Ferdi Foundation
Ferdi Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 grants went to organizations working in areas including arts and culture, environmental causes, education, and reproductive health.
Ferdi Foundation at a glance
In short: Ferdi Foundation gave $303K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), mostly in Illinois. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $302,902
- +12.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- -25.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $14,424
- +50.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $3,696,599
- +16.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (7 of 21, 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 Ferdi 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: 416 W Deming Place 3, Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: (847) 480-0077
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ferdi Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Chicago International Puppet Theatr ($115K). Together the top 10 received $291K.
Grant Size Distribution
73 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 70 grants of 73 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 90% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 8% to recipients in Vermont, and 2% to recipients in California. The filing also reports a 0% share for Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Ferdi Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 21 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $21K. How we count
Medians: $555 first-time, $5K repeat.
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 3555% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 138% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2022–2025). 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 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $8K (2022) to $303K (2025). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $303K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago International Puppet Theatr Chicago, IL | All contributions were made for the unrestricted use of charity. | $115,000 |
| Environmental Law and Policy Center Chicago, IL | Same as Orgainzation 1. | $40,165 |
| Goodman Theatre Chicago, IL | Same as Organization 1. | $40,000 |
| Loyola University Foundation Chicago, IL | Same as Organization 1. | $27,200 |
| Beyond Plastics Bennigton, VT | Same as Organization 1. | $25,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Chicago, IL | Same as organization 1. | $20,000 |
| Eco Ship Chicago, IL | Same as Organization 1. | $8,400 |
| Womens Global Education Project Oak Park, IL | Same as organization 1. | $5,000 |
| One Earth Collective Oak Park, IL | Same as organization 1. | $5,000 |
| 5 Gyers Institute Santa Monica, CA | Same as Organization 1. | $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 | $3,696,599 | $1,254,384 | $308,992 | $302,902 | 21 | $307,335 | $750,492 | $223,092 |
| 2024 | $3,162,382 | $835,772 | $294,310 | $268,610 | 28 | $272,960 | $348,726 | $198,087 |
| 2023 | $2,891,033 | $471,346 | $226,470 | $188,890 | 16 | $192,840 | $417,814 | $159,013 |
| 2022 | $2,550,209 | $40,453 | $8,877 | $8,287 | 8 | $8,287 | $39,863 | $155,838 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ferdi Foundation reported a distributable amount of $223K 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 included support for arts organizations, environmental organizations, an educational organization, and Planned Parenthood.
Among its grantees, the Environmental Law and Policy Center describes its mission as protecting the Midwest’s environment and natural resources. One Earth Collective says it uses environmental programming to inspire action, facilitate learning, promote justice, and foster equity and inclusion. Women’s Global Education Project says it provides educational opportunities and literacy for women and children in Africa. The Illinois Environmental Council says it works to limit pollution and protect Illinois’s natural heritage. PAWS Inc. describes its work as animal rescue, adoption, and spay and neuter promotion and assistance.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 21 grants totaling $302,902. Grant amounts ranged from $209 to $115,000, with a median grant of $5,000. Among the largest grants were $115,000 to Chicago International Puppet Theatr, $40,165 to the Environmental Law and Policy Center, $40,000 to Goodman Theatre, $27,200 to Loyola University Foundation, $25,000 to Beyond Plastics, and $20,000 to Planned Parenthood.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Julie Moller as President and Jack Moller and Sue Waits as Directors.
Ferdi Foundation is led by Julie Moller, President on every filing since 2022; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Julie Moller
President
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Jack Moller
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Sue Waits
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2025. "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 Ferdi Foundation
How much does Ferdi Foundation give each year?
Ferdi Foundation gave $303K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $269K across 28 grants.
What is Ferdi Foundation's typical grant size?
Ferdi Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $14,424, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ferdi Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Ferdi Foundation give grants?
Ferdi Foundation 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 Vermont (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (13 grants) and Oak Park, IL (2 grants).
Does Ferdi Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 5% of Ferdi Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Same as organization 1." (13 grants) and "Same as orgainization 1." (3 grants).
Who are Ferdi Foundation's largest grantees?
Ferdi Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Chicago International Puppet Theatr ($115,000), Environmental Law and Policy Center ($40,165) and Goodman Theatre ($40,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ferdi Foundation?
Ferdi Foundation reported $3.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $307K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $223K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Ferdi Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for arts organizations, environmental organizations, an educational organization, and Planned Parenthood. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ferdi 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 Ferdi Foundation's EIN?
Ferdi Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 88-2179657. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2025.
Does Ferdi 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ferdi Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ferdi-foundation-morg_7c26d034dfbe4e85874f63498974c596
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_882179657_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ferdi Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ferdi-foundation-morg_7c26d034dfbe4e85874f63498974c596},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Ferdi 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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