Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities
Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its stated mission is to promptly offer financial aid to first responders and their families during challenging times, including line-of-duty deaths, disabilities, and illnesses caused by hazardous exposure related to keeping Chicago safe.
Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities at a glance
In short: Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities gave $72K across 11 grants in 2026 (avg $7K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $72,000
- -10.8% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 11
- +83.3% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $6,545
- -51.4% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $8,750
- Total assets
- $144,174
- +122.3% vs 2025
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities
- 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 for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 5611 N Osceola Ave, Chicago, IL 60631-3057
Phone: (773) 320-6092
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Chicago Police Memorial Foundation ($12K). Together the top 10 received $72K.
Grant Size Distribution
17 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 17 grants of 17 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for filing year 2026 went to recipients in Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities gives
- 45% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- In 2026 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2026). 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 2025 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $72K (2026) to $81K (2025). In 2026 it made 11 grants totaling $72K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Police Memorial Foundation Chicago, IL | Grant to assist the family and children of injured or fallen Chicago police officers | $11,667 |
| Brotherhood of the Fallen Chicago, IL | Assist first respondents during critical times | $11,667 |
| Light the Light Chicago, IL | Assisting first respondents i times of need | $11,667 |
| Ignite the Spirit Chicago, IL | Grant to support injured or illnesses of firefighters and paramedics. | $8,815 |
| CFD Gold Badge Society Chicago, IL | Grant to assist the families and children of line of duty deaths and injuries suffered by CFD firefighters and paramedics. | $8,750 |
| Fire Chaplain Ministries Chicago, IL | Grant supports families of first respondents with services and counsel during difficult times. | $8,750 |
| EMW Retirees Widows Children Chicago, IL | Grant to support first responders retirees and widows of line of duty deaths | $7,000 |
| Richard Pinskey Chicago, IL | LODD or Illness | $1,140 |
| David Meyer Chicago, IL | LODD | $1,044 |
| Jose Perez Chicago, IL | Illness | $1,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $144,174 | $161,025 | $81,563 | $72,000 | 11 | $90,961 | $6,870 |
| 2025 | $64,863 | $97,560 | $87,351 | $80,750 | 6 | $81,076 | — |
| 2024 | $55,483 | $55,427 | $2,675 | — | — | $2,675 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities reported a distributable amount of $7K for 2026 — 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 stated mission is to provide prompt financial aid to first responders and their families facing challenging circumstances, including line-of-duty deaths, disabilities, and illnesses caused by hazardous exposure.
Among its grantees, the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation describes its mission as honoring fallen heroes and supporting families of Chicago police officers killed or catastrophically injured in the line of duty. Ignite the Spirit describes its mission as quickly distributing funds to first responders and their families in times of need. The foundation’s 2025 filing also names the CFD Gold Badge Society, CFD Chaplains Ministries, Light the Light, and Brotherhood of the Fallen among its grant recipients.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2026, the foundation reported 11 grants totaling $72,000. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $11,667, with a median of $8,750. Notable grants included $11,667 each to the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation, Brotherhood of the Fallen, and Light the Light; $8,815 to Ignite the Spirit; and $8,750 each to the CFD Gold Badge Society and Fire Chaplain Ministries. The other reported grants were $7,000 to EMW Retirees Widows Children, $1,140 to Richard Pinskey, $1,044 to David Meyer, $1,000 to Jose Perez, and $500 to Ivonne Soto Betancurt.
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported $80,750 in grants across six grants. Its filing states that it donated directly to the families of four injured first responders.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Alfonzo Ortiz as President Founder, Marilyn Ortiz as Treasurer, Alfonzo Ortiz Jr as Vice President, and Amarelis Ortiz as Secretary. It also lists Carlos Sanchez, Betsy Michna, Francisco Velez, and Nathaniel Miles as board members.
Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities is led by Alfonzo Ortiz, President Founder on every filing since 2024; none of the 8 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Alfonzo Ortiz
President Founder
On filings since 2024
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alfonzo Ortiz Jr.
Vice President
Board Member → Vice President, 2026
On filings since 2024
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marilyn Ortiz
Treasurer
On filings since 2024
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amarelis Ortiz
Secretary
New on the 2026 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Betsy Michna
Board Member
New on the 2026 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carlos Sanchez
Board Member
New on the 2026 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Francisco Velez
Board Member
New on the 2026 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nathaniel Miles
Board Member
New on the 2026 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Charles Broyless (2024–2025) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2024–2026. "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 Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities
How much does Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities give each year?
Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities gave $72K across 11 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $81K across 6 grants.
What is Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities's typical grant size?
Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities's median grant in 2026 was $8,750, and its average grant was $6,545, across 11 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities give grants?
Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities gives mostly in Illinois: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (11 grants).
Does Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities give general operating support?
Not in 2026: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities's 2026 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities's largest grantees?
Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities's largest 2026 grantees include Chicago Police Memorial Foundation ($11,667), Brotherhood of the Fallen ($11,667) and Light the Light ($11,667), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities?
Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities reported $144K in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $91K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $7K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to provide prompt financial aid to first responders and their families facing challenging circumstances, including line-of-duty deaths, disabilities, and illnesses caused by hazardous exposure. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities's EIN?
Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-1600554. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2024–2026.
Does Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities 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
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 25, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 11, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS May 29, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2024–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/chicago-battle-of-the-badges-charities-morg_c3ded3cf2cce40558a1e91eaf059a75a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_931600554_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/chicago-battle-of-the-badges-charities-morg_c3ded3cf2cce40558a1e91eaf059a75a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Chicago Battle of the Badges Charities'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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