Arkes Family Foundation
ARKES FAMILY FOUNDATION is a funder based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2024 filing lists 118 grants totaling $1,232,501, with recipients including Chicago-area organizations working in workforce development, education, social services, and Jewish community support.
Key facts about Arkes Family Foundation
In short: Arkes Family Foundation gave $1.2M across 118 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), mostly in Illinois. 14% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- EIN
- 46-1536842
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990 filing, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,232,501
- Grants made (2024)
- 118
- Average grant
- $10,445
- Median grant
- $959
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (16 of 118, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (93% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990 filing, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 filing · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$1.2M
+34.5% YoY
Grant Count
118
-0.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$10K
+35.7% YoY
Is Arkes Family Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 16 of 118 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $1K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2018–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s grants include support for organizations with a range of missions. HHPLIFT describes its work as creating business for social enterprises and expanding job opportunities for people facing significant barriers to fair-wage employment. A Better Chicago says it invests in ideas that create opportunities for Chicago youth as part of its work to change how the city fights poverty. The Ark describes its mission as helping Chicagoland Jews facing adversity move toward self-reliance.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 118 grants totaling $1,232,501. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $850,600, and the median grant was $958.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 93% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 5% to New York, and 1% to the District of Columbia. The filing also reports shares of 0% for Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 118 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2018 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $196K (2022) to $1.2M (2024). In 2024 it made 118 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Hhplift ($851K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
552 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 542 grants of 552 (98%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hhplift Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $850,600 |
| Juf Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $75,900 |
| Anti Defamation League New York, NY | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $46,200 |
| Westlawn Cemetary Norridge, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $30,000 |
| Teach for America Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $20,000 |
| Anshe Emet Synagogue Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $19,451 |
| Enchanted Backpack Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $15,000 |
| Jcua Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $15,000 |
| A Better Chicago Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $10,000 |
| Respond Now Inc Chicago Heights, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $10,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Reported grantmaking by filing year:
| Filing year | Grant total | Grant count |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,232,501 | 118 |
| 2023 | $916,116 | 119 |
| 2022 | $195,906 | 102 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2018–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Michael Arkes as president, and Helen Arkes and John Eramo as directors.
Arkes Family Foundation is led by Michael Arkes, President on every filing since 2018; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Michael Arkes
President
On filings since 2018
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Helen Arkes
Director
On filings since 2018
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Eramo
Director
On filings since 2018
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2018–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 130 E Oak Street 27A, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 493-5262
Frequently asked questions about Arkes Family Foundation
How much does Arkes Family Foundation give each year?
Arkes Family Foundation gave $1.2M across 118 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. In 2023 it gave $916K across 119 grants.
What is Arkes Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Arkes Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $959, and its average grant was $10,445, across 118 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Organizations receiving their first grant from Arkes Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Arkes Family Foundation give grants?
Arkes Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (62 grants), New York, NY (10 grants), Washington, DC (6 grants) and Skokie, IL (4 grants).
Who are Arkes Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Arkes Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Hhplift ($850,600), Juf ($75,900) and Anti Defamation League ($46,200), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Together they received 79% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
What does Arkes Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s grants include support for organizations with a range of missions. HHPLIFT describes its work as creating business for social enterprises and expanding job opportunities for people facing significant barriers to fair-wage employment. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Arkes Family Foundation?
In 2024, the foundation reported 118 grants totaling $1,232,501. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $850,600, and the median grant was $958.
What is Arkes Family Foundation's EIN?
Arkes Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1536842. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2018–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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