Donald M Ephraim Family
Donald M Ephraim Family is a private foundation based in Highland Park, Illinois. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including cancer research, Jewish community and heritage programs, education, and arts and culture.
Donald M Ephraim Family at a glance
In short: Donald M Ephraim Family gave $1.2M across 57 grants in 2025 (avg $22K), top state Massachusetts. 5% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,228,300
- +24.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 57
- -8.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $21,549
- +35.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $750
- Total assets
- $31,126,205
- +15.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (3 of 57, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (43% 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 Donald M Ephraim Family
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2070 Green Bay Road 199, Highland Park, IL 60035
Phone: (312) 321-9700
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Donald M Ephraim Family funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Dana-Farber Cancer Institute ($501K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
308 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 293 grants of 308 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the shares of grant dollars by recipient state were Massachusetts 43%, New York 41%, Illinois 9%, Florida 6%, and California 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 57 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Donald M Ephraim Family open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 57 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $23K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $700 repeat.
- 95% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 21% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 86% 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 (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 $697K (2020) to $1.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 57 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Brookline, MA | $435,000 for the donald m ephraim endowed fund for cancer research and $65,000 to the donald m ephraim fund for cancer research. | $501,000 |
| American Jewish Committee New York, NY | Donald m ephraim project interchange alumni award endowment fund | $500,000 |
| University of Chicago Law School Chicago, IL | Donald M Ephraim Professorship in Law and Economics | $52,000 |
| Morselife Foundation West Palm Beach, FL | Donald m ephraim sun & stars international film festival | $50,500 |
| Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (Camera) Boston, MA | General | $25,000 |
| Cultural Council for Palm Beach County Lake Worth, FL | General | $20,000 |
| Depaul University Chicago, IL | $5,000 for donald m ephraim family endowed excellence award; $5,000 for the donald m ephraim theatre arts achievement award | $10,000 |
| Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago Chicago, IL | General | $10,000 |
| WTTW Chicago, IL | Jewish Heritage Programming | $10,000 |
| Foundation of the CMW Chapter of Natas Inc Chicago, IL | Scholarships | $6,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $31,126,205 | $374,724 | $1,228,902 | $1,228,300 | 57 | $1,228,300 | $374,375 | $1,430,095 |
| 2024 | $26,997,733 | $362,181 | $988,125 | $988,051 | 62 | $988,051 | $362,181 | $1,227,793 |
| 2023 | $22,165,438 | $313,584 | $939,038 | $938,908 | 62 | $938,908 | $358,657 | $987,479 |
| 2022 | $17,341,099 | $350,742 | $1,015,392 | $1,015,280 | 60 | $1,015,280 | $350,462 | $941,565 |
| 2021 | $22,887,757 | $1,474,409 | $726,291 | $715,574 | 67 | $715,574 | $415,873 | $1,023,805 |
| 2020 | $17,900,438 | $2,220,115 | $740,643 | $696,500 | 63 | — | $2,220,115 | $742,188 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Donald M Ephraim Family reported a distributable amount of $1.4M 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 provided. Its grants include support for cancer research, a law-and-economics professorship, scholarships, Jewish heritage programming, and cultural events.
Among the grantees, the American Jewish Committee describes its mission as advancing the wellbeing of Jewish people and Israel, human rights, and democratic values. The Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago says it provides resources for food, refuge, health care, education, and emergency assistance. DePaul University describes itself as an innovative Catholic, Vincentian university focused on students’ integral human development. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 57 grants totaling $1,228,300 in 2025. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $501,000, with a median of $750. Giving totaled $988,051 across 62 grants in 2024 and $938,908 across 62 grants in 2023.
The largest reported 2025 grants included $501,000 to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for Donald M. Ephraim cancer research funds and $500,000 to the American Jewish Committee for the Donald M. Ephraim Project Interchange Alumni Award Endowment Fund. Other notable awards included $52,000 to the University of Chicago Law School for the Donald M. Ephraim Professorship in Law and Economics; $50,500 to Morselife Foundation for the Donald M. Ephraim Sun & Stars International Film Festival; and $25,000 to the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Donald M. Ephraim, David M. Ephraim, Eliot S. Ephraim, and Eric A. Ephraim as officers and directors.
Donald M Ephraim Family's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David M. Ephraim
Officer & Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Donald M. Ephraim
Officer & Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eliot S. Ephraim
Officer & Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric A. Ephraim
Officer & Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/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 Donald M Ephraim Family
How much does Donald M Ephraim Family give each year?
Donald M Ephraim Family gave $1.2M across 57 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $988K across 62 grants.
What is Donald M Ephraim Family's typical grant size?
Donald M Ephraim Family's median grant in 2025 was $750, and its average grant was $21,549, across 57 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Donald M Ephraim Family that year got $4K on average.
Where does Donald M Ephraim Family give grants?
Donald M Ephraim Family's top state is Massachusetts, with 43% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (41%) and Illinois (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (17 grants), New York, NY (10 grants), Highland Park, IL (6 grants) and West Palm Beach, FL (3 grants).
Does Donald M Ephraim Family give general operating support?
Yes: 79% of Donald M Ephraim Family's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (45 of 57) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Donald M Ephraim Family's largest grantees?
Donald M Ephraim Family's largest 2025 grantees include Dana-Farber Cancer Institute ($501,000), American Jewish Committee ($500,000) and University of Chicago Law School ($52,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 86% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Donald M Ephraim Family?
Donald M Ephraim Family reported $31.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.4M (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 Donald M Ephraim Family fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for cancer research, a law-and-economics professorship, scholarships, Jewish heritage programming, and cultural events. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Donald M Ephraim Family?
The foundation 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 Donald M Ephraim Family's EIN?
Donald M Ephraim Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3739581. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Donald M Ephraim Family 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 5, 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 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 10, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 25, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Donald M Ephraim Family funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/donald-m-ephraim-family-morg_8752716ff0144a41a6da531036d3cf0c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363739581_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Donald M Ephraim Family funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/donald-m-ephraim-family-morg_8752716ff0144a41a6da531036d3cf0c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Donald M Ephraim Family'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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