUB | BOCA GRANDE, FL | $2,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON DC, DC | $2,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| ISLAND SCHOOL FOUNDATION | BOCA GRANDE, FL | $2,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| NORTH CHICAGO COMMUNITY PARTNERS | LAKE BLUFF, IL | $2,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| HISTORY CENTER LAKE FOREST-LAKE BLUFF | LAKE FOREST, IL | $1,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| JOHANN FUST COMMUNITY LIBRARY | BOCA GRANDE, FL | $1,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| FRIENDS OF BOCA GRANDE COMMUNITY CENTER | BOCA GRANDE, FL | $1,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| ANN & ROBERT LURIE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | CHICAGO, IL | $500 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| THE 1916 REDAN FOUNDATION | LAKE BLUFF, IL | $500 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| BOCA GRANDE HEALTH CLINIC FOUNDATION | BOCA GRANDE, FL | $500 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA - THE COLLEGE FOUNDATION | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $294,754 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $30,010 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| LAKE FOREST OPEN LANDS ASSOCIATION | LAKE FOREST, IL | $26,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| LAKE FOREST COLLEGE | LAKE FOREST, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT | LAKE FOREST, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| TEACH FOR AMERICA | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| CHICAGO SYMPHONY FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| JUDICIAL WATCH INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| GASPARILLA ISLAND CONSERVATION ACADEMY | BOCA GRANDE, FL | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| GORTON COMMUNITY CENTER | LAKE FOREST, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| MES FUND | ALFRED, ME | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| SKIDMORE COLLEGE | SARATOGA, NY | $2,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| STATE POLICY NETWORK | ARLINGTON, VA | $2,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| THE ISLAND SCHOOL | BOCA GRANDE, FL | $2,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ST ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH | CHICAGO, IL | $2,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| FRIENDS OF LFPR FOUNDATION | LAKE FOREST, IL | $2,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| FOREST PARK PRESERVATION CORPORATION | LAKE FOREST, IL | $2,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| SHIRLEY RYAN ABILITY LAB | CHICAGO, IL | $2,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| CHICAGO CARES | CHICAGO, IL | $2,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN | GLENCOE, IL | $1,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| HISTORY CENTER LAKE FOREST LAKE BLUFF | LAKE FOREST, IL | $1,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| NORTH CHICAGO COMMUNITY PARTNERS | LAKE BLUFF, IL | $1,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
NORTHWESTERN MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
$100,000CHARITABLE
MES FUND
$25,000CHARITABLE
LAKE FOREST COLLEGE
$20,000CHARITABLE
CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
$20,000CHARITABLE
OPEN THE BOOKS
$12,000CHARITABLE
BEACON ACADEMY
$5,000CHARITABLE
GORTON COMMUNITY CENTER
$5,000CHARITABLE
GASPARILLA ISLAND CONSERVATION
$5,000CHARITABLE
CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN
$2,000CHARITABLE
BOCA GRANDE WOMEN'S CLUB
$2,000CHARITABLE
NORTH CHICAGO COMMUNITY PARTNERS
$2,000CHARITABLE
JOHANN FUST COMMUNITY LIBRARY
$1,000CHARITABLE
ANN & ROBERT LURIE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$500CHARITABLE
THE 1916 REDAN FOUNDATION
$500CHARITABLE
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA - THE COLLEGE FOUNDATION
$294,754CHARITABLE
JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION
$30,010CHARITABLE
LAKE FOREST COLLEGE
$10,000CHARITABLE
CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
$10,000CHARITABLE
GASPARILLA ISLAND CONSERVATION ACADEMY
$5,000CHARITABLE
GORTON COMMUNITY CENTER
$5,000CHARITABLE
MES FUND
$5,000CHARITABLE
ST ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
$2,000CHARITABLE
FRIENDS OF LFPR FOUNDATION
$2,000CHARITABLE
FOREST PARK PRESERVATION CORPORATION
$2,000CHARITABLE
CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN
$1,500CHARITABLE
NORTH CHICAGO COMMUNITY PARTNERS
$1,000CHARITABLE