Cahnman Berman Family Foundation
Cahnman Berman Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, with most grant dollars going to recipients in Illinois.
Cahnman Berman Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Cahnman Berman Family Foundation gave $155K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $15K), mostly in Illinois. 20% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $154,789
- -8.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- -41.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $15,479
- +55.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $6,599
- -57.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (2 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (87% 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 Cahnman Berman Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1937 N Howe Street, Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: (312) 266-5985
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Cahnman Berman Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Jewish National Fund ($75K). Together the top 10 received $155K.
Grant Size Distribution
66 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 62 grants of 66 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, recipient-state shares of grant dollars were reported as Illinois 87%, Vermont 8%, California 4%, and Rhode Island 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Cahnman Berman Family Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 10 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $38K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $38K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 70% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+5%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 109% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2024). 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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $14K (2020) to $170K (2022). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $155K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish National Fund Northbrook, IL | Support of Recipient's Charitable Activities | $75,028 |
| Depaul University Chicago, IL | Support of Recipient's Charitable Activities | $42,270 |
| Himalayan Cataract Project Waterbury, VT | Support of Recipient's Charitable Activities | $11,624 |
| Francis W Parker School Chicago, IL | Support of Recipient's Charitable Activities | $10,567 |
| Pacific Legal Foundation Sacramento, CA | Support of Recipient's Charitable Activities | $5,000 |
| Working in the Schools Inc Chicago, IL | Support of Recipient's Charitable Activities | $5,000 |
| Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI | Support of Recipient's Charitable Activities | $2,500 |
| Paid to an Individual Northbrook, IL | Support of Recipient's Charitable Activities | $1,250 |
| Cambodian Childrens Fund Santa Monica, CA | Support of Recipient's Charitable Activities | $1,050 |
| Elyssa's Mission NFP Northbrook, IL | Support of Recipient's Charitable Activities | $500 |
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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 | $6,599 | $152,504 | $161,338 | $154,789 | 10 | $161,338 | $152,504 | $148,495 |
| 2023 | $15,433 | $142,943 | $169,707 | $169,544 | 17 | $169,559 | $142,895 | $125,215 |
| 2022 | $42,197 | $170,902 | $171,986 | $170,342 | 16 | $171,942 | $170,902 | $111,720 |
| 2021 | $43,281 | $126,015 | $149,087 | $147,087 | 13 | $147,409 | $126,015 | $120,538 |
| 2020 | $66,353 | $20,989 | $16,975 | $13,594 | 10 | — | $20,989 | $63,592 |
| 2019 | $62,339 | $131,197 | $169,180 | $168,745 | 20 | — | $131,197 | $73,097 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cahnman Berman Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $148K 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 went to organizations whose stated work includes education and literacy, eye care, arts and design, legal advocacy, suicide prevention, and support for children and families in Cambodia. For example, DePaul University describes its mission as supporting students’ integral human development through teaching and academic excellence; Working in the Schools describes its work as building literacy through mentorship, classroom libraries, and book ownership.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $154,789 through 10 grants. Grants ranged from $500 to $75,028, with a median grant of $5,000. Its largest listed grants were $75,028 to Jewish National Fund, $42,270 to DePaul University, $11,624 to Himalayan Cataract Project, and $10,567 to Francis W. Parker School. Each grant’s stated purpose was support of the recipient’s charitable activities.
Other 2024 grants included $5,000 to Pacific Legal Foundation, $5,000 to Working in the Schools, $2,500 to Rhode Island School of Design, $1,250 to an individual, $1,050 to Cambodian Children’s Fund, and $500 to Elyssa’s Mission NFP.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Raymond Cahnman as president, treasurer, and co-trustee, and Susan Berman as secretary, director, and co-trustee.
Cahnman Berman Family Foundation is led by Raymond Cahnman, President, Treasurer & Co-Trustee on every filing since 2019; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Raymond Cahnman
President, Treasurer & Co-Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Susan Berman
Secretary, Director & Co-Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 Cahnman Berman Family Foundation
How much does Cahnman Berman Family Foundation give each year?
Cahnman Berman Family Foundation gave $155K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $170K across 17 grants.
What is Cahnman Berman Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Cahnman Berman Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $15,479, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cahnman Berman Family Foundation that year got $38K on average.
Where does Cahnman Berman Family Foundation give grants?
Cahnman Berman Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Vermont (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Northbrook, IL (3 grants) and Chicago, IL (3 grants).
Does Cahnman Berman Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Cahnman Berman Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support of Recipient's Charitable Activities" (10 grants).
Who are Cahnman Berman Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Cahnman Berman Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Jewish National Fund ($75,028), Depaul University ($42,270) and Himalayan Cataract Project ($11,624), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 83% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Cahnman Berman Family Foundation?
Cahnman Berman Family Foundation reported $7K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $161K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $148K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Cahnman Berman Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations whose stated work includes education and literacy, eye care, arts and design, legal advocacy, suicide prevention, and support for children and families in Cambodia. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cahnman Berman Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it 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 Cahnman Berman Family Foundation's EIN?
Cahnman Berman Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-3322548. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Does Cahnman Berman 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 3, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 28, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Cahnman Berman Family Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cahnman Berman Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cahnman-berman-family-foundation-morg_479eef48d7be4524a869419289a83c86
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_463322548_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cahnman Berman Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cahnman-berman-family-foundation-morg_479eef48d7be4524a869419289a83c86},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Cahnman Berman 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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