Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP
Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 filing describes a net asset adjustment reflecting the charitable distribution of artwork at fair market value.
Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP at a glance
In short: Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP gave $10.8M across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $829K), mostly in Illinois. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $10,781,050
- +669.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- -18.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $829,312
- +847.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $83,750
- Total assets
- $24,119,985
- +72.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (1 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (90% 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 Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP
- 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: 175 E Delaware Place 5116, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 282-3706
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Museum of Contemporary Art ($9.2M across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $10.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
68 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 40 grants of 68 (59%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 90% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois and 8% to recipients in Colorado. The remaining reported shares were 1% each for New York and Washington, DC; Wyoming accounted for 0% as reported.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 12 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $979K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $84K repeat.
- 92% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 917% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $698K (2019) to $10.8M (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $10.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $9,000,000 |
| Lyric Opera of Chicago Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $528,000 |
| Aspen Art Museum Aspen, CO | Unrestricted | $480,000 |
| Aspen Music Festival Aspen, CO | Unrestricted | $329,300 |
| Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $200,000 |
| The Aspen Institute Washington, DC | Unrestricted | $85,500 |
| New Museum New York, NY | Unrestricted | $83,750 |
| Renaissance Society Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Whitney Museum of American Art New York, NY | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Tate Americas Foundation New York, NY | Unrestricted | $12,000 |
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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 | $24,119,985 | $12,682,953 | $10,817,286 | $10,781,050 | 13 | $10,781,050 | — | $704,410 |
| 2024 | $13,992,908 | $620,570 | $1,426,428 | $1,400,550 | 16 | $1,400,550 | — | $697,014 |
| 2023 | $14,798,766 | $-94,895 | $1,757,944 | $1,741,850 | 14 | $1,741,850 | $791 | $750,326 |
| 2022 | $16,651,605 | $22,285 | $1,083,387 | $1,060,200 | 13 | $1,060,200 | — | $830,391 |
| 2021 | $17,712,707 | $6,031,330 | $989,125 | $974,850 | 12 | $974,850 | $17,055 | $638,302 |
| 2020 | $12,670,502 | $31,371 | $1,155,934 | $1,135,500 | 19 | — | $10,937 | $650,812 |
| 2019 | $13,795,065 | $2,446,517 | $722,111 | $697,600 | 19 | — | $578 | $621,347 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP reported a distributable amount of $704K 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 2025 grants show support for arts and cultural organizations. Among its grantees, the Museum of Contemporary Art describes its work as presenting contemporary art and ideas by living artists through exhibitions, performances, collections, and educational programs. Lyric Opera of Chicago says it provides cultural service to Chicago and the nation and advances opera through performances. The Aspen Art Museum describes its focus as advancing contemporary art through exhibitions, critical dialogue, and community engagement.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $10,781,050. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $9,000,000, with a median of $83,750. The largest grants included $9,000,000 to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, $528,000 to Lyric Opera of Chicago, $480,000 to Aspen Art Museum, and $329,300 to Aspen Music Festival. These grants were listed as unrestricted. Other recipients included the New Museum, Renaissance Society, Whitney Museum of American Art, Tate Americas Foundation, and Anderson Ranch Art Center.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Heather Gael Neeson as president and D Thomas Dunton and Rebecca Donelson as directors.
Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP is led by Heather Gael Neeson, President since 2023 (on filings since 2019); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Heather Gael Neeson
President
Director → President, 2023
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
D. Thomas Dunton
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Donelson
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: David Nyberg (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Stefan Edlis (2019) — Director
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.
Frequently asked questions about Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP
How much does Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP give each year?
Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP gave $10.8M across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.4M across 16 grants.
What is Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP's typical grant size?
Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP's median grant in 2025 was $83,750, and its average grant was $829,312, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP that year got $10K on average.
Where does Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP give grants?
Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP gives mostly in Illinois: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Colorado (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (4 grants), Aspen, CO (3 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP's largest grantees?
Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP's largest 2025 grantees include Museum of Contemporary Art ($9,200,000 across 2 grants), Lyric Opera of Chicago ($528,000) and Aspen Art Museum ($480,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 95% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP?
Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP reported $24.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $10.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $704K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for arts and cultural organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP?
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 Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP's EIN?
Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-8986573. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 8, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/edlis-neeson-foundation-nfp-morg_053e4c4b41744ac8a951807c465f3699
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_208986573_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/edlis-neeson-foundation-nfp-morg_053e4c4b41744ac8a951807c465f3699},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Edlis - Neeson Foundation NFP'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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