Circle of Service Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $38,657,147 (2023)
Total Assets: $565 million+
Average Grant Size: $63,269
Grant Range: $100 - $5,000,000
Number of Awards: 611 (2023)
Decision Time: 45 days (pre-application); 90-120 days (full application)
Geographic Focus: Primarily Cook and Lake Counties, Illinois
Application Method: Rolling basis (no fixed deadlines)

Contact Details

Circle of Service Foundation
30 S. Wacker Dr., Suite 2500
Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 897-1111
Email: info@cosfoundation.org
Website: www.cosfoundation.org

Overview

Founded in 1997 by Michael P. Krasny, founder of Computer Discount Warehouse (CDW), the Circle of Service Foundation became significantly capitalized when Krasny sold CDW to Madison Dearborn Partners for $7.3 billion in 2007. With over $565 million in assets, the foundation distributed $38.6 million across 611 grants in 2023. The foundation supports organizations that enhance community, opportunity, and well-being through four primary focus areas: Education, Community Services, Jewish Community, and Medical Research. A distinguishing characteristic of this funder is their preference for challenge grants, which they believe are "powerful tools in the fundraising toolboxes" of their grantees. Nearly all grantmaking stays within Cook and Lake Counties, Illinois, though some grants extend to other major U.S. cities and support for Jewish communities and Israel internationally.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Community Services (Accepts Unsolicited Applications)

Range: $100 - $500,000+
Focus: Organizations in Cook and Lake Counties helping individuals achieve stability and self-reliance
Priority populations: People experiencing homelessness, youth, low-income populations
Application method: Rolling pre-applications accepted
Past grantees: All Chicago Making Homelessness History, Deborah's Place, Logan Square Neighborhood Association, YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, Chicago Youth Centers, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, Infant Welfare Society of Chicago, Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County

Jewish Community (Mixed - Cook/Lake County Unsolicited, Others Invitation Only)

Range: Up to several million dollars
Focus: Organizations generating vibrant, cohesive Jewish community in Chicago and the U.S., supporting Israel and Jewish communities worldwide
Cook/Lake County programs: Accepts unsolicited pre-applications
Outside Cook/Lake County: Invitation only
Past grantees: Jewish Federation of Chicago (grants in the millions), Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life

Education (Invitation Only)

Range: Varies widely
Focus: Organizations optimizing opportunities for low-income youth in Cook and Lake Counties to live engaged and productive lives
Application method: Invitation only (no unsolicited applications accepted)
Past K-12 grantees: Academy for Urban School Leadership, Children's First Fund, Chicago Public Education Fund, Communities in Schools of Chicago, Midtown Educational Foundation, Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching
Past higher education grantees: University of Chicago, University of Illinois, Northern Illinois University Foundation, Chicago State Foundation, Southern Illinois University Foundation, Governors State University

Medical Research (Invitation Only)

Range: Varies
Focus: Scientific and medical research on diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and cure of cancer and other diseases
Application method: Invitation only

Priority Areas

Organizations serving low-income and underserved populations
Homelessness prevention and services
Youth development and education access
Jewish community engagement and vitality
Medical research advancement
Programs demonstrating measurable outcomes and evaluation capacity
Organizations with capacity to leverage challenge grants effectively

What They Don't Fund

Organizations without 501(c)(3) public charity status
Organizations outside Cook and Lake Counties (except by invitation for Education, Medical Research, and some Jewish Community programs)
Organizations with less than $75,000 in private revenue in prior fiscal year
Organizations without broad-based, non-governmental support
Organizations with boards of fewer than five unrelated members
Organizations whose board members don't make meaningful personal financial contributions
Capital campaigns (unless invited; existing grantees should contact their Program Officer)
Special events (generally not supported)
Organizations unable or unwilling to fulfill challenge grant requirements

Governance and Leadership

Founder: Michael P. Krasny, founder of Computer Discount Warehouse (CDW), established the foundation in 1997 with proceeds from CDW stock. Krasny, a former car salesman who built a fortune in the early days of technology retail, sold CDW in 2007 for $7.3 billion, significantly boosting the foundation's assets.

Chairman of the Board: Michael P. Krasny

The foundation is managed by an executive management team, though specific staff and trustee details are not publicly detailed on their website. The foundation emphasizes transparency and accessibility through their Program Officers, who serve as primary contacts for applicants and grantees.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Step 1: Determine Eligibility Review the Getting Started Criteria to ensure your organization meets all seven requirements, including focus area alignment, 501(c)(3) status, $75,000 minimum private revenue, board governance requirements, and challenge grant capacity.

Step 2: Pre-Application or Application

New applicants: Must submit a pre-application
Recent grantees (active grant within past 12 months, same program): May submit full application directly
Recent grantees (active grant within past 12 months, different program or significantly larger request): Should submit pre-application
All applicants: Create unique account in online grant portal at www.cosfoundation.org

Step 3: Application Components

Programs and Services section describing actual programming (not fundraising plans)
Challenge grant strategy (in separate section)
Outcomes, current-year goals, and results
Recent evaluation data with analysis (for established organizations)

Application Types Accepted:

Program support
General operating support
Challenge grants (most common grant type)

What's Accepted Unsolicited:

Community Services (all programs in Cook/Lake Counties)
Jewish Community (Cook/Lake County programs only)

What Requires Invitation:

Education
Medical Research
Jewish Community (outside Cook/Lake Counties)
Capital campaigns

Decision Timeline

Pre-Applications: Most organizations hear back within 45 days of submission

Full Applications: Most organizations receive final decisions between 90 and 120 days from submission date

No Fixed Deadlines: Applications reviewed on rolling basis. Applicants should consider their fundraising calendar when planning submissions.

