American Bar Foundation
The American Bar Foundation (ABF) seeks to expand knowledge and advance justice through innovative, interdisciplinary, and rigorous empirical research on law, legal processes, and legal institutions. To further this mission the ABF produces timely, cutting-edge research of the highest quality to inform and guide the legal profession, the academy, and society in the united states and internationally.
American Bar Foundation at a glance
In short: American Bar Foundation gave $90K across 1 grant in 2025 (avg $90K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $90,241
- +55.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 1
- -50.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $90,241
- +210.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $90,241
- Total assets
- $43,975,891
- +4.3% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to American Bar Foundation
Open Grants
7 open opportunities from American Bar Foundation
ABF Doctoral Fellowship in Law and Social Science
American Bar Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
ABF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Law and Social Science
American Bar Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
ABF Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
American Bar Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who American Bar Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top recipient in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Comparative Constitutions Project ($90K).
Grant Size Distribution
15 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 13 grants of 15 (87%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of the 2025 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.
Cities
How American Bar Foundation gives
- Giving grew 36% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $58K (2024) to $230K (2021). In 2025 it made 1 grant totaling $90K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Comparative Constitutions Project Chicago, IL | Research | $90,241 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $43,975,891 | $9,026,081 | $8,714,001 | $90,241 | 1 | $1,238,226 |
| 2024 | $42,157,416 | $9,200,711 | $8,435,191 | $58,144 | 2 | $1,851,667 |
| 2023 | $39,551,778 | $8,804,741 | $8,109,798 | $120,838 | 2 | $1,524,267 |
| 2022 | $34,564,445 | $8,543,107 | $7,911,819 | $66,380 | 2 | $1,051,765 |
| 2021 | $37,925,650 | $9,357,330 | $7,419,588 | $230,457 | 8 | $984,784 |
| 2020 | $33,961,410 | $9,858,156 | $6,919,429 | — | — | $3,460,959 |
About American Bar Foundation
Based on IRS filings
American Bar Foundation is a public charity focused on Crime & Legal Related, based in Chicago, IL. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $44.0M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 1 grant totaling $90K. Net investment income was $1.2M.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
American Bar Foundation is led by Ajay K. Mehrotra, Prior Executive Director & Researcher since 2025 (on filings since 2020); 7 of 32 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ajay K. Mehrotra
Prior Executive Director & Researcher
Director → Researcher, 2024
Researcher → Prior Executive Director & Researcher, 2025
On filings since 2020
17 hrs/week
$231K (2020) → $124K (2025)
Mark Suchman
Researcher & Prior Executive Director
Interim Director → Executive Director, 2024
Executive Director → Researcher & Prior Executive Director, 2025
On filings since 2023
35 hrs/week
$107K (2024) → $329K (2025)
Sandra J. Chan
President
Treasurer → Vice President, 2023
Vice President → President, 2025
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Mertz
Researcher
On filings since 2020
35 hrs/week
$166K (2020) → $194K (2025)
Shari Diamond
Researcher
On filings since 2020
17 hrs/week
$201K (2020) → $217K (2025)
Janice Nadler
Researcher
On filings since 2022
17 hrs/week
$110K (2022) → $128K (2025)
Matthew Burnett
Senior Program Officer
On filings since 2023
35 hrs/week
$138K (2023) → $140K (2025)
Jothi Saunthararajah
Researcher
New on the 2025 filing
35 hrs/week
$133K (2025)
Eileen A. Kato
Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ellen M. Jakovic
Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Harold D. Pope
Treasurer
Member → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lauren K. Robel
Secretary
Member → Treasurer, 2023
Treasurer → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael H. Byowitz
Vice President
Secretary → Treasurer, 2024
Treasurer → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michelle A. Behnke
Ex-Officio
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William R. Bay
Ex-Officio
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Darrel G. Mottley
Member
Member → Ex-Officio, 2022
Ex-Officio → Member, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Daniel B. Rodriguez
Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hari M. Osofsky
Ex-Officio
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Frank X. Neuner
Ex-Officio
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
J. Anthony Patterson Jr.
Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jo Ann Engelhardt
Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Orlando Lucero
Ex-Officio
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shayda Zaerpoor Le
Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Frank H. Langrock
Ex-Officio
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer L. Parent
Ex-Officio
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patty Ferguson-Bohnee
Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter M. Reyes Jr.
Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
DOLLY M Gee
Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Cole
Ex-Officio
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lora Livingston
Ex-Officio
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mario Barnes
Ex-Officio
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul M. Smith
Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (35)
- Former: Jimmy K. Goodman (2020–2024) — President
- Former: Paula E. Boggs (2020–2024) — Member
- Former: Robert J. Grey Jr. (2020–2024) — Member
- Former: Sophia H. Hall (2020–2024) — Member
- Former: Susan Shapiro (2020–2024) — Researcher
- Former: Laura V. Farber (2022–2024) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Bryant Garth (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Howard H. Vogel (2023–2024) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Mary L. Smith (2023–2024) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Palmer G. Vance II (2023–2024) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Jennifer Chacon (2020–2023) — Member
- Former: Kevin L. Shepherd (2021–2023) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Deborah Enix-Ross (2022–2023) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Diane P. Wood (2022–2023) — Member
- Former: Cynthia E. Nance (2020–2022) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Doreen D. Dodson (2020–2022) — Member
- Former: E. Thomas Sullivan (2020–2022) — President
- Former: Roberta D. Liebenberg (2020–2022) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Barbara J. Howard (2021–2022) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Carolyn Lamm (2021–2022) — Ex-Officio
- Former: J. Logan Murphy (2021–2022) — Member
- Former: Reginald M. Turner Jr. (2021–2022) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Terry Halliday (2022) — Researcher
- Former: David S. Houghton (2020–2021) — Member
- Former: George S. Frazza (2020–2021) — Member
- Former: Patricia Lee Refo (2020–2021) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Stephen Daniels (2020–2021) — Researcher
- Former: Walter L. Sutton Jr. (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: James Speta (2021) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Laura Beth Nielsen (2021) — Researcher
- Former: Andrew M. Schpak (2020) — Member
- Former: Judy Perry Martinez (2020) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Kimberly A. Yuracko (2020) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Stephen N. Zack (2020) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Terence Halliday (2020) — Researcher
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $329K, to Mark Suchman (Researcher (Starting 07/2025)/Prior Exec. Director (Thru 07/2025)). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about American Bar Foundation
How much does American Bar Foundation give each year?
American Bar Foundation gave $90K across 1 grant in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $58K across 2 grants.
How large is American Bar Foundation?
American Bar Foundation reported $44.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $9.0M.
What is American Bar Foundation?
American Bar Foundation is a public charity focused on Crime & Legal Related, based in Chicago, IL. It holds $44.0M in total assets as of 2025.
Where does American Bar Foundation operate?
American Bar Foundation has awarded grants in California, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Texas.
What is American Bar Foundation's EIN?
American Bar Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6110271. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 25, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work American Bar Foundation funds
Crime & Legal Related Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in American Bar Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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