Circle Of Service Foundation

Circle of Service Foundation (COSF) operates as a relationship-driven challenge grant funder, not a conventional project-based grantmaker. Their giving philosophy centers on strengthening nonprofit fundraising infrastructure — they want their dollars matched by donors you cultivate, not simply deployed to fund programs. This reflects the founding vision of CDW Computer Centers founder Michael P. Krasny, whose business-building background shaped the conviction that nonprofits should develop durable, diversified revenue streams rather than grow dependent on foundation support alone.

The foundation's four official focus areas — Community Services, Education, Medical Research, and Jewish Community — are not equally accessible. Community Services (Cook and Lake Counties, IL) and local Jewish Community programs accept unsolicited pre-applications. Education and Medical Research are strictly invitation-only; cold applications are not reviewed. This bifurcated structure means most new applicants should target Community Services or Jewish Community as entry points, even if their ultimate goal is an Education or Medical Research relationship.

The typical arc begins with a pre-application screening (expect up to 45 days for a response), followed by a full application if invited (90-120 days to decision). Challenge grants are the dominant mechanism: COSF provides a grant commitment, you match it with new or increased donor dollars within the grant period, and you verify results. Capital grants require a prior funding relationship and explicit Program Officer approval — they are not a first-grant option, and requesting capital in an inaugural application signals unfamiliarity with how COSF operates.

Three things first-time applicants must know. First, the $75,000 private revenue threshold is firm and non-negotiable — organizations below that baseline in their most recent fiscal year will not advance past screening. Second, board governance receives serious review: five unrelated board members minimum, majority non-employees, and documented meaningful personal financial contributions from board members. Third, COSF's portal runs on SmartSimple, and the foundation provides downloadable Word worksheets for every stage of the application — these are essential preparation tools. With $36.0M deployed across 637 awards in FY2024 and $591.9M in assets, COSF is among Chicago's most significant private foundations and one of the few that remains open to unsolicited inquiries.

COSF distributed $36.0M in FY2024 across approximately 637 awards, implying an average disbursement of roughly $56,500 per grant. That average obscures a heavily right-skewed distribution. Among 566 grant records captured in the Granted database, the median grant is $20,000, the average is $57,915, and individual awards range from $36 to $1,906,475. The gap between median ($20K) and average ($58K) signals that many small challenge grants of $5,000-$30,000 anchor the portfolio, with occasional six- and seven-figure commitments to flagship institutions.

Total giving has ranged from $30.4M (FY2019) to $44.5M (FY2023), with FY2024 retreating to $36.0M — a normalization after peak COVID-era philanthropic deployment rather than a programmatic retreat. Over five years (FY2020-FY2024), the foundation has averaged $38.9M in annual giving. Total assets grew from $538.8M in FY2019 to $591.9M in FY2024, generating $53.9M in net investment income in FY2024 alone. The effective payout rate of ~6.1% meaningfully exceeds the IRS-mandated 5% minimum.

By program area, Community Services drives the highest grant volume. Top recipients include Sinai Health System ($4.73M cumulative, 2 grants), Metropolitan Family Services ($1.14M across 4 grants), and Center for Enriched Living ($509K across 4 grants). Jewish Community grants are anchored by Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago ($3.73M across 5 grants), American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee ($1.26M), and Jewish Funders Network ($1.21M across 2 grants). Medical Research concentrates heavily on cancer: University of Chicago ($2.57M, multiple grants), Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago ($1.74M, 1 grant), American Cancer Society ($731K across 6 grants), and Cancer Research Fund at Damon Runyon ($600K across 2 grants). Education funding, largely invitation-only, flows to University of Chicago, Noble Network of Charter Schools ($581K across 2 grants), and University of Illinois Foundation ($1.03M across 5 grants). Emerging verticals include Climate ($1M to Carbon Mapper, $500K to US Energy Foundation) and Democracy/Voting Rights ($525K to New Venture Fund across 4 grants).

Geography is heavily Illinois-weighted: 1,238 of 1,795 recorded grants (69%) were made in Illinois, with secondary clusters in New York (175), DC (45), and Massachusetts (43) — primarily national Jewish community and Medical Research grantees.

The following table compares Circle of Service Foundation to four comparable private foundations, using the most recently available public financial data.

