Ploughshares Foundation
Historical FunderHighland Park, Illinois · EIN 36-3739577 · Private foundation
Grants paid (2025)$3.6M
Organizations funded368
Typical grant$6,000
Total assets$80.6M
Half of its grants to organizations were between $3,000 and $10,000.
From the return
How to apply
The foundation filed the following application information (Form 990-PF Part XV, tax year 2025):
| Contact | D M EPHRAIM |
|---|---|
| Address | 2070 GREEN BAY ROAD 199, HIGHLAND PARK IL 60035 |
| Phone | 3123219700 |
| Form and materials | ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE IN WRITTEN FORM. THEY MUST INCLUDE A DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGANIZATION WHICH IS SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION, THE GRANT AMOUNT(S) REQUESTED BY SUCH ORGANIZATION AND THE USE WHICH THE SUBMITTING ORGANIZATION INTENDS TO MAKE OF ANY GRANT(S) THAT MAY BE RECEIVED FROM THIS FOUNDATION. ALL APPLICATIONS MUST, IN ADDITION, INCLUDE A COPY OF THE SUBMITTING ORGANIZATION'S IRS DETERMINATION LETTER EVIDENCING QUALIFICATION AS A SECTION 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATION, TOGETHER WITH A COPY OF THE SUBMITTING ORGANIZATION'S MOST RECENTLY FILED IRS FORM 990. |
| Deadlines | NO |
| Restrictions | NO |
Copied as filed. Deadlines on a tax return describe the foundation's usual process; they are not confirmation of a current open cycle.
What it funds
Share of grant lines on the latest return, classified from the purpose each grant states.
Where it gives
97% of grants went outside Illinois.
Grants paid in tax year 2025
| Recipient | Location | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partners in Health | Boston, MA | $50,000 for work in haiti and mexico | $85,000 |
| Lenny Zakim Fund | Boston, MA | Youth violence prevention, social justice, human rights and alleviation of poverty and illness | $75,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders | Hagerstown, MD | For aid to gaza, the west bank, and israel and for work along the us/mexico border | $70,000 |
| American Friends Service Committee | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 for prison justice programs; and $40,000 for relief/aid to gaza | $60,000 |
| Earlham College | Richmond, IN | $40,000 for student scholarships; $20,000 for faculty development | $60,000 |
| Unitarian Universalist Service Committee | Cambridge, MA | $20,000 for climate crisis | $60,000 |
| First Parish in Cambridge | Cambridge, MA | $30,000 for tuesday meals endowment; $20,000 for first parish | $50,000 |
| Mercy Corps | Boone, IA | Humanitarian aid in gaza and the middle east | $50,000 |
| Save the Children | Fairfield, CT | For programs in syria, yemen, south sudan, haiti, and along US border with mexico; and for emergency aid to ukraine and to children in gaza | $50,000 |
| United Mid Coast Charities Inc | Camden, ME | General | $50,000 |
| Direct Relief International | Santa Barbara, CA | Work in yemen, lebanon, haiti, in the middle east and where most needed | $45,000 |
| International Rescue Committee | Albert Lea, MN | For crisis work in gaza and the middle east | $45,000 |
| American Jewish World Service | New York, NY | For work outside the united states | $41,000 |
| Americares Foundation Inc | Stamford, CT | For work in gaza and ukraine | $40,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc | Washington, DC | General | $40,000 |
| Amnesty International USA | New York, NY | For programs aimed at refugee and migrant rights; eliminating the death penalty and reducing gun violence and to protect human rights in… | $38,000 |
| Greater Boston Food Bank | Boston, MA | General | $38,000 |
| Cambridge Community Foundation | Cambridge, MA | $10,000 for rise up cambridge | $35,000 |
| Museum of Fine Arts | Boston, MA | Egyptian department curators fund | $35,000 |
| Wbur Radio Station Fund | Boston, MA | $25,000 for news and special coverage | $35,000 |
| 350Org | Boston, MA | General | $30,000 |
| Mills College Legacy Scholarship Fund | Oakland, CA | For mills student scholarships and mills faculty salaries | $30,000 |
