The Laird Family Foundation concentrates its giving on local Northbrook/North Cook County community needs—particularly basic human services and educational access—while also supporting a prominent national civil liberties organization. Their grants repeatedly target neighborhood institutions (food pantry, public library, local scholarships and faith-based charities) alongside select investments in youth mentorship and environmental enhancement. Repeated multi-year support for several local recipients suggests sustained relationships rather than one-off gifts.
A repeated pattern of support for Northbrook-area institutions defines the Thomas J & Kathleen M Laird Family Foundation’s giving, alongside larger gifts to civil liberties and scholarship work. The foundation has made multi-year grants to Northfield Township Food Pantry for food support, Northbrook Public Library for educational outreach, and St. Norbert Catholic Church for Catholic school and activity support. It also gave $20,000 in 2025 to ACLU Foundation for civil rights issues, showing that its grantmaking extends beyond local service organizations to national advocacy. The foundation’s recent grants also show a mix of community-based and issue-based funding. It has supported educational scholarships through Community Foundation of Northern IL, youth mentorship through By the Hand for Kids, and local charitable work through Benedictine Sisters of Erie. Smaller grants in the record include support for children’s health and low-income housing in Fort Myers, but the overall pattern remains centered on direct service, education, and faith-linked community support. With annual grants of $263,000 and a typical award range of $5,000 to $15,000, the foundation operates at a modest regional scale while keeping several long-running relationships active across years.
Education appears in several forms. The foundation gave $23,000 in 2023 and $13,000 in 2024 to Community Foundation of Northern IL for educational scholarships, and it also supported Northbrook Public Library with $10,000 in 2023, $10,000 in 2024, and $10,000 in 2025 for educational outreach programming. Basic needs and youth support are also present. Northfield Township Food Pantry received $20,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025 for food for the needy. By the Hand for Kids received $10,000 in 2024 for mentorship for inner city students. Faith-based and community service grants make up another thread. Benedictine Sisters of Erie received $10,000 in 2023, $10,000 in 2024, and $10,000 in 2025 for local community charitable work, while St Norbert Catholic Church received $10,000 in 2024 and $5,000 in both 2023 and 2025 for Catholic schools and activities.
Typical grants cluster around a modest midpoint: the p25 amount is $5,000, the median is $10,000, and the p75 amount is $15,000. The recent record shows repeated support to the same recipients across multiple years, especially for food assistance, public library programming, Catholic church activities, and scholarship support. That suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards. The foundation is a family foundation, not a fund for individuals, and it does not make program-related investments.
$90K
$2.1M
$108K
$108K
Most grants fall between $5K and $15K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$15K
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Modest number of mid-sized grants with several repeat multi-year recipients—concentrated geographically in the Northbrook area—combined with occasional support for national advocacy and environmental causes. Emphasis is on sustaining core local institutions rather than broadly diversified one-off grants.
Notable grantees: Northfield Township Food Pantry, ACLU Foundation, Northbrook Public Library, Benedictine Sisters of Erie, By The Hand For Kids
Grantmaking is concentrated in Illinois, which accounts for 64% of grants and is the top state by count. Recipient locations in the recent record include Northbrook, Glenview, Chicago, Glencoe, and Rockford. Outside Illinois, the foundation gave to recipients in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Fort Myers, Florida. All grants in the recent sample went to U.S. recipients.
Its recent grants focus on educational scholarships, emergency food assistance, public library outreach, Catholic and faith-based community services, youth mentorship, and a smaller set of civil rights and health-related gifts. Repeated awards to Northfield Township Food Pantry, Northbrook Public Library, and St. Norbert Catholic Church show a preference for direct local service.
