The Colonel Stanley R. McNeil Foundation was established in 1993 to advance quality education, healthcare, and human services for underserved populations, with a special focus on children. The foundation honors the philanthropic legacy of Colonel Stanley R. McNeil and his wife, Merna McNeil, who were active in their local church and community and supported various children-focused initiatives throughout their lifetimes. Colonel McNeil’s board service included organizations like the Lake Bluff Children's Home and Ravenswood Hospital. Bank of America, N.A. serves as the trustee of this perpetual charitable grantmaking trust.
The foundation provides support primarily to nonprofit organizations serving the Chicago Metropolitan Area in Illinois. Its programmatic focus spans the arts, culture and humanities, education, health, and human services. Priority is given to causes directly benefiting children, as well as start-up initiatives in the human services or arts and culture sectors. Healthcare initiatives are also a key area of interest. The foundation also encourages grant requests that include naming opportunities that honor Colonel and Merna McNeil.
Applications are due annually on June 1, with notifications typically sent out by September 30. While funding is primarily intended for programmatic support, general operating support is considered for organizations with annual budgets under $1 million. The foundation does not typically fund individuals, endowment campaigns, or capital projects. However, multi-year funding proposals will be considered, which supports longer-term capacity building for nonprofit organizations.
Applicants are limited to submitting a request to only one of several affiliated foundations managed by Bank of America within a calendar year. These include the Alfred Bersted Foundation, Grace Bersted Foundation, Henrietta Lange Burke Fund, Carl R. Hendrickson Family Foundation, and the Colonel R. Stanley McNeil Foundation itself.
Applications are managed through the Illinois office of Bank of America, and interested applicants can find detailed application procedures via downloadable PDFs or Microsoft Word documents from the foundation’s website. Email inquiries should be directed to ilgrantmaking@bofa.com, with the foundation name clearly stated in the subject line.
