Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation
The Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. It supports nonprofit organizations serving low-income and underserved Chicago-area residents, with funding focused on healthcare and housing services for people experiencing homelessness.
Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation at a glance
In short: Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation gave $1.1M across 78 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), mostly in Illinois. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,095,000
- +1.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 78
- -2.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $14,038
- +3.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $24,938,814
- +5.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (9 of 78, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation
- Review Cycle
- For the 2026 Housing (Homelessness) cycle, the portal is scheduled to open March 1, 2026, with Letters of Intent due April 1, 2026. The Health Care cycle is scheduled to open September 1, 2026; a Letter of Intent deadline is not specified here.
- Deadline
- For the 2026 Housing (Homelessness) cycle, the portal is scheduled to open March 1, 2026, with Letters of Intent due…
- Contact
Application contact: Serena Moy
Mailing address: 200 W Madison St Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (847) 330-1023
Website: https://www.blowitzridgeway.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation
Who Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Community Health ($20K). Together the top 10 received $183K.
Grant Size Distribution
389 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 389 grants of 389 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s current stated funding area is Chicago and suburban Cook County. It says it will no longer fund organizations located in DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, or Will counties. Its 2023 filing described a broader area that included Chicago and the six collar counties.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 78 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 78 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $16K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 56% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 131% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.0M (2023) to $1.1M (2025). In 2025 it made 78 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Community Health Chicago, IL | For General Operating Support of this free health care center which provides uninsured and low-income individuals in Chicago with primary, dental, specialty care, medication, mental health, and lab services, as well as health education, Telehealth, etc. | $20,000 |
| Connections for Abused Women and their Children Wheaton, IL | For General Operating Support. CAWC's comprehensive domestic violence services include crisis intervention, shelter, safety planning/assessment, legal and medical advocacy, individual and group counseling for survivors of domestic violence in Chicago. | $20,000 |
| Franciscan Outreach Association Chicago, IL | For General Operating Support to provide emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, case management, meals, financial assistance, access to health care, etc. for individuals who are homeless in Chicago, shelters in the west side and Pilsen. | $20,000 |
| Heartland Alliance International Chicago, IL | For General Operating Support of the Kovler Center, which provide critical trauma-informed services to individuals, unaccompanied children, and families affected by forced migration, now residing in Chicago and surrounding Cook County suburbs. | $20,000 |
| KAN-WIN (Korean American Women in Need) Chicago, IL | For General Operating Support. KAN-WIN serves Asian American domestic violence and sexual assault survivors in Chicago and suburbs. Programs include multi-lingual crisis hotline, legal clinic, advocacy, transitional housing, emergency hotel stay, etc. | $20,000 |
| South Suburban PADS Oak Park, IL | For General Operating Support. Programs and Services include Prevention (emergency funds), Street Outreach, Emergency Shelter, Rapid Rehousing, Permanent Supportive Housing, and Supportive Services for homeless individuals/families in south suburban Cook. | $20,000 |
| Deborah's Place Chicago, IL | For General Operating Support. Deborah's Place provides housing and comprehensive supportive services to chronically homeless women in Chicago. Services include Interim/Permanent Supportive Housing, comprehensive support services, case management, etc. | $17,500 |
| Alexian Brothers Housing & Health Alliance Chicago, IL | For Bonaventure House, a transitional housing program for formerly homeless adults living with HIV/AIDS in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. Program provides therapeutic/supportive services such as case management, recovery services, etc. | $15,000 |
| Apna Ghar Inc (Our Home) Homewood, IL | For General Operating Support. Apna Ghar provides comprehensive culturally competent services, outreach and advocacy services to immigrant and non-immigrant women experiencing domestic violence and other gender violence in Chicago. | $15,000 |
| Beds Plus Care Chicago, IL | For General Operating Support. Beds provides housing and stabilization services to individuals and families in Southwest Suburban Cook County who are homeless. Programs and services include prevention, housing for families, street outreach, etc. | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Blowitz-Ridgeway 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 | $24,938,814 | $1,621,717 | $1,606,968 | $1,095,000 | 78 | $1,505,879 | $1,452,059 | $1,153,469 |
| 2024 | $23,651,528 | $834,038 | $1,545,351 | $1,084,500 | 80 | $1,462,876 | $695,640 | $1,093,235 |
| 2023 | $20,372,256 | $-23,482 | $1,513,147 | $1,045,000 | 72 | $1,410,977 | $334,183 | $1,022,898 |
| 2022 | $19,742,479 | $523,475 | $1,551,461 | $1,049,150 | 79 | $1,420,181 | $320,508 | $1,128,967 |
| 2021 | $24,086,938 | $4,817,145 | $1,505,123 | $1,048,200 | 80 | — | $4,687,432 | $1,039,008 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M 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
The Foundation’s mission is to improve the lives and well-being of Chicago-area residents who are uninsured, underinsured, or low-income by increasing access to high-quality, comprehensive healthcare and safe, affordable housing.
