Bednyak Family Foundation
The Bednyak Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. In 2024, it reported 38 grants totaling $352,048 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in education, health, youth development, and community services.
Bednyak Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Bednyak Family Foundation gave $352K across 38 grants in 2024 (avg $9K), mostly in Illinois. 37% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $352,048
- -27.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 38
- +26.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,264
- -43.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $4,723,934
- +13.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (14 of 38, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (58% 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 Bednyak 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: 27 N Wacker Dr Suite 433, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (874) 762-3250
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bednyak Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Jewish United Fund of Chicago ($70K). Together the top 10 received $286K.
Grant Size Distribution
132 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 123 grants of 132 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 58% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 17% to recipients in Washington, DC, 15% to recipients in New York, 7% to recipients in California, and 1% to recipients in Iowa.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Bednyak Family Foundation open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 14 of 38 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 58% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 348% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 142% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $78K (2020) to $493K (2022). In 2024 it made 38 grants totaling $352K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish United Fund of Chicago Chicago, IL | Contribution | $70,000 |
| American Israel Education Foundation Washington, DC | Contribuiton | $50,000 |
| American Friends of Israel Navy New York, NY | Contribution | $50,000 |
| Jewish Community Centers Northbrook, IL | Contribution | $30,000 |
| Childrens Oncology Group Monrovia, CA | Contribution | $25,000 |
| Childrens Hospital of Chicago, IL | Contribution | $20,000 |
| US Holocaust Museum Washington, DC | Contribution | $11,392 |
| Chicago Botanical Garden Glencoe, IL | Contribution | $10,000 |
| Treshholds Chicago Chicago, IL | Contribution | $10,000 |
| Urban Initiatives Inc Chicago, IL | Contribution | $10,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,723,934 | $207,184 | $379,066 | $352,048 | 38 | $352,048 | $203,463 | $247,819 |
| 2023 | $4,149,684 | $14,889 | $511,587 | $488,335 | 30 | $488,335 | $144,067 | $234,920 |
| 2022 | $5,431,038 | $129,781 | $524,463 | $493,097 | 27 | $493,097 | $128,310 | $242,461 |
| 2021 | $5,975,702 | $2,094,095 | $109,576 | $78,610 | 19 | $78,610 | $591,815 | $185,383 |
| 2020 | $2,654,229 | $29,237 | $86,417 | $77,614 | 18 | — | $40,653 | $156,246 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bednyak Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $248K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied activities. For example, Urban Initiatives describes its work as sports-based youth development programs addressing equity gaps for Chicago students. The Ark says it helps Chicagoland Jews facing adversity navigate toward self-reliance, while Communities in Schools of Chicago connects social, health, and enrichment services to public school students. Other 2024 grantees include organizations whose stated missions include breast cancer research, diaper access for families, and social and mental health services.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 38 grants totaling $352,048. Grant amounts ranged from $56 to $70,000, with a median of $2,500. Among its largest grants were $70,000 to Jewish United Fund of Chicago, $50,000 to American Israel Education Foundation, $50,000 to American Friends of Israel Navy, $30,000 to Jewish Community Centers, and $25,000 to Childrens Oncology Group.
Other 2024 grants included $10,000 to Urban Initiatives, $5,589 to The Ark, $5,150 to Invest for Kids, and $5,000 to Communities in Schools of Chicago.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jerry Bednyak as president, Alexis Bednyak as secretary, and Eric Vassilatos and Daniel Bednyak as directors.
Bednyak Family Foundation is led by Jerry Bednyak, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jerry Bednyak
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Daniel Bednyak
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Eric Vassilatos
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Alexis Bednyak
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Bednyak Family Foundation
How much does Bednyak Family Foundation give each year?
Bednyak Family Foundation gave $352K across 38 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $488K across 30 grants.
What is Bednyak Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Bednyak Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,500, and its average grant was $9,264, across 38 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bednyak Family Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Bednyak Family Foundation give grants?
Bednyak Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 58% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (17%) and New York (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (16 grants), Glencoe, IL (6 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Bednyak Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 38 grants with a stated purpose on Bednyak Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Contribution" (37 grants).
Who are Bednyak Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Bednyak Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Jewish United Fund of Chicago ($70,000), American Israel Education Foundation ($50,000) and American Friends of Israel Navy ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Bednyak Family Foundation?
Bednyak Family Foundation reported $4.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $352K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $248K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Bednyak Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied activities. For example, Urban Initiatives describes its work as sports-based youth development programs addressing equity gaps for Chicago students. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bednyak 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 Bednyak Family Foundation's EIN?
Bednyak Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-2471114. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Bednyak 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Bednyak Family Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bednyak Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bednyak-family-foundation-morg_c7bffd6aaad44c768f89d45463a53d8b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_822471114_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bednyak Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bednyak-family-foundation-morg_c7bffd6aaad44c768f89d45463a53d8b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Bednyak 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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