Chicago Educational Research Foundation
Chicago Educational Research Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including education, Jewish community life, health, refugee resettlement, disability services, and other charitable activities.
Chicago Educational Research Foundation at a glance
In short: Chicago Educational Research Foundation gave $37K across 34 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), top state Illinois. 44% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $37,400
- -19.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 34
- +9.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,100
- -26.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $430,366
- -6.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 44% first-time grantees (15 of 34, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (49% 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 Chicago Educational Research Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1301 W 33Rd Street, Chicago, IL 60608
Phone: (312) 498-7041
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Chicago Educational Research Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Temple Beth Sholom ($5K). Together the top 10 received $23K.
Grant Size Distribution
129 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 129 grants of 129 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 49% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, followed by Nevada (16%), New York (9%), Colorado (8%), and Virginia (4%). The grants also included recipients in other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Chicago Educational Research Foundation open to new grantees?
44%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 15 of 34 grantees (44%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $911; repeat grants $1K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $1K repeat.
- 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 125% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $30K (2020) to $47K (2024). In 2025 it made 34 grants totaling $37K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Temple Beth Sholom Las Vegas, NV | Congregation beth shalom, the spiritual home to more than 1150 member families, is the largest conservative synagogue on the north shore. We are dedicated to promoting family and community through limud (STUDY), tefillah (PRAYER), and tzedakah (acts of justice and loving kindness). | $5,000 |
| Johnny's Ambassadors Castle Rock, CO | Johnnys ambassadorsis on a mission to educate teens, parents, and communities about the dangers of todays high-thc marijuana on adolescent brain development, mental illness, and suicide. | $3,000 |
| Chicago Jewish Day School Chicago, IL | An authentic jewish education that integrates independent learning with jewish values. | $2,500 |
| Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center Skokie, IL | The museum is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the holocaust by honoring the memories of those who were lost and by teaching universal lessons that combat hatred, prejudice and indifference. The museum fulfills its mission through the exhibition, preservation and interpretation of its collections and through education programs and initiatives that foster the promotion of human rights and the elimination of genocide. | $2,500 |
| Madonna Mission Chicago, IL | Madonna mission is a not-for-profit organization providing education and resettlement support programs for refugee individuals and their families in chicago. | $2,500 |
| Margaret R Baker Charitable Foundation Rockingham, VA | Awards scholarships that are payable to educational institutions on behalf of deserving young adults who are in good standing at their colleges or universities in order to help them flourish | $1,500 |
| Over the Rainbow Housing Evanston, IL | Otr is an Illinois non-profit organization dedicated to providing independent living solutions for individuals with physical disabilities. | $1,500 |
| PCD Foundation Minneapolis, MN | The primary purpose for starting the pcdf was to address severe unmet needs in the pcd patient community, including: diagnostic challenges, lack of evidence to support therapies, inadequate demographic information and paucity of data related to the natural history of this disorder. Our programs reflect our efforts to create an infrastructure and processes to address these unmet needs. | $1,500 |
| Soul City Church Chicago, IL | Leading People into a Transforming Relationship with Jesus. | $1,500 |
| Tunnel to Towers Foundation Staten Island, NY | Helping americas heroes by providing mortgage-free homes to gold star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building specially-adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. We are also committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and helping America to never forget september 11, 2001 | $1,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Chicago Educational Research 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 | $430,366 | $14,407 | $43,192 | $37,400 | 34 | $37,400 | $8,726 | $29,960 |
| 2024 | $459,151 | $16,327 | $54,990 | $46,500 | 31 | $46,500 | $7,959 | $29,420 |
| 2023 | $497,814 | $11,663 | $36,199 | $33,000 | 25 | $33,000 | $8,770 | $27,398 |
| 2022 | $522,350 | $9,257 | $44,718 | $39,000 | 18 | $39,000 | $3,869 | $29,062 |
| 2021 | $557,900 | $30,438 | $46,850 | $40,000 | 21 | $40,000 | $23,732 | $32,825 |
| 2020 | $578,312 | $11,619 | $31,225 | $30,000 | 16 | — | $10,394 | $28,030 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Chicago Educational Research Foundation reported a distributable amount of $30K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is available. Its grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Chicago Jewish Day School describes its work as combining Jewish and general studies, while Madonna Mission says it provides education and resettlement support to refugees and their families in Chicago. Johnny’s Ambassadors says it educates parents and teens about the dangers of high-THC marijuana for adolescent brain development, mental illness, and suicide. Other 2025 grantees include organizations focused on Holocaust education, cancer support, disability services, and Parkinson’s disease research.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 34 grants totaling $37,400. Grants ranged from $105 to $5,000, with a median of $1,000. Recent annual giving was $46,500 across 31 grants in 2024 and $33,000 across 25 grants in 2023.