| Natural Resource Defense Council | New York, NY | General | $30,000 |
| Oxfam America | Boston, MA | $25,000 for global refugee and immigration crisis and aid to gaza emergency appeal | $30,000 |
| Unrwa USA National Committee | Washington, DC | General | $30,000 |
| US Fund for Unicef | New York, NY | For work with migrant children and families and families and children in gaza and the west bank | $28,000 |
| Project Bread | East Boston, MA | General | $26,000 |
| Catholic Relief Services | Tipton, IA | For work in mexico, central america, ukraine and in the west bank and gaza | $25,000 |
| Global Giving | Washington, DC | For programs to benefit women and girls, and for middle east crisis relief fund | $25,000 |
| Greater Boston Legal Services | Boston, MA | General | $25,000 |
| Cure Violence Global | Chicago, IL | Programs in central america and US cities | $22,000 |
| Hand in Hand | Portland, OR | General | $22,000 |
| Natural Resources Council of Maine | Augusta, ME | General | $22,000 |
| Nature Conservancy of Maine | Brunswick, ME | General | $22,000 |
| World Central Kitchen | Washington, DC | Relief efforts for gaza and for ukrainian families | $22,000 |
| California Community Foundation -Wildfire Recovery Fund | Los Angeles, CA | For relief and recovery in altadena | $20,000 |
| Care | Atlanta, GA | $6,000 for aid to afghan families; $8,000 to ukraine and $6,000 for relief efforts in lebanon | $20,000 |
| Casa Myrna | Boston, MA | General | $20,000 |
| City of Cambridge Scholarship Fund | Cambridge, MA | General | $20,000 |
| Greenpeace Fund | Washington, DC | General | $20,000 |
| Maine Coast Heritage Trust | Topsham, ME | General | $20,000 |
| Maine Public | Lewiston, ME | Programming costs | $20,000 |
| New England Conservatory of Music | Boston, MA | Student scholarships | $20,000 |
| Pasadena Community Foundation-Eaton Fire Relief and Recovery Fund | Pasadena, CA | For aid to altadena | $20,000 |
| Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry | Roxbury, MA | $10,000 for ryp (roxbury youth programs) | $20,000 |
| World Monuments Fund | New York, NY | For work in abydos, egypt | $20,000 |
| Andrew Goodman Foundation | Brooklyn, NY | $14,000 for vote everywhere program | $18,000 |
| Area Interfaith Outreach Food Pantry | Rockland, ME | Food pantry and energy client services and not for building | $18,000 |
| Equal Justice Initiative | Montgomery, AL | General | $18,000 |
| Brookline Community Foundation | Brookline, MA | $10,000 for safety net program and $2,000 for bhs scholarship fund | $17,000 |
| Brookline Emergency Food Pantry | Brookline, MA | General | $16,000 |
| Climate Reality Project | Washington, DC | General | $16,000 |
| Committee to Protect Journalists | New York, NY | General | $16,000 |
| Seeds of Peace | New York, NY | General | $16,000 |
| American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Massachusetts | Boston, MA | General | $15,000 |
| Brookline Center for Community Mental Health | Brookline, MA | General | $15,000 |
| Cambridge Public Library Foundation | Cambridge, MA | General | $15,000 |
| Carter Center | Atlanta, GA | $10,000 for peace programs; $5,000 for health programs | $15,000 |
| Charitywater Inc | Franklin, TN | General | $15,000 |
| De Novo | Cambridge, MA | General | $15,000 |
Showing the 60 largest of 368 grants to organizations.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants paid | Grant lines |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,619,399 | 368 |
| 2024 | $3,508,899 | 367 |
| 2023 | $3,452,000 | 369 |
Sources
- IRS Form 990-PF, tax year 2025, filed May 12, 2026 - IRS e-file batch, object ID 202611329349101681
- IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for EIN 36-3739577
- Profile updated Nov 4, 2026
Facts on this page come from the foundation's own IRS Form 990-PF filings as published by the IRS. Grantvello does not know whether a foundation is accepting proposals right now: a past grant is not an open opportunity. Always confirm current guidelines with the funder before applying.