BJB Foundation
BJB Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2024 filing reports 13 grants totaling $2,064,486, including support for organizations in Washington, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey.
BJB Foundation at a glance
In short: BJB Foundation gave $2.1M across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $159K), mostly in Washington. 54% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,064,486
- -34.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- -13.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $158,807
- -24.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $5,401,649
- -14.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 54% first-time grantees (7 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Washington (63% 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 BJB 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: 155 N Michigan Ave 9003, Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: (312) 729-5454
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who BJB Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was World Vision Inc ($1.3M). Together the top 10 received $2.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
61 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 37 grants of 61 (61%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grants included recipients in Washington, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. Named recipients include World Vision Inc. in Federal Way, Washington; several Chicago-area organizations; Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania; Cardinals Annual Stewardship Appeal in New York; and Rowan University Foundation in Glassboro, New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is BJB Foundation open to new grantees?
54%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 13 grantees (54%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $71K; repeat grants $261K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $45K repeat.
- 46% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+17%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 688% 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 $145K (2020) to $3.2M (2023). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $2.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| World Vision Inc Federal Way, WA | Unrestricted grant in support of the organization's tax exempt purpose | $1,309,486 |
| Misericorida Universty Dallas, PA | Unrestricted grant in support of the organization's tax exempt purpose | $300,000 |
| By the Hand Club for Kids Chicago, IL | Unrestricted grant in support of the organization's tax exempt purpose | $150,000 |
| Catholic Theological Union Chicago, IL | Unrestricted grant in support of the organization's tax exempt purpose | $100,000 |
| Franciscan Outreach Chicago, IL | Unrestricted grant in support of the organization's tax exempt purpose | $75,000 |
| Catholic Charities of the Archidioceses of Chicago Chicago, IL | Unrestricted grant in support of the organization's tax exempt purpose | $50,000 |
| Catholic Church Extension Society Chicago, IL | Unrestricted grant in support of the organization's tax exempt purpose | $20,000 |
| Avenues of Independence Park Ridge, IL | Unrestricted grant in support of the organization's tax exempt purpose | $15,000 |
| Wings Program Inc Palatine, IL | Unrestricted grant in support of the organization's tax exempt purpose | $15,000 |
| Cardinals Annual Stewardship Appeal New York, NY | Unrestricted grant in support of the organization's tax exempt purpose | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with BJB 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $5,401,649 | $504,860 | $2,291,511 | $2,064,486 | 13 | $2,238,321 | $435,336 | $325,349 |
| 2023 | $6,299,975 | $934,164 | $4,074,611 | $3,171,658 | 15 | $3,206,201 | $215,806 | $432,225 |
| 2022 | $8,742,556 | $694,278 | $3,313,870 | $2,344,374 | 14 | $2,346,989 | $125,813 | $565,208 |
| 2021 | $13,641,928 | $2,412,237 | $2,282,993 | $1,766,943 | 12 | $1,766,958 | $2,013,428 | $680,217 |
| 2020 | $13,652,179 | $62,170 | $505,738 | $145,000 | 7 | — | $164,267 | $624,256 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, BJB Foundation reported a distributable amount of $325K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The filing’s stated mission or purpose describes BJB Properties as a Chicago-based real estate company that renovates and manages vintage apartment buildings. It does not state a separate charitable mission for the foundation.
The grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, World Vision describes its work as Christian humanitarian aid and long-term community development; By The Hand Club for Kids describes itself as a faith-based after-school program; and Franciscan Outreach says it provides shelter, food, and support to people who are marginalized and homeless in the Chicago area. WINGS Program says it provides housing, services, education, and advocacy to end domestic violence.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $2,064,486. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $1,309,486, with a median of $20,000. The largest reported grants were $1,309,486 to World Vision Inc., $300,000 to Misericordia University, $150,000 to By The Hand Club for Kids, $100,000 to Catholic Theological Union, and $75,000 to Franciscan Outreach. The filing describes these grants as unrestricted support for each recipient’s tax-exempt purpose.
The foundation reported 15 grants totaling $3,171,658 in 2023 and 14 grants totaling $2,344,374 in 2022.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Sean T Barry as president, Kathleen Barry Boychuck as secretary, and Donal P Barry Jr as chief financial officer.
BJB Foundation is led by Sean T. Barry, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Sean T. Barry
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Donal P. Barry Jr.
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathleen Barry Boychuck
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
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 BJB Foundation
How much does BJB Foundation give each year?
BJB Foundation gave $2.1M across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.2M across 15 grants.
What is BJB Foundation's typical grant size?
BJB Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $20,000, and its average grant was $158,807, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from BJB Foundation that year got $71K on average.
Where does BJB Foundation give grants?
BJB Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Illinois (21%) and Pennsylvania (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (6 grants) and Palatine, IL (2 grants).
Does BJB Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of BJB Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are BJB Foundation's largest grantees?
BJB Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include World Vision Inc ($1,309,486), Misericorida Universty ($300,000) and By the Hand Club for Kids ($150,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 85% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is BJB Foundation?
BJB Foundation reported $5.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $325K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does BJB Foundation fund?
The filing’s stated mission or purpose describes BJB Properties as a Chicago-based real estate company that renovates and manages vintage apartment buildings. It does not state a separate charitable mission for the foundation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from BJB 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 BJB Foundation's EIN?
BJB Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-1516608. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does BJB 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 8, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in BJB Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). BJB Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bjb-foundation-morg_9ba9eff7db8841d19b7e6d44a3630a69
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_471516608_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{BJB Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bjb-foundation-morg_9ba9eff7db8841d19b7e6d44a3630a69},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 BJB 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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