Arkes Family Foundation
Arkes Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2024 filing reports 118 grants totaling $1,232,501 to charitable organizations, with the largest share of grant dollars going to recipients in Illinois.
Arkes Family Foundation at a glance
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-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,232,501
- +34.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 118
- -0.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $10,445
- +35.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $959
- Total assets
- $7,731,005
- -4.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (16 of 118, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (93% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Arkes Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 130 E Oak Street 27A, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 280-8292
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Arkes Family Foundation funds
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%).
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 Washington, DC. The filing also reports shares of 0% for Virginia and 0% for Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 118 itemized grants.
States
Cities
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.
- 85% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 31% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 245% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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.
Giving History
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.
Grants by year
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 |
Ready to take the next step with Arkes Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $7,731,005 | $941,474 | $1,362,214 | $1,232,501 | 118 | $1,232,552 | $829,728 | $503,754 |
| 2023 | $8,114,068 | $910,918 | $1,052,098 | $916,116 | 119 | $922,129 | $784,061 | $504,775 |
| 2022 | $8,255,248 | $520,648 | $428,003 | $195,906 | 102 | $200,299 | $350,977 | $524,228 |
| 2021 | $8,162,917 | $855,669 | $1,052,631 | $941,726 | 118 | $945,608 | $737,892 | $544,427 |
| 2020 | $8,359,879 | $440,346 | $812,782 | $716,211 | 95 | — | $336,343 | $480,477 |
| 2018 | $7,481,459 | $610,065 | $1,050,159 | $966,953 | 105 | — | $535,414 | $448,603 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Arkes Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $504K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for organizations working in areas such as workforce development, food and housing services, youth opportunity, cancer research, child literacy, and support for people experiencing domestic abuse. These are descriptions of grantee organizations, not stated focus areas of the foundation.
For example, HHPLIFT describes its work as creating business for social enterprises with workforce development programs that support job opportunities for people facing significant barriers to fair-wage employment. Respond Now says it connects people in need with health, hunger, and housing services in the Chicago Southland. A Better Chicago describes its work as investing in ideas that create opportunity for Chicago youth as part of its effort to change how the city fights poverty.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 118 grants totaling $1,232,501. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $850,600, with a median grant of $958. Its largest grant was $850,600 to HHPLIFT. Other notable grants included $75,900 to JUF, $46,200 to the Anti-Defamation League, $30,000 to Westlawn Cemetery, and $20,000 to Teach For America.
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.
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-PF. 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-PF. 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-PF 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-PF. Together they received 79% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Arkes Family Foundation?
Arkes Family Foundation reported $7.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $504K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Arkes Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for organizations working in areas such as workforce development, food and housing services, youth opportunity, cancer research, child literacy, and support for people experiencing domestic abuse. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Arkes Family Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
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.
Does Arkes Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2018 (received by the IRS November 15, 2019)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 11, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2018–2024
Live grants for the work Arkes Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Arkes Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Arkes Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/arkes-family-foundation-morg_7f7f2501014f4dea80816ab414ac9829
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_461536842_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Arkes Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/arkes-family-foundation-morg_7f7f2501014f4dea80816ab414ac9829},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Arkes Family Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Arkes Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?