Captain Dave's Foundation
Captain Dave's Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 2021 by Captain Dave Truitt to continue his philanthropic efforts and build upon the work of the Chicago Marine Heritage Society, it made 12 grants totaling $615,000 in filing year 2025, including grants to museums, historical organizations, and boating-related organizations.
Captain Dave's Foundation at a glance
In short: Captain Dave's Foundation gave $615K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $51K), top state Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $615,000
- +319.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- +200.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $51,250
- +39.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,500
- Total assets
- $17,966,388
- +1641.7% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Illinois (43% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Captain Dave's Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1621 North Oakley Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
Phone: (312) 504-0004
Website: https://captaindave.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Captain Dave's Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Coast Guard Museum ($250K). Together the top 10 received $605K.
Grant Size Distribution
19 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 15 grants of 19 (79%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing shows grant dollars going to recipients in Illinois (43%), Connecticut (41%), Massachusetts (8%), Wisconsin (7%), and Washington, DC (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
How Captain Dave's Foundation gives
- 17% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 1950% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 98% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $30K (2022) to $615K (2025). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $615K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Coast Guard Museum New London, CT | General Charitable Purposes | $250,000 |
| Chicago Yacht Club Foundation Chicago, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $200,000 |
| Center for Independent Documentary Newton, MA | General Charitable Purposes | $50,000 |
| Pritzker Military Museum and Foundation Kenosha, WI | General Charitable Purposes | $40,000 |
| Chicago Maritime Museum Chicago, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $20,000 |
| Chicago History Museum Chicago, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $15,000 |
| Columbia Yacht Club Sailing School Chicago, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $10,000 |
| Chicago Christmas Ship Hinsdale, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $10,000 |
| Stella Maris Washington, DC | General Charitable Purposes | $5,000 |
| Illinois Joining Forces Chicago, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Amounts are for each filing year.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $17,966,388 | $17,650,257 | $715,414 | $615,000 | 12 | $615,000 | $1,761,720 | $625,614 |
| 2024 | $1,031,545 | $174,707 | $146,613 | $146,500 | 4 | $146,516 | $30,707 | $69,359 |
| 2023 | $1,003,451 | $1,061,244 | $62,750 | $62,750 | 2 | $62,750 | $7,009 | $9,272 |
| 2022 | $14,956 | $45,000 | $30,044 | $30,000 | 1 | $30,000 | — | $739 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Captain Dave's Foundation reported a distributable amount of $626K 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 website describes its relationship to the Chicago Marine Heritage Society, founded in 1999, but does not state a separate foundation mission. The Society’s stated mission is to assist Chicago-area museums, charitable organizations, and government agencies with marine-heritage projects, including monuments, exhibits, programs, and events.
The foundation’s 2025 grants went to organizations including the Chicago Yacht Club Foundation, which says it brings boating to Chicago youth, with a primary focus on young people from underrepresented communities, through boating, water-safety, and nautical STEAM programs. The Port Washington Historical Society says its work is to preserve and share local history and provide educational opportunities.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $615,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $250,000, with a median of $12,500. The largest grants included $250,000 to the Coast Guard Museum, $200,000 to the Chicago Yacht Club Foundation, $50,000 to the Center for Independent Documentary, and $40,000 to the Pritzker Military Museum and Foundation. Other grants included $20,000 to the Chicago Maritime Museum and $15,000 to the Chicago History Museum. The filing lists all grant purposes as general charitable purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Robert Bied as president, Kurt Anderson as CFO, and George Kisiel as secretary. The foundation’s website identifies its founder as Captain Dave Truitt (1933–2024).
Captain Dave's Foundation is led by Robert Bied, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Robert Bied
President
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kurt Anderson
CFO
Secretary → CFO, 2025
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
George Kisiel
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: David Truitt (2021–2024) — CEO
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.
Frequently asked questions about Captain Dave's Foundation
How much does Captain Dave's Foundation give each year?
Captain Dave's Foundation gave $615K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $147K across 4 grants.
What is Captain Dave's Foundation's typical grant size?
Captain Dave's Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $12,500, and its average grant was $51,250, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Captain Dave's Foundation give grants?
Captain Dave's Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 43% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Connecticut (41%) and Massachusetts (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (5 grants) and Hinsdale, IL (2 grants).
Does Captain Dave's Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Captain Dave's Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Captain Dave's Foundation's largest grantees?
Captain Dave's Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Coast Guard Museum ($250,000), Chicago Yacht Club Foundation ($200,000) and Center for Independent Documentary ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 81% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Captain Dave's Foundation?
Captain Dave's Foundation reported $18.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $615K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $626K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Captain Dave's Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website describes its relationship to the Chicago Marine Heritage Society, founded in 1999, but does not state a separate foundation mission. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Captain Dave's Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Captain Dave's Foundation's EIN?
Captain Dave's Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-3416637. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Captain Dave's 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
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 30, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Captain Dave's Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Captain Dave's Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/captain-dave-s-foundation-morg_4d19c47a30d542baa8b1a7549c5056a3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_873416637_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Captain Dave's Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/captain-dave-s-foundation-morg_4d19c47a30d542baa8b1a7549c5056a3},
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 Captain Dave's 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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