What Morton Community Foundation does

Morton Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation established in 2000 and headquartered in Morton, Illinois, serving the local community through philanthropic asset management and grantmaking. The foundation administers approximately $20 million in endowment assets across more than 150 individual funds, with 2026 projected total grantmaking of approximately $637,600 distributed across Community Grants ($121,310 to 33 local organizations, ~19% of total) and donor-restricted funds including scholarships and field-of-interest grants. Leadership is provided by Executive Director Scott Witzig.

The foundation's revenue mechanics consist of individual and corporate contributions, investment returns on the $20M endowment, and matching-gift programs — most notably a partnership with the Caterpillar Foundation. As a tax-exempt charitable entity, it pools donations into endowed and pass-through funds, invests them under fiduciary oversight, and redistributes proceeds through competitive grant cycles and donor-advised distributions. Grantmaking is split between unrestricted community grants and donor-directed funds, with the latter representing the larger share of total dollars deployed.

The foundation holds National Standards accreditation from the Community Foundations National Standards Board, a Candid (formerly GuideStar) Gold Seal of Transparency, and a Charity Navigator 4-Star rating. Strategic programs include the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library for early-childhood literacy, a stock donation service for non-cash giving, and an online grant application portal for grantees. The foundation participates in the Illinois Gives Tax Credit Act, enabling donors to layer state tax credits onto federal deductions for qualifying endowment contributions.

Name

Morton Community Foundation

Legal name

Morton Community Foundation

Website

https://mortoncommunityfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Morton Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation in Morton, Illinois, managing roughly $20 million across 150+ endowment funds and distributing grants to local nonprofits, scholarships, and community programs serving the surrounding area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation / Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Community foundation
• Endowment management
• Charitable grants
• Scholarship administration
• Donor advised funds

Headquarters

HQ city

Morton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Receives charitable contributions from individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to establish endowment funds. Donors receive tax deductions for contributions.
2. Endowment Investment Returns: Endowment funds are permanently invested; a portion of earnings is distributed annually to support community needs while preserving principal for future generations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Morton Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation that manages more than 150 permanent endowment funds totaling nearly $20 million, distributing annual grants and scholarships to support the Morton, Illinois area. Its core offerings include endowment fund management, a competitive Community Grants Program for local nonprofits and government entities, donor-advised and designated fund administration, and scholarship programs for Morton High School students.

Product overview

The Morton Community Foundation operates as a community foundation platform offering endowment fund management, community grantmaking, and scholarship distribution. Core offerings include the Community Grants Program distributing funds to local nonprofits and schools, various endowment fund types (Donor Advised, Designated, Agency, Unrestricted), and named scholarship programs for Morton High School students. Additional services include stock donation facilitation, Caterpillar employee matching gifts, and the Illinois Gives Tax Credit program. The foundation manages over 150 endowment funds totaling nearly $20 million, with projected 2026 grantmaking of $637,600.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Grants Program Annual competitive grant program distributing funds to local nonprofits, schools, parks, libraries, and community organizations in the Morton area. The 2026 cycle awarded $121,310 to 33 local organizations.
• Endowment Fund Management

Quantifiable outcome

• $637,600 in total projected grants for 2026
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (Tazewell County)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree monthly books for every child under five who lives in Tazewell County. Program funded by donations through a fund established at Morton Community Foundation. Partnership with Tazewell County Libraries and The Dollywood Foundation.
• Caterpillar FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMatching Gifts Program matching employee and U.S. retiree donations to MCF on 1:1 basis up to $10,000 per participant annually. Enables Caterpillar employees/retirees to double their donations to Morton Community Foundation.
• Illinois Gives Tax Credit ActcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllinois state tax credit program (25% credit) for donations to qualified endowment funds at approved community foundations. $5 million in tax credits available statewide for 2025, with MCF eligible to receive up to $3 million in qualified contributions.
• Morton Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive partner in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program. Recipient of multiple community grants for books, programming, and equipment.
• Tazewell County LibrariescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Fondulac District Library and other Tazewell County libraries for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program serving all children under five in Tazewell County.
• Rotary Club of MortonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEstablished Rotary Club of Morton Scholarship Fund in July 2011, awarding annual scholarships to Morton High School seniors who were Interact Club members.
• Morton Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerActive member of Morton Chamber of Commerce, connecting with local business and civic community.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley: Community foundation serving the Aurora, Elgin, and greater Fox River Valley region of Illinois. Operates endowment funds, donor advised funds, and competitive grants at a slightly larger scale but with a structurally similar community foundation model.
• Community Foundation of Central Illinois: Community foundation serving Bloomington-Normal and surrounding central Illinois counties. Closely comparable in operating model, asset scale (~$20M range), and grantmaking scope, making it a strong regional benchmark for MCF.
• Tazewell County Community Foundation: Community foundation operating in Tazewell County — the same county as Morton — with endowment funds, competitive grants, and scholarships for local nonprofits. Direct geographic overlap and highly comparable operating model to MCF.
• Heart of Illinois Community Foundation: Community foundation serving the Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, and Mason tri-county region of central Illinois, overlapping directly with MCF's Morton service area. Runs the same endowment fund model, competitive grantmaking, and scholarship programs at a comparable community-foundation scale.
• Decatur County Community Foundation: Small-town Midwest community foundation managing donor endowments and distributing grants to local nonprofits, schools, and community projects. Highly comparable in scale and rural Illinois community foundation operating model.
• Illinois Prairie Community Foundation: Community foundation serving McLean County and surrounding Illinois counties with endowment management, grantmaking, and scholarship programs. Comparable in scale, structure, and small-city/community service area to MCF.
• Peoria Area Community Foundation: Community foundation serving the greater Peoria, Illinois region — Morton's nearest major metro and the regional anchor for Tazewell County. Operates the same community foundation model (endowment management, competitive grant cycles, donor advised funds, scholarships) for an overlapping central Illinois donor and nonprofit base.

Others

• Council on Foundations: National trade association for U.S. foundations and philanthropy, parent of the National Standards Board that accredits community foundations including MCF. Serves as the industry body governing MCF's accreditation framework and a peer ecosystem for community foundation practice.

Broad incumbents

• The Chicago Community Trust: One of the largest community foundations in the United States, serving the greater Chicago region. Same community foundation model (endowment, donor advised funds, competitive grants, scholarships) but at materially greater asset and distribution scale than MCF.
• Caterpillar Foundation: Major corporate foundation and MCF's largest matching-gifts partner. Operates at materially greater scale and a global footprint, but represents the broader institutional grantmaking and corporate philanthropy space that MCF sits within as a local distribution partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cfmorton
• Instagraminstagram.com/mortoncommunityfoundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@mortoncommunityfoundation
• Xx.com/Morton_CF
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/morton-community-foundation

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Morton Community Foundation