Biff Ruttenberg Foundation
The Biff Ruttenberg Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. In 2024, it reported 13 grants totaling $123,755, including a $96,137 grant to Francis W. Parker School.
Biff Ruttenberg Foundation at a glance
In short: Biff Ruttenberg Foundation gave $124K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $123,755
- -48.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- -38.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,520
- -16.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,826
- Total assets
- $1,189,436
- +2.7% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Illinois (90% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Biff Ruttenberg Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 620 North Lasalle Street Suite 310, Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: (312) 516-5702
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Biff Ruttenberg Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Francis W Parker School ($96K). Together the top 10 received $123K.
Grant Size Distribution
81 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 67 grants of 81 (83%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 90% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 5% to New Jersey, 4% to the District of Columbia, and 1% to California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Biff Ruttenberg Foundation gives
- 62% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 83% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 135% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $124K (2024) to $716K (2021). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $124K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Francis W Parker School Chicago, IL | Education | $96,137 |
| US Golf Assn Far Hills, NJ | Charity | $5,966 |
| Jewish United Fund Chicago, IL | Charity | $4,913 |
| US Holocaust Museum Washington, DC | Charity | $4,913 |
| Anshe Emet Synagogue Chicago, IL | Religious | $4,081 |
| Anti-Defamation League Chicago, IL | Charity | $1,827 |
| American Jewish Committee Chicago, IL | Charity | $1,826 |
| Simon Wiesenthal Center Los Angeles, CA | Charity | $1,826 |
| Chicago Loop Synagogue Chicago, IL | Charity | $531 |
| Northwestern Memorial Foundation Chicago, IL | Charity | $515 |
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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 | $1,189,436 | $174,632 | $147,166 | $123,755 | 13 | $133,482 | $160,448 | $98,986 |
| 2023 | $1,158,277 | $54,450 | $255,512 | $240,088 | 21 | $243,331 | $42,269 | $97,406 |
| 2022 | $1,137,992 | $-93,548 | $509,709 | $489,115 | 20 | $490,865 | — | $114,195 |
| 2021 | $1,453,923 | $321,152 | $744,364 | $716,450 | 26 | $723,057 | $284,310 | $183,781 |
| 2020 | $1,881,921 | $146,782 | $305,422 | $288,280 | 1 | — | $132,108 | $127,947 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Biff Ruttenberg Foundation reported a distributable amount of $99K 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 included support for a school, Jewish organizations, and charitable organizations.
Francis W. Parker School describes its mission as educating students to act with empathy, courage, and clarity as responsible citizens and leaders. Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago says it provides resources for food, refuge, health care, education, and emergency assistance. Simon Wiesenthal Center describes itself as a Jewish human rights organization that confronts antisemitism and hate and teaches the lessons of the Holocaust. Maot Chitim of Greater Chicago says it provides food and other necessities to help people in need celebrate Jewish life with dignity and joy.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $123,755. The median grant was $1,826; grants ranged from $360 to $96,137.
Notable 2024 grants included $96,137 to Francis W. Parker School, $5,966 to the US Golf Association, $4,913 each to Jewish United Fund and the US Holocaust Museum, and $4,081 to Anshe Emet Synagogue.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Roger F. Ruttenberg as president, Gwen Callans as vice president/secretary, Lisa Kovar as treasurer, and David Metrick as director.
Biff Ruttenberg Foundation is led by Roger F. Ruttenberg, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Roger F. Ruttenberg
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Metrick
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gwen Callans
Vice President & Secretary
Vice President → Vice President & Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Kovar
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Dawn Stevenson (2020) — Secretary
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 Biff Ruttenberg Foundation
How much does Biff Ruttenberg Foundation give each year?
Biff Ruttenberg Foundation gave $124K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $240K across 21 grants.
What is Biff Ruttenberg Foundation's typical grant size?
Biff Ruttenberg Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,826, and its average grant was $9,520, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Biff Ruttenberg Foundation give grants?
Biff Ruttenberg Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (8 grants).
Does Biff Ruttenberg Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Biff Ruttenberg Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charity" (10 grants).
Who are Biff Ruttenberg Foundation's largest grantees?
Biff Ruttenberg Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Francis W Parker School ($96,137), US Golf Assn ($5,966) and Jewish United Fund ($4,913), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 86% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Biff Ruttenberg Foundation?
Biff Ruttenberg Foundation reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $133K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $99K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Biff Ruttenberg Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for a school, Jewish organizations, and charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Biff Ruttenberg Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Biff Ruttenberg Foundation's EIN?
Biff Ruttenberg Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1762284. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Biff Ruttenberg 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). Biff Ruttenberg Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/biff-ruttenberg-foundation-morg_bff15d233ef24344b648fd908d484b7f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201762284_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Biff Ruttenberg Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/biff-ruttenberg-foundation-morg_bff15d233ef24344b648fd908d484b7f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Biff Ruttenberg 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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