Elks National Foundation Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Chicago, Illinois, registered in 2009, with $61,600,573 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 86% of spending to programs.
Revenue (FY2024)
$61.6M
▲ 64.8% vs prior year
Philanthropy median: $168K
Expenses (FY2024)
$44.5M
Net assets
$873.0M
Employees
25
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Elks National Foundation Inc: 86% to programs · $12 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Elks National Foundation Inc: 235 mo reserves · +28% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Elks National Foundation Inc: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Elks National Foundation Inc: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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The foundation's mission is to help the benevolent and protective order of elks of the united states of america (bpoe) build stronger communities by offering college scholarships, funding programs that build the character and confidence of youth, serving veterans, and providing elks lodges and state associations with resources they need to accomplish their charitable objectives.
The foundation provided grants to the elks state associations to help fund their charitable activities. these activities include medical care and research, in-home treatment for children with disabilities, youth camps, shelters for abused women, and state level programs consistent with those provided by the foundation. the foundation provided grants ranging to $10,000 to help elks lodges implement projects and programs that address unmet needs in their communities in lasting and meaningful ways.the foundation provided funds to the elks veterans service commission for various programs benefiting veterans. the foundation also provided funds to the elks veterans memorial restoration trust to help pay for needed maintenance and upkeep of the elks veteran memorial and to the elks national drug awareness commission to pursue the foundation's drug awareness program.
Revenue grew from $36.1M (FY2015) to $61.6M (FY2024) across 10 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
27.7%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$885.0M
Total liabilities
$12.0M
Net assets
$873.0M
Salaries & benefits
$1.9M
4% of expenses
Board members
7
7 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $61,600,573▲64.8% | $44,533,130▲10.7% | $873,015,260▲1.8% | $884,971,330▼4.4% | 990 |
| 2023 | $37,385,570▲34.7% | $40,244,595▼5.5% | $857,298,956▲9.6% | $925,982,127▲5.6% | 990 |
| 2022 | $27,750,732▼70.9% | $42,597,331▲14.6% | $782,234,104▼7.8% | $876,926,878▼5.2% | 990 |
| 2021 | $95,466,562▲53.9% | $37,180,568▲13.2% | $848,319,159▲1.8% | $925,414,359▼1.2% | 990 |
| 2020 | $62,047,958▲43.0% | $32,848,662▲11.2% | $833,003,371▲27.5% | $936,472,552▲23.8% | 990 |
| 2019 | $43,379,037▼36.9% | $29,533,298▼5.3% | $653,125,885▼8.2% | $756,361,026▼7.6% | 990 |
| 2018 | $68,772,020▲50.1% | $31,196,607▲5.9% | $711,851,945▲1.8% | $818,675,624▲4.2% | 990 |
| 2017 | $45,805,924▲45.5% | $29,455,323▲8.2% | $699,546,633▲6.6% | $785,467,177▲0.9% | 990 |
| 2016 | $31,475,041▼12.8% | $27,224,193▼7.1% | $656,382,934▲6.2% | $778,124,909▲6.2% | 990 |
| 2015 | $36,082,387 | $29,295,750 | $617,872,999 | $732,579,927 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Highest-paid: James O'kelley III — $151,197 (0.34% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| James O'kelley III | Director | 40 | $151,197 |
| Deborah Kahler Doles | Asst Director | 40 | $104,910 |
| F Louis Sulsberger | Asst Secretary | 1 | — |
| James L Nichelson | Secretary | 1 | — |
| James M Mcquillan | Trustee | 1 | — |
| John D Amen | Treasurer | 1 | — |
| Louis J Grillo | Asst Treasurer | 1 | — |
| Michael F Smith | Chairman | 1 | — |
| Roger R True | Vice Chairman | 1 | — |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Barton Powell Barton Company | Trophy Provider | $116,141 |
| Folio Films LLC | Filmmaking | $105,475 |
44 grants to Elks National Foundation Inc totaling $864K, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $36,395 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $18,116 |
| Paypal Charitable Giving Fund | General support | 2024 | $9,831 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2023 | $43,318 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $26,913 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2023 | $17,932 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Public, societal benefit | 2023 | $16,100 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2022 | $30,991 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2022 | $26,757 |
| The Blackbaud Giving Fund | General support | 2022 | $22,264 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Public, societal benefit | 2022 | $19,700 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2022 | $17,029 |
| Alaska Community Foundation | Operational support | 2022 | $10,000 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Philanthropy | 2022 | $5,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2021 | $58,025 |
1,485 grants totaling $31.9M in FY2024 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Elks National Foundation Inc →
Explore more
Data for Elks National Foundation Inc (EIN 26-3718342) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.