The Mary and Ralph Gesualdo Family Foundation concentrates its giving on major health-care institutions and select education and disability-service organizations, favoring large, institution-level gifts that support operational or program activities. Grants are often sizable and directed to well-established organizations (with Mayo Clinic and Lurie Children’s receiving repeat awards), reflecting a preference for reputable hospitals, private secondary education, scholarship programs, and services for people with disabilities. While based in Illinois, their support spans regional and national recipients rather than hyper-local projects.
The Mary and Ralph Gesualdo Family Foundation’s largest recent gift in the data was $150,000 to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and that scale is typical of a funder that makes substantial institutional awards rather than small program checks. Across the most recent grants, it repeatedly backs hospitals, private secondary education, scholarship access, disability services, and food-related community organizations. The foundation has also shown continuity in its support for major health systems and children’s hospitals: Mayo Clinic appears more than once, and Lurie Children’s Hospital received repeated six-figure support in consecutive years. Its grant language emphasizes support for an organization’s activities or objectives, suggesting a focus on operational and programmatic capacity at established nonprofits. Recent awards also show attention to organizations serving children, students, people with disabilities, and families facing hardship. While the giving is regional in scope, the pattern is not limited to one type of institution; instead, it includes large hospitals, a Catholic secondary school, a scholarship foundation, and community service providers. The result is a portfolio that centers on established organizations with defined missions and measurable institutional needs.
Health care is the clearest cause area in the recent grants. The foundation gave $125,000 to Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois, to accomplish the organization’s activities, and it gave $100,000 to Evans Scholars Foundation in Glenview, Illinois, to accomplish the organization’s objectives. It also supported Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago with $100,000 in 2024 and $100,000 in 2023, both for the organization’s activities. Disability and family-support organizations also appear in the portfolio. Clearbrook in Arlington Heights received $75,000 in 2024 for the organization’s activities, while Mercy Home in Chicago received $20,000 in both 2023 and 2024. The foundation also backed Journey’s - The Road Home in Palatine with $20,000 in 2024. In addition, food access shows up through Northern Illinois Food Bank in Geneva and Greater Chicago Food Depository in Chicago, each receiving repeat grants.
$2.1M
$16.3M
$8.7M
$2.1M
Most grants fall between $10K and $39K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$39K
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Concentrated giving: few, relatively large grants (many six-figure awards), with repeat funding to core health-care grantees and occasional large gifts to education and disability-service organizations.
Notable grantees: Mayo Clinic, Lurie Children’s Hospital, Loyola Academy, Evans Scholars Foundation, Clearbrook
Typical grants cluster around the middle of the five-figure range: p25 is $10,000, median is $20,000, and p75 is $38,750. The foundation also makes larger institutional gifts, with several awards at $100,000 or more. Recipients often reappear across years, including Mayo Clinic, Lurie Children’s Hospital, Mercy Home, Northern Illinois Food Bank, Greater Chicago Food Depository, The Nature Conservancy, Save The Children, Green City Market, and Covenant House. The grant language is usually direct and operational, using phrases such as “to accomplish the organization’s activities” or “objectives,” which fits general operating or program support. The foundation is a family foundation, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
The foundation’s giving is regional, and Illinois is the main recipient state, accounting for 61% of grants. Chicago appears frequently among recipients, alongside Wilmette, Arlington Heights, Geneva, and Palatine. Outside Illinois, recent grants reached Rochester, Coral Gables, Richmond, Fairfield, San Francisco, Arlington, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. All recorded grants in the dataset went to US organizations.
Its recent grants go to hospitals and health systems, a private secondary school, a scholarship foundation, disability services, food access organizations, and community-serving nonprofits. Examples in the data include medical institutions, education-focused groups, and organizations supporting people facing homelessness, hunger, or disability-related needs.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution centers on mid-five-figure awards: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $20,000, and the 75th percentile is $38,750. It also makes larger gifts, including awards of $100,000, $125,000, and $150,000.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Mayo Clinic, Lurie Children’s Hospital, Mercy Home, Northern Illinois Food Bank, Greater Chicago Food Depository, The Nature Conservancy, Save The Children, Green City Market, and Covenant House. That pattern suggests ongoing support rather than one-time giving only.