Notable 2025 grants included $5,000 to Temple Beth Sholom; $3,000 to Johnny’s Ambassadors; and $2,500 each to Chicago Jewish Day School, Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, and Madonna Mission. Other grants included $1,500 to Over the Rainbow Housing, PCD Foundation, Soul City Church, and Tunnel to Towers Foundation. The 2025 filing also states that the foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jay Sorkin as president/director, Anthony Danielak III as secretary/director, and Larry Dorf and Paul RT Johnson Jr as officer/directors.
Chicago Educational Research Foundation is led by Jay Sorkin, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jay Sorkin
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anthony Danielak III
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Larry Dorf
Officer & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Rt Johnson Jr.
Officer & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Chicago Educational Research Foundation
How much does Chicago Educational Research Foundation give each year?
Chicago Educational Research Foundation gave $37K across 34 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $47K across 31 grants.
What is Chicago Educational Research Foundation's typical grant size?
Chicago Educational Research Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,100, across 34 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Chicago Educational Research Foundation that year got $911 on average.
Where does Chicago Educational Research Foundation give grants?
Chicago Educational Research Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Nevada (16%) and New York (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (9 grants), New York, NY (3 grants), Las Vegas, NV (2 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).
Does Chicago Educational Research Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 34 grants with a stated purpose on Chicago Educational Research Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Chicago Educational Research Foundation's largest grantees?
Chicago Educational Research Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Temple Beth Sholom ($5,000), Johnny's Ambassadors ($3,000) and Chicago Jewish Day School ($2,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Chicago Educational Research Foundation?
Chicago Educational Research Foundation reported $430K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $37K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $30K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Chicago Educational Research Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is available. Its grants include support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Chicago Educational Research Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and 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 Chicago Educational Research Foundation's EIN?
Chicago Educational Research Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-2346255. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Chicago Educational Research Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 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 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 3, 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 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Chicago Educational Research Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Howard and Sheila Pizer Charitable Found
Winnetka, IL
Assets
$165K
Grants
26
Total Given
$11K
The Howard Ross Family Foundation
Chicago, IL
Assets
$335K
Grants
12
Total Given
$15K
Charles and M R Shapiro Foundation Inc
Northbrook, IL
The foundation supports medical research, education and scholarships, human services, senior support, and Jewish community organizations, with most of its 2025 funding going to Illinois recipients. Its 2025 grants ranged from $4,000 to $152,390, with a median of $17,500; it funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$52.4M
Grants
99
Total Given
$2.4M
Anixter and Silva Family Foundation
Chicago, IL
The Anixter and Silva Family Foundation’s 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including community assistance, anti-hate efforts, cancer, food access, and reproductive health, with most funding going to Illinois. Grants ranged from $1,500 to $215,200, with a median of $10,000. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$12.8M
Grants
62
Total Given
$1.3M
Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago
Chicago, IL
Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago funds food, housing, health care, education, emergency assistance, and Jewish community services in Chicago and the surrounding area, as well as humanitarian and Jewish programs in Israel and worldwide. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,953 to $57.2 million, with a median of $37,600; the profile does not state whether JUF accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$261.5M
Grants
41
Total Given
$107.5M
Rothman Charitable Trust
Chicago, IL
The trust supports a range of charitable organizations, including arts, religious, social-service, literary, educational, and hunger-relief organizations. In 2025, it gave 43 grants totaling $30,608, typically small awards (median $200), with most funding going to Illinois and New York. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$638K
Grants
43
Total Given
$31K
More similar funders
More Funders in Illinois
The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Chicago Educational Research 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.
Chicago Educational Research Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?