Cheryl Chase & Stuart Bear Family
The Cheryl Chase & Stuart Bear Family Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2000 and based in Hartford, Connecticut. The foundation supports arts and culture, higher education, health, human services, and Jewish organizations.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.0M
+47.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$381K
+3.7% YoY
Grant Count
61
-4.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$6K
+8.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary funding interests include:
- Arts and Culture
- Higher Education
- Health Care
- Social Services and Human Services
- Jewish Organizations
The foundation does not maintain a public website, which limits transparency regarding specific grantmaking strategies and detailed priority areas. Tax filings indicate that education, health, human services, arts, and Jewish causes represent the foundation's primary focus areas.
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's giving is concentrated primarily in Connecticut. However, a limited number of grants extend to national organizations, regional groups in the Northeast, and causes that hold special meaning to family members.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Data (2024):
- Total Assets: $1,970,802
- Total Giving: $381,084
Prior Year Data (2023):
- Total Assets: $1,330,000
- Total Revenue: $384,000
- Total Expenses: $369,000
- Total Liabilities: $4,580
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,970,802 | $1,332,594 | $1,323,547 |
| Revenue | $1,051,561 | $383,640 | $282,341 |
| Expenses | $415,419 | $368,854 | $284,260 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $396,439 | $370,876 | $261,854 |
| Net Investment Income | $671,591 | $95,957 | $74,838 |
| Distributable Amount | $89,854 | $102,544 | $128,094 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Cheryl Chase — Co-founder and co-president of the foundation. She is a real estate executive and co-president of Chase Enterprises, a company known for shaping the Hartford skyline and developing modern buildings including One Financial Plaza in Hartford. Chase holds a bachelor's degree in English and History from Tufts University and a J.D. from University of Connecticut Law School (1978).
Stuart Bear — Co-founder of the foundation. A retired judge who served on the Connecticut Appellate Court. Bear is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHERYL A CHASE | PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| JOHN P REDDING | SECRETARY/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DARA CHASE DYER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Contact Information
Address: Chase Enterprises 225 Asylum Street Hartford, CT 06103-1534
Telephone: 860-549-1674
EIN: 06-1562154
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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