Illinois receives most of the grants, with 61% of awards going to recipients in the HQ state. Chicago is a frequent recipient city, and other Illinois locations in the recent grants include Wilmette, Arlington Heights, Geneva, and Palatine.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals, and it does not make program-related investments. Its recent grants are directed to organizations.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lurie Children's Hospital | Chicago, IL | $600,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Mayo Clinic | Rochester, MN | $500,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Clearbrook | Arlington Heights, IL | $150,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Cristo Ray St Martin | Waukegan, IL | $100,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Mother's Trust Foundation | Lake Forest, IL | $100,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Global Empower | Detroit, MI | $100,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Feeding America | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Daily Bread Food Pantry | Collegeville, PA | $50,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Evan's Scholars | Glenview, IL | $50,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Doctors Without Borders | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Laguna Blanca School | Santa Barbara, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Northern Illinois Food Bank | Geneva, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| World Vision | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| St Jude's Children Hospital | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| 1916 Foundation | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Save The Children | Fairfield, CT | $20,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's objectives |
| Journey's - The Road Home | Palatine, IL | $20,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's objectives |
| Bissell Pet Foundation | Grand Rapids, MI | $20,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Elton John Celebration Fund | New York, NY | $16,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Pasadena Humane | Pasadena, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Pine Tree Foundation | Gladwyne, PA | $10,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Muttville Organization | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's objectives |
| Special Olympics | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's objectives |
| Refuge for Women | Crystal Lake, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Franciscan Outreach | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Mercy Home | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Forest Park Project | Lake Forest, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Covenant House | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Advo Kids | Carte Madera, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Tinervin Family | Bloomington, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Dakota Boys Girls Ranch | Minot, ND | $5,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| The Retreat Women's Center | Goshen, IN | $5,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| MUS School Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| National Multiple Sclerosis Society | Chicago, IL | $5,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Revolution Workshop | Chicago, IL | $5,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Misericordia Heart Links | Chicago, IL | $2,000 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Marshmallow's Hope | Rockford, IL | $500 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Little Sister's of the Poor | Chicago, IL | $500 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| IL Charity Burial | Springfield, IL | $15 | 2026 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Mayo Clinic | Rochester, MN | $625,000 | 2025 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Loyola Academy | Wilmette, IL | $125,000 | 2025 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Lurie Children's Hospital | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Clearbrook | Arlington Heights, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Evans Scholars Foundation | Glenview, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | To accomplish the organization's objectives |
| World Vision | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Northern Illinois Food Bank | Geneva, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Save The Children | Fairfield, CT | $20,000 | 2025 | To accomplish the organization's objectives |
| Doctors Without Borders | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| St Jude's Children Hospital | Chicago, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
| Feeding America | Chicago, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | To accomplish the organization's activities |
Lurie Children's Hospital
$600,000To accomplish the organization's activities
Mayo Clinic
$500,000To accomplish the organization's activities
Cristo Ray St Martin
$100,000To accomplish the organization's activities
To accomplish the organization's activities
Evan's Scholars
$50,000To accomplish the organization's activities
St Jude's Children Hospital
$25,000To accomplish the organization's activities
1916 Foundation
$20,000To accomplish the organization's activities
Bissell Pet Foundation
$20,000To accomplish the organization's activities
Elton John Celebration Fund
$16,000To accomplish the organization's activities
Pasadena Humane
$15,000To accomplish the organization's activities
Pine Tree Foundation
$10,000To accomplish the organization's activities
Refuge for Women
$10,000To accomplish the organization's activities
Mercy Home
$10,000To accomplish the organization's activities
Forest Park Project
$10,000To accomplish the organization's activities
Tinervin Family
$10,000To accomplish the organization's activities
The Retreat Women's Center
$5,000To accomplish the organization's activities
MUS School Foundation
$5,000To accomplish the organization's activities
Marshmallow's Hope
$500To accomplish the organization's activities
IL Charity Burial
$15To accomplish the organization's activities
Mayo Clinic
$625,000To accomplish the organization's activities
Loyola Academy
$125,000To accomplish the organization's activities
Lurie Children's Hospital
$100,000To accomplish the organization's activities
Evans Scholars Foundation
$50,000To accomplish the organization's objectives
World Vision
$25,000To accomplish the organization's activities
Save The Children
$20,000To accomplish the organization's objectives
Doctors Without Borders
$20,000To accomplish the organization's activities
St Jude's Children Hospital
$20,000To accomplish the organization's activities