# Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln

Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln is an Endowment / Foundation based in Springfield, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Springfield, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Springfield, Illinois, United States
- **Founded:** 2007
- **Assets under management:** $64M (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** cfll.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/community-foundation-for-the-land-of-lincoln

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln was founded in 2007 to serve Cass, Christian, Logan, Macoupin, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, and Sangamon counties. President and CEO John Stremsterfer has been with the organization since before its formal launch, shaping it into the area's sole Council on Foundations-accredited community foundation. Its operating model pools charitable assets from individuals, families, and businesses to make grants, run scholarship programs, and manage donor-advised funds. Asset allocation spans a diversified investment portfolio alongside physical real estate. The foundation owns the US Bank Building at 205 South Fifth Street and the historic Judge John Taylor House, adding hard-asset ballast to its liquid holdings. Grantmaking priorities flow through multiple field-of-interest funds and special initiatives, among them the Capital Area REALTORS Fund, the Catherine and Edward Casey Memorial Scholarship Fund, the King's Daughters Organization Fund, and The Women's Fund. Its geographic remit is exclusively central Illinois. Operations run out of Springfield, Illinois, with Stremsterfer also serving as Board President of the Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations and maintaining membership in the statewide nonprofit association Forefront. The board includes Jane N. Denes, retired partner at Posegate & Denes; Mark E. Staley, General Partner at SB Partners; and Chad A. Lucas, Partner at Sikich LLP. In a notable regional collaboration, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation joined the foundation as a partner in the Press Forward Springfield initiative. The foundation's structural differentiator is its hyperlocal concentration on downstate Illinois — a geography largely overlooked by Chicago-centric philanthropy — combined with a dual posture as both grantmaker and real estate owner. The decision to hold commercial property directly on its balance sheet sets it apart from most community foundations, which are typically liquid-portfolio dominant. Governance rests with a board drawn from local legal, accounting, and private-equity circles, embedding the foundation in the professional fabric of Springfield.

## Sectors

- Philanthropy
- Real Estate

## People

- John Stremsterfer — President and CEO
- Jane N. Denes — Chair of the Board of Directors
- Mark E. Staley — Secretary of the Board
- Chad A. Lucas — Board Member

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln?

President and CEO John Stremsterfer oversees all operations, including investment and grantmaking strategy, and has done so since before the foundation's 2007 formal launch. The board includes partners from local firms SB Partners and Sikich LLP, who bring private-equity and accounting expertise to asset-allocation oversight. Day-to-day investment management is handled through the foundation's diversified portfolio and its directly owned real estate assets.

### Does Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln maintain a direct real estate portfolio?

Yes. The foundation owns the US Bank Building at 205 South Fifth Street and the Judge John Taylor House at 12th and Cass streets, both in Springfield, Illinois. These properties sit alongside a diversified liquid investment portfolio, giving the foundation a hybrid asset mix uncommon among community foundations of its size.

### What is the foundation's relationship with other Illinois community foundations?

CEO John Stremsterfer serves as Board President of the Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations. The foundation is also a member of Forefront, the statewide membership association for nonprofits and grantmakers. It remains the only Council on Foundations-accredited community foundation in its specific central Illinois service area.

### Is Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln structured as a private foundation?

No. It operates as a tax-exempt public charity, which means it pools donations from multiple individuals, families, and businesses rather than drawing on a single family's wealth. This structure subjects it to different IRS public-support tests and governance requirements compared to a private family foundation.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/community-foundation-for-the-land-of-lincoln

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