M G Nelson Family Foundation
The M G Nelson Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Springfield, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports support for charitable organizations in areas including higher education, children’s programs, health care, arts and culture, and environmental conservation.
M G Nelson Family Foundation at a glance
In short: M G Nelson Family Foundation gave $972K across 31 grants in 2025 (avg $31K), mostly in Illinois. 26% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $972,100
- +18.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 31
- -3.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $31,358
- +22.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $20,535,025
- +5.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (8 of 31, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (73% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to M G Nelson Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing says to contact Marion G Nelson Jr. with a letter indicating the applicant’s needs, planned uses, and exempt status. Awards are restricted to charitable organizations exempt under IRC Section 501(c)(3). The filing lists no deadline.
- Contact
Application contact: Marion G Nelson Jr
Mailing address: 2225 Greenside Dr, Springfield, IL 62704
Phone: (217) 494-9593
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who M G Nelson Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Illinois Foundation ($380K). Together the top 10 received $904K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($5,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
132 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 105 grants of 132 (80%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 73% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 26% to Florida, 1% to Missouri, and 1% to Oklahoma. The filing’s largest Illinois grants included recipients in Champaign and Springfield; its largest Florida grants went to organizations in Naples.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
Cities
Is M G Nelson Family Foundation open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 31 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $41K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 71% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 106% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $213K (2021) to $972K (2025). In 2025 it made 31 grants totaling $972K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois Foundation Champaign, IL | To advance the interests and welfare of the university of Illinois. | $380,000 |
| Naples Botanical Garden Naples, FL | To help support garden and plant exhibits, educational programs, and conservation initiatives. | $125,000 |
| Compass for Kids Springfield, IL | To provide after-school and summer programs to underserved children in springfield public schools. | $100,000 |
| Kidzeum of Health & Science Springfield, IL | To assist in the creation of experiences of learning and discovery through play for children. | $100,000 |
| Memorial Medical Center Foundation Springfield, IL | Public Hospital | $60,500 |
| Artis Naples Naples, FL | Support Art Community in Naples FL Area | $50,000 |
| NCH Center for Philanthropy Naples, FL | To ensure the healthcare system provides high quality and comprehensive care to everyone in need. | $50,000 |
| Hole in the Wall Wildlife Fund Naples, FL | To protect the environment while providing a setting for members to golf and socialize. | $20,000 |
| Capitol Illini Angel Fund Champaign, IL | To provide university of Illinois' exciting new startups with an initial investment and support. | $10,000 |
| Springfield Public School District 186 Springfield, IL | To support and enhance educational, extra-curricular, and inter-scholastic programs, and to strengthen the relationship between the public schools and the springfield community. | $8,100 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $20,535,025 | $2,337,808 | $1,206,531 | $972,100 | 31 | $1,022,634 | $2,164,212 | $968,132 |
| 2024 | $19,403,748 | $1,133,023 | $1,035,607 | $818,918 | 32 | $867,874 | $965,290 | $944,230 |
| 2023 | $19,306,332 | $1,017,032 | $1,049,556 | $837,500 | 21 | $882,454 | $861,852 | $874,868 |
| 2022 | $19,338,856 | $2,224,471 | $1,224,907 | $929,411 | 29 | $975,792 | $2,060,565 | $882,662 |
| 2021 | $18,339,292 | $3,427,888 | $405,332 | $212,500 | 19 | $250,024 | $3,272,580 | $863,589 |
| 2020 | $15,314,101 | $230,937 | $607,123 | $440,500 | 16 | — | $414,752 | $769,709 |
| 2019 | $15,690,287 | $196,892 | $866,050 | $675,250 | 20 | — | $500,944 | $811,469 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, M G Nelson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $968K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for a range of charitable activities. For example, the University of Illinois Foundation says its mission is to administer private gifts that benefit the University of Illinois; Compass for Kids says it provides academic and social-emotional support to children and families underserved by its community; and Contact Ministries says it serves people in crisis and assists poor and disadvantaged community members.
Other 2025 recipients include the Naples Botanical Garden, which received support for garden and plant exhibits, education, and conservation; Artis Naples, which received support for the arts community; and Memorial Medical Center Foundation, listed with the purpose “public hospital.”
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 31 grants totaling $972,100. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $380,000, with a median of $5,000.
The largest grant was $380,000 to the University of Illinois Foundation. Other notable grants included $125,000 to Naples Botanical Garden, $100,000 each to Compass for Kids and Kidzeum of Health & Science, and $60,500 to Memorial Medical Center Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Marion G Nelson Jr. is listed as the foundation’s trustee on its 2025 filing.
M G Nelson Family Foundation is led by Marion G. Nelson Jr., Trustee on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Marion G. Nelson Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2019
20 hrs/week
$67K (2019) → $101K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $101K, to Marion G Nelson Jr (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about M G Nelson Family Foundation
How much does M G Nelson Family Foundation give each year?
M G Nelson Family Foundation gave $972K across 31 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $819K across 32 grants.
What is M G Nelson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
M G Nelson Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $31,358, across 31 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from M G Nelson Family Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does M G Nelson Family Foundation give grants?
M G Nelson Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 73% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Florida (26%). The most frequent recipient cities were Springfield, IL (16 grants), Naples, FL (5 grants), Chatham, IL (3 grants) and Champaign, IL (2 grants).
Does M G Nelson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 31 grants with a stated purpose on M G Nelson Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are M G Nelson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
M G Nelson Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Illinois Foundation ($380,000), Naples Botanical Garden ($125,000) and Compass for Kids ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($5,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is M G Nelson Family Foundation?
M G Nelson Family Foundation reported $20.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $968K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does M G Nelson Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for a range of charitable activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from M G Nelson Family Foundation?
The 2025 filing says to contact Marion G Nelson Jr. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is M G Nelson Family Foundation's EIN?
M G Nelson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-6678311. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 7, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 30, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). M G Nelson Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/m-g-nelson-family-foundation-morg_40d565b8c6bd4435bd02ce9351e7c408
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_476678311_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{M G Nelson Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/m-g-nelson-family-foundation-morg_40d565b8c6bd4435bd02ce9351e7c408},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from M G Nelson Family Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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