Best Portion Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. The organization holds tax-exempt status as a private foundation under Section 501(c)(3).
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$15.4M
+4.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.1M
-11.0% YoY
Grant Count
15
-6.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$76K
-5.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Best Portion Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation has filed tax returns for fiscal years ending December 2020, 2021, and 2022, indicating ongoing grantmaking activity during this period.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $15,434,653 | $14,724,147 | $14,737,256 |
| Revenue | $1,471,835 | $1,118,797 | $1,021,306 |
| Expenses | $1,307,659 | $1,437,242 | $1,573,408 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,159,053 | $1,300,843 | $1,380,699 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,323,229 | $982,408 | $858,958 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,015,152 | $934,743 | $988,055 |
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
90 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include The Chicago Scholars Foundation ($539,663), Randolph College ($100,732), A Better Chicago ($100,472).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| A BETTER CHICAGO CHICAGO, IL | PUBLIC | $100,472 |
| BULAMU HEALTHCARE INTERNATIONAL PALO ALTO, CA | PUBLIC | $20,248 |
| CHIARTS CHICAGO, IL | PUBLIC | $14,836 |
| THE CHICAGO SCHOLARS FOUNDATION CHICAGO, IL | PUBLIC | $539,663 |
| DREAM FOR KIDS CHICAGO, IL | PUBLIC | $25,000 |
| EVERGREEN CLIMATE INNOVATIONS CHICAGO, IL | PUBLIC | $35,000 |
| KIDS FIRST CHICAGO CHICAGO, IL | PUBLIC | $54,910 |
| INVEST FOR KIDS CHICAGO, IL | PUBLIC | $25,000 |
| MIKVA CHALLENGE CHICAGO, IL | PUBLIC | $5,000 |
| PARTNERSHIP FOR COLLEGE COMPLETION CHICAGO, IL | PUBLIC | $49,871 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| M GAIL WALLER | PRESIDENT | 5 | — |
| TIMOTHY SCHWERTFEGER | VICE PRESIDENT, SECRETARY, | 10 | — |
| ANDREW SCHWERTFEGER | DIRECTOR | 10 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What size grants does Best Portion Foundation award?
In 2024, Best Portion Foundation awarded 15 grants totaling $1.1M — an average of about $76K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Best Portion Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Best Portion Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.0M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Best Portion Foundation's EIN?
Best Portion Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-0894840. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Best Portion Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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