Bayless Family Foundation is a private foundation focused on Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, based in CHICAGO, IL. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2024. As of 2024, the organization holds $5.2M in total assets. In 2024, it awarded 11 grants totaling $667K. Net investment income was $412K.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$5.2M
-2.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$667K
+74.7% YoY
Grant Count
11
+37.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$61K
+27.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bayless Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $255K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
About Bayless Family Foundation
Based on IRS filings
Bayless Family Foundation is a private foundation focused on Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, based in CHICAGO, IL. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2024. As of 2024, the organization holds $5.2M in total assets. In 2024, it awarded 11 grants totaling $667K. Net investment income was $412K.
Focus Areas
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,150,430 | $5,256,583 | $5,144,812 |
| Revenue | $633,196 | $573,663 | $283,913 |
| Expenses | $739,349 | $461,892 | $414,255 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $666,814 | $381,734 | $369,527 |
| Net Investment Income | $412,195 | $313,192 | $149,830 |
| Distributable Amount | $255,172 | $245,998 | $253,150 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
55 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago (icnc) ($131,814), Definition Theatre Company ($120,000), Timeline Theatre Company ($120,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CHICAGO PUBLIC MEDIA CHICAGO, IL | TO PROMOTE, ENCOURAGE, AND SUPPORT THE EXPRESSION OR APPLICATION OF HUMAN CREATIVE SKILL AND IMAGINATION THROUGH ALL FORMS OF THE ARTS, INCLUDING LITERATURE, PERFORMING ARTS, VISUAL ARTS, MEDIA ARTS, AND CULINARY ARTS. | $5,000 |
| DEFINITION THEATRE COMPANY CHICAGO, IL | TO PROMOTE, ENCOURAGE, AND SUPPORT THE EXPRESSION OR APPLICATION OF HUMAN CREATIVE SKILL AND IMAGINATION THROUGH ALL FORMS OF THE ARTS, INCLUDING LITERATURE, PERFORMING ARTS, VISUAL ARTS, MEDIA ARTS, AND CULINARY ARTS. | $120,000 |
| FILAMENT THEATRE CHICAGO, IL | TO PROMOTE, ENCOURAGE, AND SUPPORT THE EXPRESSION OR APPLICATION OF HUMAN CREATIVE SKILL AND IMAGINATION THROUGH ALL FORMS OF THE ARTS, INCLUDING LITERATURE, PERFORMING ARTS, VISUAL ARTS, MEDIA ARTS, AND CULINARY ARTS. | $25,000 |
| INDUSTRIAL COUNCIL OF NEARWEST CHICAGO (ICNC) CHICAGO, IL | TO PROMOTE, ENCOURAGE, AND SUPPORT THE EXPRESSION OR APPLICATION OF HUMAN CREATIVE SKILL AND IMAGINATION THROUGH ALL FORMS OF THE ARTS, INCLUDING LITERATURE, PERFORMING ARTS, VISUAL ARTS, MEDIA ARTS, AND CULINARY ARTS. | $131,814 |
| LOOKINGGLASS THEATRE COMPANY CHICAGO, IL | TO PROMOTE, ENCOURAGE, AND SUPPORT THE EXPRESSION OR APPLICATION OF HUMAN CREATIVE SKILL AND IMAGINATION THROUGH ALL FORMS OF THE ARTS, INCLUDING LITERATURE, PERFORMING ARTS, VISUAL ARTS, MEDIA ARTS, AND CULINARY ARTS. | $10,000 |
| PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE CHICAGO, IL | TO PROMOTE, ENCOURAGE, AND SUPPORT THE EXPRESSION OR APPLICATION OF HUMAN CREATIVE SKILL AND IMAGINATION THROUGH ALL FORMS OF THE ARTS, INCLUDING LITERATURE, PERFORMING ARTS, VISUAL ARTS, MEDIA ARTS, AND CULINARY ARTS. | $5,000 |
| SHATTERED GLOBE THEATRE CHICAGO, IL | TO PROMOTE, ENCOURAGE, AND SUPPORT THE EXPRESSION OR APPLICATION OF HUMAN CREATIVE SKILL AND IMAGINATION THROUGH ALL FORMS OF THE ARTS, INCLUDING LITERATURE, PERFORMING ARTS, VISUAL ARTS, MEDIA ARTS, AND CULINARY ARTS. | $50,000 |
| THEATRE WIT CHICAGO, IL | TO PROMOTE, ENCOURAGE, AND SUPPORT THE EXPRESSION OR APPLICATION OF HUMAN CREATIVE SKILL AND IMAGINATION THROUGH ALL FORMS OF THE ARTS, INCLUDING LITERATURE, PERFORMING ARTS, VISUAL ARTS, MEDIA ARTS, AND CULINARY ARTS. | $50,000 |
| TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY CHICAGO, IL | TO PROMOTE, ENCOURAGE, AND SUPPORT THE EXPRESSION OR APPLICATION OF HUMAN CREATIVE SKILL AND IMAGINATION THROUGH ALL FORMS OF THE ARTS, INCLUDING LITERATURE, PERFORMING ARTS, VISUAL ARTS, MEDIA ARTS, AND CULINARY ARTS. | $120,000 |
| CHICAGO CHILDREN'S THEATRE CHICAGO, IL | TO PROMOTE, ENCOURAGE, AND SUPPORT THE EXPRESSION OR APPLICATION OF HUMAN CREATIVE SKILL AND IMAGINATION THROUGH ALL FORMS OF THE ARTS, INCLUDING LITERATURE, PERFORMING ARTS, VISUAL ARTS, MEDIA ARTS, AND CULINARY ARTS. | $100,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RICHARD L BAYLESS | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| DEANN BAYLESS | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| LANE BAYLESS SULLIVAN | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| KEVIN SULLIVAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | $44,581 |
| MELISSA CAMERON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bayless Family Foundation?
Bayless Family Foundation is a private foundation focused on Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, based in CHICAGO, IL. It holds $5.2M in total assets as of 2024.
How large is Bayless Family Foundation?
As of 2024, Bayless Family Foundation holds $5.2M in total assets with $633K in annual revenue. It awarded 11 grants totaling $667K in 2024.
Where does Bayless Family Foundation operate?
Bayless Family Foundation has awarded grants in Illinois, Rhode Island.
What size grants does Bayless Family Foundation award?
In 2024, Bayless Family Foundation awarded 11 grants totaling $667K — an average of about $61K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Bayless Family Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Bayless Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $255K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Bayless Family Foundation's EIN?
Bayless Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-4588609. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Bayless Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
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