The Ennis Foundation concentrates a majority of its dollars on community-focused and place-based giving, with a notable emphasis on Hawaii organizations alongside some local Illinois beneficiaries. Their portfolio mixes sizable gifts to community foundations and universities with targeted support for animal welfare, addiction recovery programs, faith-based ministries, and park/nature education. They make both very large single grants and smaller repeat gifts to selected organizations, suggesting strategic one-off investments plus ongoing relationships.
A single grant to the Hawaii Community Foundation, at $1,418,948 in 2023, shows the scale this foundation can bring to a place-based commitment. Dr Arthur & Bonnie Ennis Foundation C/o Heartland Bank also paired that large Hawaii award with sizable support for Dream Dachshund Rescue and the Univ of North Carolina Greensboro, indicating a portfolio that mixes major anchor gifts with targeted operating support across different causes. Their recent record includes higher-education philanthropy, animal welfare, addiction recovery, faith-based ministry, and parks and nature education. The pattern is not limited to one-off gifts. Punahou School appears across 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Jesus Miracle Crusade Intl Ministry received grants in three separate years as well. That mix of repeat awards and very large single-year commitments suggests a funder that uses both continuing relationships and larger strategic infusions. Illinois beneficiaries also appear, but most of the giving is directed outside the foundation’s headquarters state. The result is a grantmaking profile that is broad in subject matter but still centered on a relatively small set of organizations and communities.
In Hawaii community support, the foundation gave $1,418,948 to Hawaii Community Foundation in 2023, and also awarded $12,000 to Punahou School in 2025 after earlier grants of $10,000 in 2023 and $10,000 in 2024. That same Hawaii-centered pattern extends to the University of Hawaii Law School, which received $10,000 in 2023. Outside education and community funds, animal welfare is another visible line of giving: Dream Dachshund Rescue received $361,475 in 2023, while Paws of Hawaii received $2,000 that same year and Hawaiian Humane Society received $1,000 in both 2024 and 2025. The foundation also supported addiction recovery and residential services with $100,000 to Token 3 Club Addiction Recovery Cen in 2023, and faith-based ministry work with $55,738 to Jesus Miracle Crusade Intl Ministry in 2023, followed by additional grants in 2024 and 2025.
The typical grant profile is wide-ranging: the 25th percentile is $2,500, the median is $11,000, and the 75th percentile is $88,934. That spread shows a mix of modest gifts and much larger anchor grants. The grant list also points to repeat relationships rather than purely one-time giving: Punahou School appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025, Jesus Miracle Crusade Intl Ministry appears in three years, and Hawaiian Humane Society and YMCA of Honolulu each received multiple gifts. The foundation is a private family foundation filing through Heartland Bank, and the available data does not indicate an application process.
$30K
$1.6M
$71K
$56K
Most grants fall between $3K and $89K, with a median of $11K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$11K
75th Percentile
$89K
About 7% of grants go to recipients in HI.
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Concentrated dollars skewed to a few large recipients (one grant >50% of total), combined with several mid-size and smaller repeat grants; a mix of strategic one-off major gifts to community foundations/universities and targeted ongoing support to specific service providers and local institutions.
Notable grantees: Hawaii Community Foundation, Dream Dachshund Rescue, Token 3 Club Addiction Recovery Center, Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry, Forest Park Nature Center
Grant recipients are entirely in the United States, but the giving is concentrated outside Illinois. Hawaii is the main recipient state, with Honolulu appearing repeatedly through Hawaii Community Foundation, Punahou School, University of Hawaii Law School, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Honolulu Habitat for Humanity, YMCA of Honolulu, and Hawaiian Humane Society; Kaneohe also appears through Paws of Hawaii. Illinois recipients include Forest Park Nature Center in Peoria Heights and Peoria Park District in Peoria. Other grants went to organizations in Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Kentucky, and California.
Recent grants show support for Hawaii community organizations, higher-education philanthropy, animal welfare, addiction recovery services, faith-based ministry, and parks or nature education. Named recipients include Hawaii Community Foundation, University of Hawaii Law School, Dream Dachshund Rescue, Token 3 Club Addiction Recovery Cen, Jesus Miracle Crusade Intl Ministry, and Forest Park Nature Center.
