Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation
The Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. In 2025, it gave $273,600 through 15 grants to organizations including universities, hospitals, cultural organizations, and charitable organizations.
Key facts about Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation
In short: Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation gave $274K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), mostly in Illinois. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 36-4266297
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $273,600
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- Average grant
- $18,240
- Median grant
- $10,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (4 of 15, 2025)
- Total assets
- $4,024,876
- Primary geography
- Illinois (88% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- 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. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$4.0M
-6.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$274K
+39.4% YoY
Grant Count
15
+25.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$18K
+11.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $304K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 15 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $26K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $14K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 53% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 189% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% 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 (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. Northwestern University describes its mission as excellent teaching, innovative research, and students’ personal and intellectual growth. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association says it aims to enrich, inspire, and transform lives through music, community engagement, and education. Sweetwater Spectrum says it provides community-based, long-term housing for adults with autism or similar intellectual or developmental disabilities. Music of the Baroque describes itself as a professional orchestra and chorus that performs early music and provides a singing program for Chicago public school students.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 15 grants totaling $273,600. Grants ranged from $1,100 to $75,000, with a median grant of $10,000. The largest listed grants were $75,000 to Northwestern University, $50,000 to Northwestern Memorial Fund, and $30,000 each to Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF, and the University of Chicago. The listed grants were for general operations.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 11% to recipients in Maryland, and 1% to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $70K (2019) to $274K (2025). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $274K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Northwestern University ($75K). Together the top 10 received $265K.
Grant Size Distribution
62 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 59 grants of 62 (95%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University Evanston, IL | General Operations | $75,000 |
| Northwestern Memorial Fund Chicago, IL | General Operations | $50,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders Hagerstown, MD | General Operations | $30,000 |
| UNICEF Chicago, IL | General Operations | $30,000 |
| University of Chicago Chicago, IL | General Operations | $30,000 |
| Lurie Children's Hospital Chicago, IL | General Operations | $25,000 |
| Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chicago, IL | General Operations | $10,000 |
| Lyric Opera Chicago, IL | General Operations | $10,000 |
| Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters Northfield, IL | General Operations | $2,500 |
| Sweetwater Spectrum Sonoma, CA | General Operations | $2,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant total | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,024,876 | $37,023 | $309,656 | $273,600 | 15 |
| 2024 | $4,286,037 | $86,733 | $242,047 | $196,300 | 12 |
| 2023 | $4,459,849 | $138,409 | $277,503 | $236,000 | 16 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,024,876 | $4,286,037 | $4,459,849 |
| Revenue | $37,023 | $86,733 | $138,409 |
| Expenses | $309,656 | $242,047 | $277,503 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $282,400 | $202,700 | $242,400 |
| Net Investment Income | $100,313 | $85,637 | $101,925 |
| Distributable Amount | $303,571 | $287,349 | $266,285 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 20, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 26, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 28, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 4, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 30, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 30, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Petra Rissman, Benjamin Rissman, and Patrick McKenna as directors.
Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Benjamin Rissman
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patrick McKenna
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Petra Rissman
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 303 East Wacker Drive 1675, Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: (312) 606-3237
Frequently asked questions about Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation
How much does Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation give each year?
Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation gave $274K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $196K across 12 grants.
What is Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation's typical grant size?
Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $18,240, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation that year got $26K on average.
Where does Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation give grants?
Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Maryland (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (10 grants).
Does Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation's largest grantees?
Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Northwestern University ($75,000), Northwestern Memorial Fund ($50,000) and Doctors Without Borders ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation?
Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation reported $4.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $282K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $304K (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 Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. Northwestern University describes its mission as excellent teaching, innovative research, and students’ personal and intellectual growth. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Dr Petra and Owen Rissman 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 Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation's EIN?
Dr Petra and Owen Rissman Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4266297. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Dr Petra and Owen Rissman 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.
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