Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation
The Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. In its 2025 filing, it reported 25 grants totaling $860,240. Its grants included support for art museums, cultural institutions, and organizations working on civic and community issues.
Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation at a glance
In short: Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation gave $860K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $34K), mostly in Colorado. 30% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $860,240
- -16.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +56.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $34,410
- -46.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $17,612
- -22.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (6 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (67% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 189 East Lake Shore Drive 19, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 337-1111
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Aspen Art Museum ($545K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $830K.
Grant Size Distribution
115 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 101 grants of 115 (88%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado (67%), Illinois (22%), Washington, D.C. (6%), California (5%), and Wisconsin (0%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 20 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $57K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $23K repeat.
- 45% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 120% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $121K (2020) to $1.0M (2024). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $860K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Aspen Art Museum Aspen, CO | BD of Trustees & Nat Council | $500,000 |
| Jewish United Fund Chicago, IL | Pledge 3 of 5 Communal | $50,000 |
| Orange County Museum of Art Costa Mesa, CA | Board of Trustees | $35,000 |
| Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | Board of Trustees Annual Gift | $30,000 |
| Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, IL | Annual Fund & Art Auction | $28,000 |
| People for the American Way Foundation Washington, DC | 2025 BD Donation | $25,000 |
| Washington Institute for Near East Policy Washington, DC | 2025 Trusteeship | $25,000 |
| Aspen Art Museum Aspen, CO | BD of Trustees & Nat Council | $24,825 |
| Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | Dept of Photography | $20,000 |
| Aspen Art Museum Aspen, CO | BD of Trustees & Nat Council | $20,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $17,612 | $1,288,573 | $945,544 | $860,240 | 25 | $860,240 | $347,950 | — |
| 2024 | $22,730 | $1,121,400 | $1,112,184 | $1,029,310 | 16 | $1,029,310 | $14,101 | $4,252 |
| 2023 | $22,348 | $743,114 | $736,849 | $657,951 | 27 | $657,951 | $1,138 | $1,109 |
| 2022 | $16,083 | $474,172 | $468,163 | $391,240 | 26 | $391,240 | $19 | $1,673 |
| 2021 | $10,074 | $479,914 | $476,410 | $395,397 | 21 | $395,397 | $718 | $729 |
| 2020 | $8,278 | $155,000 | $194,400 | $120,774 | 21 | — | — | $945 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations including museums, a volunteer-mobilizing organization, and organizations addressing democratic values and community issues. The Aspen Art Museum describes its own mission as advancing contemporary art and driving cultural change through exhibitions, critical dialogues, and community engagement. The Orange County Museum of Art says it enhances the lives of a diverse and changing community through modern and contemporary art. Chicago Cares says it mobilizes volunteers to build a stronger, more unified Chicago. People for the American Way Foundation says it conducts research, legal, and education work on behalf of First Amendment freedoms and democratic values.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 25 grants totaling $860,240. Grant amounts ranged from $145 to $500,000, with a median of $15,000.
Among its largest reported grants were $500,000 to the Aspen Art Museum; $50,000 to Jewish United Fund; $35,000 to the Orange County Museum of Art; $30,000 to the Art Institute of Chicago; and $28,000 to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. Other listed grants included $25,000 each to People for the American Way Foundation and the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and $20,000 to Chicago Cares.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Barbara Bluhm-Kaul was listed as a trustee on the 2025 filing.
Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation is led by Barbara Bluhm-Kaul, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Barbara Bluhm-Kaul
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation
How much does Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation give each year?
Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation gave $860K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.0M across 16 grants.
What is Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation's typical grant size?
Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $34,410, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation give grants?
Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation gives mostly in Colorado: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Illinois (22%) and District of Columbia (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (10 grants), Aspen, CO (5 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and Costa Mesa, CA (2 grants).
Does Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 4% of Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 25) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "BD of Trustees & Nat Council" (3 grants).
Who are Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation's largest grantees?
Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Aspen Art Museum ($544,825 across 3 grants), Art Institute of Chicago ($50,000 across 2 grants) and Jewish United Fund ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 75% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation?
Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation reported $18K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $1.3M.
What does Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations including museums, a volunteer-mobilizing organization, and organizations addressing democratic values and community issues. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation's EIN?
Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-7435405. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Barbara Bluhm-Kaul 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 30, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 25, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 30, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 3, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 26, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 1, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/barbara-bluhm-kaul-foundation-morg_e7f930da01f24e8fa5c3df195393f742
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_367435405_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/barbara-bluhm-kaul-foundation-morg_e7f930da01f24e8fa5c3df195393f742},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Barbara Bluhm-Kaul 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.
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