Cobb Foundation
Cobb Foundation is a private foundation based in Northbrook, Illinois. In its 2024 filing, it reported 16 grants totaling $85,290 to charitable organizations.
Cobb Foundation at a glance
In short: Cobb Foundation gave $85K across 16 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), top state Illinois. 56% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $85,290
- +230.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 16
- +60.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $5,331
- +106.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $42,473
- +54.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 56% first-time grantees (9 of 16, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (40% 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 Cobb 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 for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 808 Bittersweet Dr, Northbrook, IL 60062
Phone: (847) 272-9270
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Cobb Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was WTTW ($15K). Together the top 10 received $75K.
Grant Size Distribution
102 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 102 grants of 102 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in several states and Washington, DC. Illinois received 40% of grant dollars, while DC, Tennessee, and Maryland each received 12%; Florida received 6%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Cobb Foundation open to new grantees?
56%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 9 of 16 grantees (56%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 25% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 33% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $26K (2023) to $125K (2020). In 2024 it made 16 grants totaling $85K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| WTTW Chicago, IL | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Meharry Medical College Nashville, TN | Charitable | $10,000 |
| United Help Ukraine Gaithersburg, MD | Charitable | $10,000 |
| National Immigration Law Center Washington, DC | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Ravinia Festival Highland Park, IL | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Mercy Chefs Portsmouth, VA | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Haiti Out Reach Matthews, NC | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository Chicago, IL | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Red Cross Chicago, IL | Charitable | $5,000 |
| United Way Suncoast Largo, FL | Charitable | $5,000 |
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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 | $42,473 | $101,052 | $86,024 | $85,290 | 16 | $85,435 | $82,423 | $3,084 |
| 2023 | $27,445 | $12 | $27,964 | $25,815 | 10 | $26,065 | — | $1,614 |
| 2022 | $55,397 | $102,584 | $95,069 | $94,382 | 24 | $94,502 | $94,194 | $2,195 |
| 2021 | $47,882 | $114,315 | $70,320 | $64,299 | 22 | $64,299 | — | $3,000 |
| 2020 | $3,887 | $97,263 | $131,380 | $125,334 | 30 | — | — | $1,618 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cobb Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3K 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 included organizations working in areas such as health, immigration rights, disaster response, food assistance, community mobilization, and the arts. These are areas reflected in the listed grants, not a stated foundation-wide focus.
The grantees describe their missions in their own terms: Meharry Medical College says it works to improve health and healthcare for minority and underserved communities through health-sciences education, health services, and research to advance health equity. The National Immigration Law Center says it defends and advances the rights and opportunities of vulnerable immigrants and their loved ones. Greater Chicago Food Depository says its mission is to end hunger and that it works with community organizations and individuals toward that goal. Mercy Chefs says it provides meals during disasters and emergencies and supports food service in underserved communities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 16 grants totaling $85,290. Grants ranged from $250 to $15,000, with a median grant of $5,000. Among the largest were $15,000 to WTTW; $10,000 each to Meharry Medical College, United Help Ukraine, and the National Immigration Law Center; and $5,000 each to Ravinia Festival, Mercy Chefs, Haiti Out Reach, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Red Cross, United Way Suncoast, and Charity Navigator.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Martin Cobb, Laine M. Cobb, and Daniel H. Martin as directors.
Cobb Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Daniel H. Martin
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laine M. Cobb
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Martin Cobb
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Cobb Foundation
How much does Cobb Foundation give each year?
Cobb Foundation gave $85K across 16 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $26K across 10 grants.
What is Cobb Foundation's typical grant size?
Cobb Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $5,331, across 16 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cobb Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Cobb Foundation give grants?
Cobb Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 40% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (12%) and Tennessee (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (3 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Cobb Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on Cobb Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (14 grants).
Who are Cobb Foundation's largest grantees?
Cobb Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include WTTW ($15,000), Meharry Medical College ($10,000) and United Help Ukraine ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Cobb Foundation?
Cobb Foundation reported $42K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $85K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Cobb Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included organizations working in areas such as health, immigration rights, disaster response, food assistance, community mobilization, and the arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cobb Foundation?
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 Cobb Foundation's EIN?
Cobb Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-2769642. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Cobb 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Cobb Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cobb Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cobb-foundation-morg_e21e328a11bd4e43891c2a0132acb398
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_842769642_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cobb Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cobb-foundation-morg_e21e328a11bd4e43891c2a0132acb398},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Cobb 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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