COSF occupies a distinctive position in the Chicago philanthropy landscape. Unlike the Joyce Foundation (fully invitation-only, policy-focused) or Crown Family Philanthropies (deep relationship-driven), COSF accepts unsolicited applications for two of its four programs, making it more accessible than most foundations at comparable asset scale. Its challenge grant model is rare among peers: Polk Bros., Joyce, and McCormick primarily disburse general operating support or project grants without a matching requirement. That matching requirement means fundraising infrastructure capacity matters more at COSF than at comparable peer funders. COSF's $20,000 median grant is lower than Polk Bros. (median approximately $50,000-$60,000), but COSF's high volume and multi-year relationship patterns mean total funding relationships often accumulate to six or seven figures over time — as the top-50 grantee data clearly demonstrates.

No major public press releases or program announcements were identified from COSF for 2025-2026. The foundation maintains a deliberately low public profile, typical of family-controlled private foundations in Chicago's Jewish philanthropic community.

The most significant recent development is the FY2024 Form 990 filed November 14, 2025, confirming $37.0M in grants paid across approximately 637 awards — down from $40.4M in FY2023. Total assets grew to $591.9M from $565.7M, and net investment income reached $53.9M, suggesting the distribution reduction was a deliberate portfolio decision rather than an asset constraint.

On the personnel side, Kimberly Miller Rubenfeld was elevated to Executive Vice President in FY2024, with compensation of $293,338 (up from $254,406 as Vice President). She has been the foundation's sole paid senior staff member across all recent filings and is the primary operational contact for grantees and applicants. Leadership otherwise remains highly stable: Chairman Michael P. Krasny and President/Treasurer Adam J. Levine have held their positions continuously across all available filings. Directors include Rabbi Steven Stark Lowenstein, Daniel and Lianne Jacobs, Michelle Collins, Alan Patzik, Gary Kash, and Ron Sonenthal.

Programmatically, the most noteworthy shift is the quiet emergence of a Climate portfolio: grants to Carbon Mapper ($1M cumulative), US Energy Foundation ($500K), and Partnership Project ($625K) indicate intentional expansion. Similarly, $525K in Democracy/Voting Rights grants to New Venture Fund across four grants suggests growing interest in civic engagement work. No formal new program announcements were issued, but the grantee data reflects strategic decisions made around 2021-2022 that continue through the present cycle.

Challenge grant design is the single most critical preparation step. COSF's primary mechanism ties their grant commitment to your ability to raise matching funds from new or increased donor contributions. Before applying, map your donor pyramid: identify major donor prospects who have not yet given, lapsed donors who could be re-engaged, or current donors who could increase their gifts if incentivized by a match. Applications that arrive without a specific, credible plan for who will respond to the challenge consistently underperform in review.

Timing is explicit and consequential. COSF's own planning guidance stresses that decisions take 3-4 months. Work backward from your annual giving campaign peak: if your year-end appeal closes in December, submit in August or September. If your spring campaign closes in April, submit in December or January. Missing this window means funds arrive after the campaign closes and the challenge opportunity is lost.

Know which programs are open to you. Community Services and Jewish Community (Cook/Lake County operations required for the former) accept unsolicited pre-applications. Education and Medical Research require an invitation. The surest path to an Education or Medical Research invitation is a direct relationship-building conversation: call (312) 897-1111 or email info@cosfoundation.org to introduce your organization and ask whether you might be a fit. Multiple grantees have reported that staff-initiated outreach was what opened the door.

Avoid capital-only first applications. Capital grants require a prior funding relationship and explicit Program Officer pre-approval. Organizations that open with a capital request signal they have not researched how COSF works.

Avoid project-based special events. COSF funds organizational capacity and ongoing programs — not galas, conferences, or one-time events. Frame requests around durable programmatic work.

Board governance review is taken seriously. Document five or more unrelated board members (four minimum who are non-employees), and prepare evidence of meaningful personal financial contributions by board members. This is a hard eligibility screen, not a soft preference.

Private revenue threshold is $75,000 minimum. This is private revenue (individual and foundation contributions, earned revenue) from your most recently completed fiscal year — not government grants, not total revenue. New organizations under this threshold should contact staff directly before applying.