The typical award sits around $10,000. In the recent data, the p25 grant size is $5,000, the median is $10,000, and the p75 is $15,000. The record also includes larger awards such as $20,000 and $23,000.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years: Northfield Township Food Pantry received $20,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Northbrook Public Library received $10,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Benedictine Sisters of Erie received $10,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Illinois is the main grantmaking state, with 64% of grants going to recipients there. Recent Illinois recipients include organizations in Northbrook, Glenview, Chicago, Glencoe, and Rockford.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NORTHFIELD TOWNSHIP FOOD PANTRY IL | GLENVIEW, IL | $20,000 | 2026 | FOOD FOR THE NEEDY |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NORTHERN IL | ROCKFORD, IL | $20,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT LOCAL STRUCTURE & GEOGRAPHY |
| ACLU FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES |
| CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN | GLENCOE, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | ENHANCE NATURAL HABITAT |
| ST NORBERT CATHOLIC CHURCH | NORTHBROOK, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT CATHOLIC SCHOOLS/ACTIVITIES |
| NORTHBROOK PUBLIC LIBRARY | NORTHBROOK, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAM |
| NORTHFIELD TOWNSHIP FOOD PANTRY IL | GLENVIEW, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | FOOD FOR THE NEEDY |
| ACLU FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES |
| NORTHBROOK PUBLIC LIBRARY | NORTHBROOK, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAM |
| BENEDICTINE SISTERS OF ERIE | ERIE, PA | $10,000 | 2025 | LOCAL COMMUNITY CHARITABLE WORK |
| CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN | GLENCOE, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | ENHANCE NATURAL HABITAT |
| ST NORBERT CATHOLIC CHURCH | NORTHBROOK, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT CATHOLIC SCHOOLS/ACTIVITIES |
| GOLISANO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | FORT MYERS, FL | $1,000 | 2025 | ONGOING HEALTH NEEDS FOR CHILDREN |
| NORTHFIELD TOWNSHIP FOOD PANTRY IL | GLENVIEW, IL | $20,000 | 2024 | FOOD FOR THE NEEDY |
| ACLU FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NORTHERN IL | ROCKFORD, IL | $13,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS |
| BENEDICTINE SISTERS OF ERIE | ERIE, PA | $10,000 | 2024 | LOCAL COMMUNITY CHARITABLE WORK |
| BY THE HAND FOR KIDS | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | MENTORSHIP FOR INNER CITY STUDENTS |
| NORTHBROOK PUBLIC LIBRARY | NORTHBROOK, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAM |
| ST NORBERT CATHOLIC CHURCH | NORTHBROOK, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT CATHOLIC SCHOOLS/ACTIVITIES |
| CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN | GLENCOE, IL | $5,000 | 2024 | ENHANCE NATURAL HABITAT |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY | FORT MYERS, FL | $1,000 | 2024 | FOR LOW INCOME HOUSING |
| BOYLAN HIGH SCHOOL | ROCKFORD, IL | $1,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT CATHOLIC SCHOOL/ACTIVITIES |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NORTHERN IL | ROCKFORD, IL | $23,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS |
| NORTHFIELD TOWNSHIP FOOD PANTRY IL | GLENVIEW, IL | $20,000 | 2023 | FOOD FOR THE NEEDY |
| ACLU FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES |
| BENEDICTINE SISTERS OF ERIE | ERIE, PA | $10,000 | 2023 | LOCAL COMMUNITY CHARITABLE WORK |
| NORTHBROOK PUBLIC LIBRARY | NORTHBROOK, IL | $10,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAM |
| CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN | GLENCOE, IL | $5,000 | 2023 | ENHANCE NATURAL HABITAT |
| ST NORBERT CATHOLIC CHURCH | NORTHBROOK, IL | $5,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT CATHOLIC SCHOOLS/ACTIVITIES |
| GOLISANO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | FORT MYERS, FL | $4,000 | 2023 | ONGOING HEALTH NEEDS FOR CHILDREN |
NORTHFIELD TOWNSHIP FOOD PANTRY IL
$20,000FOOD FOR THE NEEDY
ACLU FOUNDATION
$20,000SUPPORT CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES
CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN
$10,000ENHANCE NATURAL HABITAT
ST NORBERT CATHOLIC CHURCH
$10,000SUPPORT CATHOLIC SCHOOLS/ACTIVITIES
NORTHBROOK PUBLIC LIBRARY
$10,000SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAM
NORTHBROOK PUBLIC LIBRARY
$10,000SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAM
BENEDICTINE SISTERS OF ERIE
$10,000LOCAL COMMUNITY CHARITABLE WORK
ST NORBERT CATHOLIC CHURCH
$5,000SUPPORT CATHOLIC SCHOOLS/ACTIVITIES
GOLISANO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$1,000ONGOING HEALTH NEEDS FOR CHILDREN
BENEDICTINE SISTERS OF ERIE
$10,000LOCAL COMMUNITY CHARITABLE WORK
NORTHBROOK PUBLIC LIBRARY
$10,000SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAM
ST NORBERT CATHOLIC CHURCH
$10,000SUPPORT CATHOLIC SCHOOLS/ACTIVITIES
BOYLAN HIGH SCHOOL
$1,000SUPPORT CATHOLIC SCHOOL/ACTIVITIES
BENEDICTINE SISTERS OF ERIE
$10,000LOCAL COMMUNITY CHARITABLE WORK
NORTHBROOK PUBLIC LIBRARY
$10,000SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAM
ST NORBERT CATHOLIC CHURCH
$5,000SUPPORT CATHOLIC SCHOOLS/ACTIVITIES
GOLISANO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$4,000ONGOING HEALTH NEEDS FOR CHILDREN