Bernard Heerey Family Foundation
The Bernard Heerey Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. It files Form 990-PF and makes grants to tax-exempt public charities; its 2024 filing reports no direct charitable activity.
Bernard Heerey Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Bernard Heerey Family Foundation gave $3.7M across 26 grants in 2024 (avg $142K), mostly in Illinois. 7% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,692,958
- +21.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 26
- -3.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $142,037
- +25.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $126,098
- Total assets
- $56,333,520
- +0.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (1 of 14, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (99% 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 Bernard Heerey 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: 1 N Lasalle Street Suite 1100, Chicago, IL 60602-3904
Phone: (312) 782-2610
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bernard Heerey Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was CJE Senior Life ($479K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $1.9M.
Organizations only. It also paid 11 individual scholarships ($1,660,008), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
124 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 72 grants of 124 (58%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois and 1% to recipients in Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Bernard Heerey Family Foundation open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 1 of 14 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $479K; repeat grants $247K. How we count
Medians: $479K first-time, $115K repeat.
- 93% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+1%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 93% 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 (2020–2024). 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 $3.0M (2023) to $3.8M (2022). In 2024 it made 26 grants totaling $3.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CJE Senior Life Chicago, IL | Assistance to the Elderly | $334,931 |
| Little Sisters of the Poor Chicago, IL | Assistance to the Elderly | $260,400 |
| 11 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $1,660,008 |
| The Ark Chicago, IL | Assistance to the Elderly | $240,000 |
| Benedictine Sisters of Chicago Chicago, IL | Assistance to the Elderly | $150,000 |
| CJE Senior Life Chicago, IL | Assistance to the Elderly | $143,636 |
| The Selfhelp Home Chicago, IL | Assistance to the Elderly | $130,000 |
| University of Chicago Law School Chicago, IL | Fellowships to Worthy Students | $122,000 |
| University of Chicago Law School Chicago, IL | Scholarships to Worthy Students | $120,000 |
| Chicago Center for Torah & Chesed Inc Lincolnwood, IL | Assistance to the Elderly | $115,000 |
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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 | $56,333,520 | $6,583,032 | $6,194,940 | $3,692,958 | 26 | $3,925,409 | $4,374,304 | $4,228,772 |
| 2023 | $55,929,029 | $5,905,492 | $5,321,293 | $3,049,927 | 27 | $3,328,837 | $3,968,194 | $3,794,356 |
| 2022 | $55,359,202 | $6,195,165 | $6,195,559 | $3,836,250 | 25 | $4,149,436 | $4,207,527 | $3,996,659 |
| 2021 | $55,338,272 | $8,739,392 | $5,871,483 | $3,641,608 | 24 | $3,976,571 | $6,940,959 | $4,081,074 |
| 2020 | $52,471,399 | $8,742,297 | $5,417,520 | $3,370,671 | 22 | — | $7,075,246 | $3,604,517 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bernard Heerey Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.2M 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
The foundation does not state a mission in the information available. Its 2024 grant purposes include assistance to the elderly and scholarships to worthy students.
Grantees describe a range of services. Little Sisters of the Poor says its U.S. province provides financial assistance to homes serving elderly people. The Ark says it helps Chicagoland Jews facing adversity move toward self-reliance through free, comprehensive services. HighSight says it provides academic and social support, scholarships, mentors, and tutors to inner-city Chicago high school students. These are grantee-described missions, not stated missions of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 26 grants totaling $3,692,958. Grants ranged from $24,000 to $334,931, with a median of $126,098.
Among the reported grants were $334,931 to CJE Senior Life for assistance to the elderly; $260,400 to Little Sisters of the Poor for assistance to the elderly; $241,000 and $212,200 to an individual recipient Jewish Academy for scholarships to worthy students; and $240,000 to The Ark. Other recipients included an individual recipient North Suburban Day School ($200,000), an individual recipient Day School ($177,500), an individual recipient Jesuit High School ($176,700), an individual recipient Day School ($164,860), and Benedictine Sisters of Chicago ($150,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Nathaniel I Grey as Managing Trustee, Director, and President; Charles E Dobrusin and Martin D Kerpel as Directors; Jordan A Grey as Senior Vice President and Assistant Treasurer; Thomas E Baltz as Vice President and Assistant Secretary; and Lillian T Licheniak as Secretary and Treasurer.
Bernard Heerey Family Foundation is led by Nathaniel I. Grey, Managing Trustee, Director & President on every filing since 2022; 3 of 6 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Nathaniel I. Grey
Managing Trustee, Director & President
On filings since 2022
7.2 hrs/week
$210K (2022) → $185K (2024)
Charles E. Dobrusin
Director
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Martin D. Kerpel
Director
On filings since 2020
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jordan A. Grey
Senior Vice President & Assistant Treasurer
On filings since 2022
30.7 hrs/week
$589K (2022) → $631K (2024)
Thomas E. Baltz
Vice President & Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2022
30 hrs/week
$607K (2022) → $617K (2024)
Lillian T. Licheniak
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2022
21.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Grey Grey Baltz Pc (2020–2021) — Not Applicable
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $631K, to Jordan a Grey (Senior Vice President, Asst Treasurer). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Bernard Heerey Family Foundation
How much does Bernard Heerey Family Foundation give each year?
Bernard Heerey Family Foundation gave $3.7M across 26 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.0M across 27 grants.
What is Bernard Heerey Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Bernard Heerey Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $126,098, and its average grant was $142,037, across 26 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bernard Heerey Family Foundation that year got $479K on average.
Where does Bernard Heerey Family Foundation give grants?
Bernard Heerey Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (9 grants) and Champaign, IL (2 grants).
Does Bernard Heerey Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 26 grants with a stated purpose on Bernard Heerey Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarships to Worthy Students" (16 grants) and "Assistance to the Elderly" (8 grants).
Who are Bernard Heerey Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Bernard Heerey Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include CJE Senior Life ($478,567 across 2 grants), Little Sisters of the Poor ($260,400) and University of Chicago Law School ($242,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 11 individual scholarships ($1,660,008), which are not listed by name. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Bernard Heerey Family Foundation?
Bernard Heerey Family Foundation reported $56.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.2M (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 Bernard Heerey Family Foundation fund?
The foundation does not state a mission in the information available. Its 2024 grant purposes include assistance to the elderly and scholarships to worthy students. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bernard Heerey 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 Bernard Heerey Family Foundation's EIN?
Bernard Heerey Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 14-1840613. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Bernard Heerey 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bernard Heerey Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bernard-heerey-family-foundation-morg_b638046c67a842d082bd0f772f8f13d0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_141840613_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bernard Heerey Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bernard-heerey-family-foundation-morg_b638046c67a842d082bd0f772f8f13d0},
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 Bernard Heerey 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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