Its healthcare focus includes community-based preventive and primary services such as medical, dental, vision, mental health, and case management. It also identifies community-based mental and behavioral health services and work addressing chronic diseases that disproportionately affect communities of color as priorities. In housing, it supports services addressing homelessness. The Foundation prefers general operating support for organizations whose central mission is healthcare or homelessness; broader social-service organizations are encouraged to seek program support for those services.
The Foundation’s supported organizations illustrate these areas. For example, Connections for Abused Women and Their Children describes its work as providing shelter, counseling, advocacy, and a hotline for people affected by domestic violence. South Suburban PADS describes its work as providing shelter and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness. Howard Brown Health Center describes providing healthcare and social services.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the Foundation made 78 grants totaling $1,095,000. Awards ranged from $10,000 to $20,000, with a median of $15,000. Recent examples include $20,000 each to Community Health, Connections for Abused Women and Their Children, Franciscan Outreach Association, Heartland Alliance International, KAN-WIN, and South Suburban PADS. Other 2025 awards included $17,500 to Deborah’s Place and $15,000 each to Alexian Brothers Housing & Health Alliance, Apna Ghar, Beds Plus Care, Brave Space Alliance, and Bridge Communities.
The Foundation’s current process begins with a Letter of Intent, followed by invitations to selected applicants to submit a full proposal. It prioritizes organizations with budgets under $10 million and has narrowed its geographic focus to Chicago and suburban Cook County. Its grant program states that applications from new organizations, including organizations not funded within the last three years, are paused through September 2026, with applications from new organizations anticipated to reopen in October 2026. The Foundation identifies eligible applicants as 501(c)(3) public charities.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing are Sandra Swantek, MD, President; Pierre LeBreton, Vice President (through July 2025); Esther Nieves, Vice President; Jennifer Arwade, Trustee; Rebekah Azar Rashidfarokhi, Secretary; Serena Moy, Executive Director; Ponda Barnes, Trustee; Angel Beltran, Treasurer; and Elizabeth L. Carter, Trustee.
Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation is led by Sandra Swantek MD, President since 2022 (on filings since 2021); all 9 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sandra Swantek MD
President
President & Past Secretary → President, 2022
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
$8K (2021) → $5K (2025)
Serena Moy
Executive Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$111K (2021) → $129K (2025)
Jennifer Arwade
Trustee
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
$10K (2021) → $5K (2025)
Elizabeth L Carter
Trustee
Trustee - Start → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2024
4 hrs/week
$5K (2025)
Ponda Barnes
Trustee
Trustee - Start → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2024
4 hrs/week
$5K (2025)
Esther Nieves
Vice President
Secretary → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
$6K (2021) → $5K (2025)
Pierre LeBreton
Vice President -
Vice President → Vice President -, 2025
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
$8K (2021) → $4K (2025)
Rebekah Azar Rashidfarokhi
Secretary
Trustee → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
$10K (2021) → $5K (2025)
Angel Beltran
Treasurer
Trustee - Start → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2024
4 hrs/week
$5K (2025)
Former officers (4)
- Former: Allen Wesolowski (2021–2024) — Treasurer -
- Former: Edward Jacob (2021–2024) — Trustee -
- Former: Anthony Dean (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Thomas Fitzgibbon (2021) — Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $129K, to Serena Moy (Executive Director). 9 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation
How much does Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation give each year?
Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation gave $1.1M across 78 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.1M across 80 grants.
What is Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation's typical grant size?
Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $14,038, across 78 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation that year got $16K on average.
Where does Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation give grants?
Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (43 grants), Wheaton, IL (3 grants), Palatine, IL (3 grants) and Elgin, IL (3 grants).
Does Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 60% of Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (47 of 78) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation's largest grantees?
Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Community Health ($20,000), Connections for Abused Women and their Children ($20,000) and Franciscan Outreach Association ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 5% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation?
Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation reported $24.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to improve the lives and well-being of Chicago-area residents who are uninsured, underinsured, or low-income by increasing access to high-quality, comprehensive healthcare and safe, affordable housing. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation?
Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check blowitzridgeway.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation's EIN?
Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-2488355. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 17, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS December 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 3, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 23, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/blowitz-ridgeway-foundation-morg_b0734859b7f64442ac2342d7e676da25
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_362488355_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/blowitz-ridgeway-foundation-morg_b0734859b7f64442ac2342d7e676da25},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Blowitz-Ridgeway 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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