Edelson Foundation Inc
Edelson Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 grantmaking included support for animal welfare and wildlife organizations, as well as organizations working on civil liberties and reproductive health.
Edelson Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Edelson Foundation Inc gave $100K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), top state Illinois. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $100,000
- +2.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- -17.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,348
- +24.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,500
- Total assets
- $471,158
- -6.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (30% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Edelson Foundation Inc
- 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: 849 West Fullerton, Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: (847) 677-8668
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Edelson Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Lincoln Park Zoo ($8K). Together the top 10 received $56K.
Grant Size Distribution
119 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 119 grants of 119 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states. Illinois received 30% of grant dollars, New York 20%, Tennessee 14%, Virginia 9%, and California 8%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Edelson Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 23 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. How we count
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 32% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 106% 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 $45K (2020) to $100K (2025). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $100K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, IL | Exempt Function | $8,000 |
| Anti-Cruelty Society Chicago, IL | Exempt Function | $6,000 |
| Peta Norfolk, VA | Exempt Function | $6,000 |
| Planned Parenthood New York, NY | Exempt Function | $6,000 |
| ACLU New York, NY | Exempt Function | $5,000 |
| Global Sanctuary for Elephants Brentwood, TN | Exempt Function | $5,000 |
| Humane Society of the United States Washington, DC | Exempt Function | $5,000 |
| Mercy for Animals Chicago, IL | Exempt Function | $5,000 |
| Paws Chicago Chicago, IL | Exempt Function | $5,000 |
| The Elephant Sanctuary Hohenwald, TN | Exempt Function | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $471,158 | $73,407 | $105,449 | $100,000 | 23 | $105,007 | $36,437 | $98,920 |
| 2024 | $503,200 | $106,023 | $102,762 | $97,500 | 28 | $97,982 | $31,821 | $87,106 |
| 2023 | $523,844 | $82,205 | $88,588 | $83,500 | 21 | $83,500 | $32,751 | $76,277 |
| 2022 | $529,907 | $103,604 | $80,004 | $75,500 | 21 | $75,500 | $29,797 | $73,314 |
| 2021 | $506,391 | $76,503 | $90,083 | $86,000 | 26 | $86,000 | $26,509 | $71,650 |
| 2020 | $520,054 | $81,063 | $48,910 | $45,000 | 21 | — | $21,553 | $56,138 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Edelson Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $99K 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 organizations with varied missions. For example, Global Sanctuary for Elephants says it is dedicated to rescuing, protecting, and providing sanctuary for elephants worldwide. PAWS Chicago describes itself as a leader in the no-kill animal welfare movement, helping homeless and at-risk pets through spay/neuter, medical, and adoption programs. The Southern Poverty Law Center says it works to advance racial justice and human rights, while Planned Parenthood and the ACLU are also among the foundation’s 2025 recipients.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 23 grants totaling $100,000. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $8,000, with a median of $4,500. Notable grants included $8,000 to Lincoln Park Zoo; $6,000 each to Anti-Cruelty Society, PETA, and Planned Parenthood; and $5,000 each to Global Sanctuary for Elephants, PAWS Chicago, The Elephant Sanctuary, and several other organizations.
Other 2025 recipients included The Gorilla Foundation ($4,500), Tiger Haven ($4,500), Southern Poverty Law Center ($4,000), Four Corners Equine Rescue ($3,000), America’s VetDogs ($3,000), and Equine Advocates ($2,500). The Gorilla Foundation describes its mission as bringing interspecies communication to the public to help save gorillas from extinction; Tiger Haven says it provides a safe haven for unwanted, abused, or neglected big cats.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Roberta Edelson is listed as president on the 2025 filing.
Edelson Foundation Inc is led by Roberta Edelson, President on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Roberta Edelson
President
On filings since 2020
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 Edelson Foundation Inc
How much does Edelson Foundation Inc give each year?
Edelson Foundation Inc gave $100K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $98K across 28 grants.
What is Edelson Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Edelson Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $4,500, and its average grant was $4,348, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Edelson Foundation Inc give grants?
Edelson Foundation Inc's top state is Illinois, with 30% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (21%) and Tennessee (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (5 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Who are Edelson Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Edelson Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Lincoln Park Zoo ($8,000), Anti-Cruelty Society ($6,000) and Peta ($6,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Edelson Foundation Inc?
Edelson Foundation Inc reported $471K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $105K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $99K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Edelson Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include organizations with varied missions. For example, Global Sanctuary for Elephants says it is dedicated to rescuing, protecting, and providing sanctuary for elephants worldwide. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Edelson Foundation Inc?
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 Edelson Foundation Inc's EIN?
Edelson Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4328987. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Edelson Foundation Inc 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 2, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Edelson Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/edelson-foundation-inc-morg_ac1abe88bcca45879acd254c5c08137e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364328987_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Edelson Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/edelson-foundation-inc-morg_ac1abe88bcca45879acd254c5c08137e},
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 Edelson Foundation Inc'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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