Success Rates

Specific success rate data is not publicly available. However, with 611 grants awarded in 2023 from assets exceeding $565 million, the foundation maintains an active grantmaking program. The requirement for invitation-only applications in Education and Medical Research suggests selectivity in those areas.

Reapplication Policy

Timing Restrictions:

Organizations whose most recent COSF grant ended less than 12 months ago cannot apply for a different program than was funded in the last grant
Organizations with active grants within past 12 months applying for the same program can submit applications directly (skip pre-application)

After Rejection: The foundation's FAQ materials do not specify waiting periods for unsuccessful applicants, suggesting reapplication may be possible. Contact Program Officers for guidance.

Application Success Factors

Challenge Grant Readiness is Critical

The Circle of Service Foundation's defining characteristic is their preference for challenge grants. Success depends heavily on demonstrating your organization's capacity to leverage matching funds effectively. As stated on their website: "We believe that challenge grants are powerful tools in the fundraising toolboxes of the organizations we support." Organizations must show they can "raise funds from new donors and increased funds from existing donors" and have systems to track and report these donations.

Learn from Successful Grantee Strategies

The foundation provides extensive documentation of what has worked for their grantees:

Board Engagement: One grantee presented multi-year analysis of board giving performance, established minimum gift expectations with sliding scales, and had individual conversations led by the executive director and board chair. Result: Board giving exceeded their $20,000 goal by $5,000+, achieving 100% board participation.

Strategic Year-End Appeals: A grantee asked current donors to increase gifts by 25%, with over half meeting or exceeding that request. Returning donors gave an average increase of 35%.

Young Professionals Boards: Creating a Young Professionals Board of about 30 people under age 38 proved instrumental through cocktail hours, breakfasts, and meet-and-greets, raising $2,000 in the first year.

Staff Involvement: One organization had each staff member identify ten prospective donors to solicit, resulting in doubled individual-giving revenue with dozens of new donors.

Giving Circles: Organizations launched new giving circles as major donor fundraising strategies, hosting events where any new or increased gifts would be matched, generating approximately $9,000 in new donations.

Demonstrate Outcomes and Evaluation Capacity

The foundation requires organizations to "clearly state your desired outcomes and your current year goals and results." Established organizations must provide "recent evaluation data and an analysis of what it means." Successful applicants present compelling data showing how funding supports core mission outcomes and increases organizational return on investment.

Geographic Focus Matters

Unless invited, your organization or program must be located in Cook County or Lake County, Illinois for Community Services and Jewish Community grants. The foundation is explicit: "Nearly all of Circle of Service grantmaking stays in Cook and Lake Counties, Illinois."

Strong Governance is Non-Negotiable

Your board must consist of at least five unrelated members (with at least four non-employees), and board members must make meaningful personal financial contributions. The foundation values boards that actively participate in fundraising and demonstrate financial commitment to the organization's mission.

Minimum Capacity Threshold

Organizations must have received at least $75,000 in private revenue during their last fiscal year and maintain a broad base of non-governmental supporters. This threshold ensures applicants have sufficient infrastructure to manage grants and execute challenge campaigns.

Timing and Urgency

According to successful grantees, connecting with donors during their natural giving seasons (late November-December for year-end givers) proved crucial. Challenge grants create urgency—one grantee emphasized "the matching grant would be applied to someone else's contribution" if donors delayed, helping fill half their funding shortfall in 8 months.

Consider General Operating Support

The foundation welcomes applications "both for specific programs and general operating support," giving applicants flexibility in how they request funding.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Challenge grant capacity is essential: This is not optional. You must demonstrate concrete plans for raising funds from new donors and increased gifts from existing donors, with systems to track and report these donations. If your organization cannot execute a challenge grant strategy, this is not the right funder.
Geographic restrictions are strict: For unsolicited applications, your Community Services or Jewish Community programs must be in Cook or Lake County, Illinois. Education and Medical Research grants are invitation-only.
Learn the foundation's language and examples: The foundation provides extensive resources on successful challenge grant tactics. Review their "Successful Strategies" and "Challenge Grant Tactics" pages to understand what has worked for their grantees and incorporate similar approaches into your application.
Board strength matters significantly: With requirements for minimum board size, financial contribution, and governance oversight, weak boards will disqualify otherwise strong organizations. Ensure your board meets all criteria before applying.
Rolling deadlines offer flexibility: Plan your submission around your fundraising calendar rather than fixed deadlines, but remember that decisions take 90-120 days for full applications.
Build relationships with Program Officers: For organizations on the border of eligibility (e.g., new organizations not yet meeting the $75,000 threshold, or organizations expanding into Cook/Lake Counties), the foundation suggests contacting them directly to discuss alternative pathways.
Most grants include challenge components: As stated by the foundation, "most of their grants have a challenge component." Design your request with this expectation in mind, showing how the challenge element will strengthen your fundraising infrastructure long-term.

References

Research completed: December 18, 2025