Barney Family Foundation
The Barney Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1998 by Stephen and Lynne Barney, it says its mission is to help educate youth and support medical research. Its main funding areas are early education and health research.
Barney Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Barney Family Foundation gave $2.0M across 40 grants in 2025 (avg $51K), top state Virginia. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,020,000
- +19.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 40
- +17.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $50,500
- +1.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $28,867,276
- +1.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (5 of 40, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (33% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Barney Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Its website describes an application process for 501(c)(3) organizations, requiring proof of tax-exempt status, and says proposals should include a plan for implementation and explain who will benefit. It says grants are annual and do not confer preferential status in future years.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists January 1 through June 30 as its application period and says grants are generally given at year-end. The 2026 application window has passed; the program information says it reopens January 1.
- Deadline
- The website lists January 1 through June 30 as its application period and says grants are generally given at year-end.
- Contact
Mailing address: 333 W Wacker Drive 1700, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 332-1111
Website: https://barneyfamilyfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Barney Family Foundation
Who Barney Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Donors Trust ($613K). Together the top 10 received $1.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
169 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 112 grants of 169 (66%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in multiple states. The largest reported shares went to Virginia (31%), Michigan (24%), Illinois (12%), and Florida (12%); Texas accounted for 3%. These figures describe the locations of 2024 recipients and do not establish a broader geographic preference.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 40 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Barney Family Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 40 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $55K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 26% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 97% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $1.6M (2022) to $2.0M (2025). In 2025 it made 40 grants totaling $2.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Donors Trust Alexandria, VA | General Purposes | $612,500 |
| Hillsdale College Hillsdale, MI | General Purposes | $400,000 |
| Alzheimer's Association Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $50,000 |
| Cleveland Clinic Foundation Cleveland, OH | General Purposes | $50,000 |
| Gary Sinise Foundation Merrifield, VA | General Purposes | $50,000 |
| Jupiter Medical Center Foundation Jupiter, FL | General Purposes | $50,000 |
| Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN | General Purposes | $50,000 |
| MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, TX | General Purposes | $50,000 |
| Misericordia - Heart of Mercy Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $50,000 |
| Nu Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $50,000 |
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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 | $28,867,276 | $3,387,385 | $2,956,979 | $2,020,000 | 40 | $2,215,637 | $2,646,043 | $2,278,846 |
| 2024 | $28,436,870 | $745,242 | $2,668,598 | $1,695,000 | 34 | $1,908,391 | $49,352 | $2,179,127 |
| 2023 | $30,360,226 | $-491,319 | $2,653,138 | $1,796,000 | 34 | $1,949,621 | $132,095 | $1,991,767 |
| 2022 | $33,504,683 | $1,762,651 | $2,905,352 | $1,604,000 | 30 | $1,752,595 | $1,160,407 | $2,129,086 |
| 2021 | $34,647,384 | $4,783,613 | $2,529,330 | $1,629,000 | 31 | $1,780,734 | $4,175,055 | $1,690,657 |
| 2020 | $32,393,101 | $6,852,000 | $2,567,562 | $1,725,000 | 29 | — | $6,286,180 | $1,720,005 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Barney Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.3M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is “to help educate the youth and support medical research advancements for the good of all.” Its website identifies early education—particularly children in grades K–8—and health research, especially cancer and Alzheimer’s, as primary areas. For education proposals, it looks for a plausible plan connecting the project to tangible improvements in children’s lives. It also considers research, policy analysis, advocacy, and other work that does not directly serve children, and says it expects strategic impact from such work.
The foundation requires applicants to be registered 501(c)(3) organizations and does not make grants to individuals. Its website also excludes organizations substantially engaged in influencing legislation or political campaigns, governmental bodies, and tax-supported institutions seeking support for services within their normal responsibilities.
The 2024 recipients included organizations with varied missions. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital describes its work as advancing cures and prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Shriners Children’s says it provides compassionate, high-quality care to improve children’s lives. Special Olympics describes its work as fostering acceptance and inclusion through sports, health, and education programs. These are recipient descriptions, not additional stated focus areas of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 34 grants totaling $1,695,000. Its website says grants and recommendations generally range from $5,000 to $50,000 for one year, with occasional smaller or larger awards. The 2024 grants ranged from $5,000 to $500,000, with a median of $20,000. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 40 grants totaling $2 million.
The largest reported awards included $500,000 to Donors Trust and $400,000 to Hillsdale College, both for general purposes. Other $50,000 grants included awards to the Alzheimer’s Association, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Mayo Clinic, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Misericordia – Heart of Mercy, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Special Olympics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and The Johns Hopkins University; each was listed for general purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Stephen M. Barney Sr. and Lynne C. Barney as trustees, and Stephen M. Barney Jr. and Kristen Barney Adams as foundation managers. The foundation’s website also lists Kristen Barney Adams and Stephen (Chip) Barney as managing directors, and Mary Ann Roti as associate managing director.
Barney Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; 2 of 4 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lynne C. Barney
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephen M. Barney Sr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kristen Barney Adams
Foundation Manager
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
$125K (2020) → $125K (2025)
Stephen M. Barney Jr.
Foundation Manager
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
$125K (2020) → $125K (2025)
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 $125K, to Stephen M Barney Jr (Foundation MGR.). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Barney Family Foundation
How much does Barney Family Foundation give each year?
Barney Family Foundation gave $2.0M across 40 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.7M across 34 grants.
What is Barney Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Barney Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $50,500, across 40 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Barney Family Foundation that year got $19K on average.
Where does Barney Family Foundation give grants?
Barney Family Foundation's top state is Virginia, with 33% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Michigan (20%) and Florida (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (5 grants), Jupiter, FL (2 grants) and Nashville, TN (2 grants).
Does Barney Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Barney Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (40 of 40) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Barney Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Barney Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Donors Trust ($612,500), Hillsdale College ($400,000) and Alzheimer's Association ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 53% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Barney Family Foundation?
Barney Family Foundation reported $28.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Barney Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is “to help educate the youth and support medical research advancements for the good of all.” Its website identifies early education—particularly children in grades K–8—and health research, especially cancer and Alzheimer’s, as primary areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Barney Family Foundation?
The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Barney Family Foundation's EIN?
Barney Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-7195126. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Barney Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated November 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
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS September 21, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 21, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 27, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 21, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Barney Family Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Barney Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 9, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/barney-family-foundation-morg_7317fc459f8c4213bf7ea55af40e0ae3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_367195126_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Barney Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/barney-family-foundation-morg_7317fc459f8c4213bf7ea55af40e0ae3},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-09. 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 Barney 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.
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