Bickner Family Foundation
Bickner Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Sycamore, Illinois. It reported 18 grants totaling $189,750 in 2025, including grants to charitable, religious, health, and educational organizations.
Bickner Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Bickner Family Foundation gave $190K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in Illinois. 39% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $189,750
- +52.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- +28.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,542
- +18.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,303,286
- -0.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 39% first-time grantees (7 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (75% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Bickner Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. No application materials or other application process are specified.
- Contact
Mailing address: 11702 Deerpath Road, Sycamore, IL 60178
Phone: (715) 891-2631
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bickner Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Dekalb County Community Foundation ($56K). Together the top 10 received $169K.
Grant Size Distribution
85 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 84 grants of 85 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 75% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 18% to Michigan, 5% to Wisconsin, and 1% to California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Bickner Family Foundation open to new grantees?
39%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 18 grantees (39%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 44% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 38% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 171% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $86K (2020) to $196K (2023). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $190K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Dekalb County Community Foundation Sycamore, IL | Unrestricted | $56,000 |
| Hillcrest Covenant Church Dekalb, IL | Unrestricted | $48,000 |
| Family Service Foundation Iron River, MI | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Sycamore United Methodist Church Sycamore, IL | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Northwestern Medical Sycamore, IL | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Evangelical Covenant Church Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Covenant Harbor Lake Geneva, WI | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Covenant Point Lake Geneva, WI | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| University of Michigan Kinesiology Ann Arbor, MI | Unristricted | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Bickner Family Foundation?
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 | $2,303,286 | $188,416 | $205,766 | $189,750 | 18 | $190,652 | $173,302 | $111,455 |
| 2024 | $2,320,636 | $132,839 | $140,863 | $124,750 | 14 | $125,650 | $117,626 | $131,908 |
| 2023 | $2,328,660 | $48,545 | $211,450 | $196,000 | 20 | $196,725 | $63,809 | $125,038 |
| 2022 | $2,491,565 | $19,821 | $161,487 | $137,750 | 18 | $146,997 | $41,457 | $138,734 |
| 2021 | $2,633,231 | $367,071 | $151,442 | $132,750 | 15 | $134,094 | $349,552 | $147,531 |
| 2020 | $2,417,602 | $102,015 | $100,901 | $85,500 | 11 | — | $84,280 | $138,369 |
| 2019 | $2,416,488 | $121,736 | $158,572 | $145,575 | 12 | — | $109,200 | $123,478 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bickner Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $111K for 2025 — 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 2025 grants included support for a community foundation, churches, health organizations, and universities. The DeKalb County Community Foundation describes its purpose as serving donors’ philanthropic objectives, building lasting community revenue, and providing leadership and resources to address community needs. North Park University says its mission is to prepare students for lives of significance and service through liberal arts and theological studies. Northern Illinois Hospice describes its mission as providing dignified end-of-life care and support, improving access to care, and educating others about hospice and end-of-life planning.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 18 grants totaling $189,750. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $56,000, with a median grant of $5,000.
The largest reported grants included $56,000 to DeKalb County Community Foundation, $48,000 to Hillcrest Covenant Church, $20,000 to Family Service Foundation, and $10,000 each to Sycamore United Methodist Church and Northwestern Medical. Other listed grants included $5,000 each to the University of Michigan, Evangelical Covenant Church, Covenant Harbor, Covenant Point, University of Michigan Kinesiology, University of Michigan Water Polo, and North Park University. The listed grant purposes were reported as unrestricted, with one entry spelling the purpose “UNRISTRICTED.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joan A. Bickner as President/Director, Brian P. Bickner as Secretary/Director, Kevin C. Bickner as Treasurer/Director, and Julie A. Bickner as Vice President/Director.
Bickner Family Foundation is led by Joan A. Bickner, President & Director since 2025 (on filings since 2019); none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joan A. Bickner
President & Director
Treasurer & Director → President & Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Brian P. Bickner
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Julie A. Bickner
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Kevin C. Bickner
Treasurer & Director
Vice President & Director → Treasurer & Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Bruce P. Bickner (2019–2024) — President & Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Bickner Family Foundation
How much does Bickner Family Foundation give each year?
Bickner Family Foundation gave $190K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $125K across 14 grants.
What is Bickner Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Bickner Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $10,542, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bickner Family Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does Bickner Family Foundation give grants?
Bickner Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 75% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Michigan (18%) and Wisconsin (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Sycamore, IL (4 grants), Dekalb, IL (3 grants), Ann Arbor, MI (3 grants) and Chicago, IL (2 grants).
Does Bickner Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 94% of Bickner Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (17 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Bickner Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Bickner Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Dekalb County Community Foundation ($56,000), Hillcrest Covenant Church ($48,000) and Family Service Foundation ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 65% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Bickner Family Foundation?
Bickner Family Foundation reported $2.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $191K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $111K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Bickner Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for a community foundation, churches, health organizations, and universities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bickner Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bickner Family Foundation's EIN?
Bickner Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4043122. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Bickner 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 21, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 20, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Bickner Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Bickner Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bickner Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bickner-family-foundation-morg_624b3755f06845f4855e8474f71c21a5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364043122_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bickner Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bickner-family-foundation-morg_624b3755f06845f4855e8474f71c21a5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Bickner 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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