The grant-size distribution is broad. The 25th percentile is $2,500, the median is $11,000, and the 75th percentile is $88,934. That means the foundation often gives at modest levels, but it also makes much larger awards when it chooses to fund a larger project or organization.
Yes. Punahou School received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Jesus Miracle Crusade Intl Ministry also appears in three separate years, and both Hawaiian Humane Society and YMCA of Honolulu received multiple grants. The pattern points to a mix of repeat relationships and larger one-time awards.
Hawaii is the top state by grant count. Honolulu appears repeatedly among recipients, along with Kaneohe, while Illinois is a smaller share of the portfolio. The recipient-country distribution 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PUNAHOU SCHOOL | HONOLULU, HI | $12,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| APOSTOLIC CHURCH DALLAS | DALLAS, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| APOSTOLIC WORLD CHRISTIANFELLOWSHIP | EVANSVILLE, IN | $5,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| YMCA OF HONOLULU | HONOLULU, HI | $2,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| HAWAIIAN HUMANE SOCIETY | HONOLULU, HI | $1,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| JESUS MIRACLE CRUSADE INTL MINISTRY | CARSON, CA | $17,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| PUNAHOU SCHOOL | HONOLULU, HI | $12,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| YMCA OF HONOLULU | HONOLULU, HI | $2,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| HAWAIIAN HUMANE SOCIETY | HONOLULU, HI | $1,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| PUNAHOU SCHOOL | HONOLULU, HI | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| JESUS MIRACLE CRUSADE INTL MINISTRY | CARSON, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| HAWAIIAN HUMANE SOCIETY | HONOLULU, HI | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| YMCA OF HONOLULU | HONOLULU, HI | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| HAWAII COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | HONOLULU, HI | $1,418,948 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| DREAM DACHSHUND RESCUE | MARIETTA, GA | $361,475 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA GREENSBORO | GREENSBORO, NC | $250,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| FOREST PARK NATURE CENTER | PEORIA HEIGHTS, IL | $175,800 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| DALLAS 24 HOUR CLUB | DALLAS, TX | $100,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| TOKEN 3 CLUB ADDICTION RECOVERY CEN | LOUISVILLE, KY | $100,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| JESUS MIRACLE CRUSADE INTL MINISTRY | CARSON, CA | $55,738 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| FAMILY GATEWAY | DALLAS, TX | $25,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| PEORIA PARK DISTRICT | PEORIA, IL | $15,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| PUNAHOU SCHOOL | HONOLULU, HI | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII LAW SCHOOL | HONOLULU, HI | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| HONOLULU HABITAT FOR HUMANITY | HONOLULU, HI | $2,500 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN | HONOLULU, HI | $2,500 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| PAWS OF HAWAII | KANEOHE, HI | $2,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
PUNAHOU SCHOOL
$12,000CHARITABLE
APOSTOLIC CHURCH DALLAS
$10,000CHARITABLE
APOSTOLIC WORLD CHRISTIANFELLOWSHIP
$5,000CHARITABLE
JESUS MIRACLE CRUSADE INTL MINISTRY
$17,000CHARITABLE
PUNAHOU SCHOOL
$12,000CHARITABLE
PUNAHOU SCHOOL
$10,000CHARITABLE
JESUS MIRACLE CRUSADE INTL MINISTRY
$10,000CHARITABLE
DREAM DACHSHUND RESCUE
$361,475CHARITABLE
UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA GREENSBORO
$250,000CHARITABLE
FOREST PARK NATURE CENTER
$175,800CHARITABLE
TOKEN 3 CLUB ADDICTION RECOVERY CEN
$100,000CHARITABLE
JESUS MIRACLE CRUSADE INTL MINISTRY
$55,738CHARITABLE
PEORIA PARK DISTRICT
$15,000CHARITABLE
PUNAHOU SCHOOL
$10,000CHARITABLE
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII LAW SCHOOL
$10,000CHARITABLE
HONOLULU HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
$2,500CHARITABLE
SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN
$2,500CHARITABLE
PAWS OF HAWAII
$2,000CHARITABLE