Bjorkman Foundation
The Bjorkman Foundation is a private foundation based in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Its 2025 filing reports 13 grants totaling $80,000, with awards for purposes including scholarships, a camp dining commons project, and contributions to charitable organizations.
Bjorkman Foundation at a glance
In short: Bjorkman Foundation gave $80K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Illinois. 9% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $80,000
- -20.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- -13.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,154
- -7.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $704,813
- +16.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (1 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (53% 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 Bjorkman Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing identifies Mary Ellen Bjorkman as the contact for applications. It says applications should briefly describe the organization’s purposes and activities and include a statement attesting that transfers to the requesting organization are exempt from taxation under the specified Internal Revenue Code provisions. The filing states that there are no deadlines. Eligible distributees must be exempt from income taxation, and gifts or transfers to them must qualify for the stated tax exemptions.
- Contact
Application contact: Mary Ellen Bjorkman
Mailing address: 310 Galliant Dr, Lake Geneva, WI 53147-2575
Phone: (630) 661-0178
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bjorkman Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Covenant Harbor Bible Camp ($30K). Together the top 10 received $79K.
Grant Size Distribution
79 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 78 grants of 79 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois (52%), Wisconsin (42%), Minnesota (4%), and Michigan (2%). The listed grants include recipients in Chicago and other Illinois communities, Lake Geneva and Burlington in Wisconsin, Coon Rapids in Minnesota, and Iron River in Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Bjorkman Foundation open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 11 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 91% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 58% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 151% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $47K (2023) to $100K (2024). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $80K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Covenant Harbor Bible Camp Lake Geneva, WI | Dining Commons Project | $30,000 |
| North Park University Chicago, IL | University Scholarships | $10,000 |
| North Park University Chicago, IL | Ar & Ae Bjorkman Scholarship | $10,000 |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository Chicago, IL | Contribution | $9,000 |
| North Park University Chicago, IL | Seminary Scholarships | $7,500 |
| Feed My Starving Children Coon Rapids, MN | Contribution | $3,000 |
| Seno KRLT Burlington, WI | Contribution | $2,500 |
| Cornerstone Community Outreach Chicago, IL | Contribution | $2,000 |
| Covenant Ability Network Oak Forest, IL | Contribution | $1,500 |
| Covenant Point Bible Camp Iron River, MI | Contribution | $1,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Bjorkman 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 | $704,813 | $181,212 | $83,859 | $80,000 | 13 | $80,800 | $129,413 | $53,354 |
| 2024 | $607,460 | $134,622 | $103,198 | $100,000 | 15 | $100,675 | $61,440 | $54,242 |
| 2023 | $576,036 | $45,326 | $49,326 | $46,700 | 17 | $47,350 | $43,375 | $46,937 |
| 2022 | $580,035 | $33,945 | $54,876 | $50,500 | 17 | $51,100 | $31,679 | $49,526 |
| 2021 | $600,966 | $65,426 | $54,023 | $50,500 | 17 | $51,075 | $62,701 | $53,398 |
| 2020 | $589,563 | $-13,341 | $53,832 | $50,000 | 17 | — | $23,357 | $46,636 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bjorkman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $53K 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 separate mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for educational scholarships, religious and camp-related organizations, and organizations addressing food insecurity and community needs.
Among the recipients, North Park University describes its mission as preparing students for lives of significance and service through liberal arts and theological studies. The Greater Chicago Food Depository says its mission is to end hunger and that it works with community-based organizations and individuals. Feed My Starving Children describes its work as addressing children’s hunger in body and spirit. Cornerstone Community Outreach says it serves disadvantaged and displaced Chicagoans through programs that feed the hungry, house the homeless, and provide resources.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $80,000 through 13 grants. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $30,000, with a median grant of $2,500. The largest listed awards were $30,000 to Covenant Harbor Bible Camp for its Dining Commons Project; three awards to North Park University totaling $27,500 for university and seminary scholarships and the AR & AE Bjorkman Scholarship; and $9,000 to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
Other listed 2025 recipients included Feed My Starving Children ($3,000), Seno KRLT ($2,500), Cornerstone Community Outreach ($2,000), Covenant Ability Network ($1,500), Covenant Point Bible Camp ($1,500), Covenant Children’s Ministries ($1,000), and DuPage Habitat Humanity ($1,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Glenn A Bjorkman as director, Mary Ellen Bjorkman as director/president, and Alan W Bjorkman as director.
Bjorkman Foundation is led by Mary Ellen Bjorkman, Director & President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Mary Ellen Bjorkman
Director & President
Director & Treasurer → Director & President, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Alan W. Bjorkman
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Glenn A. Bjorkman
Director
Director & President → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Bjorkman Foundation
How much does Bjorkman Foundation give each year?
Bjorkman Foundation gave $80K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $100K across 15 grants.
What is Bjorkman Foundation's typical grant size?
Bjorkman Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $6,154, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bjorkman Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Bjorkman Foundation give grants?
Bjorkman Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Wisconsin (42%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (6 grants) and Lake Geneva, WI (2 grants).
Does Bjorkman Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Bjorkman Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Contribution" (8 grants).
Who are Bjorkman Foundation's largest grantees?
Bjorkman Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Covenant Harbor Bible Camp ($30,000), North Park University ($27,500 across 3 grants) and Greater Chicago Food Depository ($9,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 83% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Bjorkman Foundation?
Bjorkman Foundation reported $705K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $81K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $53K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Bjorkman Foundation fund?
No separate mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for educational scholarships, religious and camp-related organizations, and organizations addressing food insecurity and community needs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bjorkman Foundation?
The 2024 filing identifies Mary Ellen Bjorkman as the contact for applications. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bjorkman Foundation's EIN?
Bjorkman Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6053641. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 10, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bjorkman Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bjorkman-foundation-morg_6e945c86daad458a907724abb66c6029
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366053641_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bjorkman Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bjorkman-foundation-morg_6e945c86daad458a907724abb66c6029},
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 Bjorkman 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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