First Bank Chicago Foundation
First Bank Chicago Foundation is a private foundation based in Highland Park, Illinois. In 2024, it awarded 144 grants totaling $451,856, with 98% of grant dollars going to recipients in Illinois.
First Bank Chicago Foundation at a glance
In short: First Bank Chicago Foundation gave $452K across 144 grants in 2024 (avg $3K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $451,856
- +5.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 144
- +1.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,138
- +3.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $16,784
- +4.5% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Illinois (98% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to First Bank Chicago Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Contact Jill Takiff Hirsch. No specific form or materials are required.
- Contact
Application contact: Jill Takiff Hirsch
Mailing address: 1835 First Street, Highland Park, IL 60035
Phone: (847) 835-6500
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who First Bank Chicago Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Community Partners for Affordable Housing ($35K). Together the top 10 received $199K.
Grant Size Distribution
567 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 566 grants of 567 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 98% of grant dollars went to Illinois recipients and 1% to Wisconsin recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 144 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How First Bank Chicago Foundation gives
- 63% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+2%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $429K (2023) to $486K (2022). In 2024 it made 144 grants totaling $452K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Community Partners for Affordable Housing Libertyville, IL | General Operating Support | $34,690 |
| Harper College Educational Foundation Palatine, IL | General Operating Support | $29,050 |
| IL Holocaust Museum and Education Center Skokie, IL | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Bernie's Book Bank Lake Bluff, IL | General Operating Support | $21,250 |
| Honest Game Foundation Evanston, IL | General Operating Support | $20,000 |
| Les Turner ALS Foundation Skokie, IL | General Operating Support | $20,000 |
| District 112 Education Foundation Highland Park, IL | General Operating Support | $15,000 |
| College Bound Opportunities Riverwoods, IL | General Operating Support | $12,500 |
| Highland Park Community Foundation Highland Park, IL | General Operating Support | $11,250 |
| Salt Service and Learning Together Lake Forest, IL | General Operating Support | $10,750 |
Ready to take the next step with First Bank Chicago Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $16,784 | $452,613 | $457,739 | $451,856 | 144 | $453,576 | $253 | $17,044 |
| 2023 | $16,060 | $426,155 | $433,515 | $429,447 | 142 | $431,493 | — | $9,818 |
| 2022 | $23,420 | $450,149 | $492,401 | $486,075 | 154 | $489,373 | — | $9,326 |
| 2021 | $58,372 | $450,078 | $447,945 | $444,070 | 126 | $446,095 | — | $10,742 |
| 2020 | $48,089 | $490,582 | $456,264 | $453,779 | 1 | — | — | $3,084 |
| 2019 | $13,771 | $400,512 | $461,526 | $459,251 | 1 | — | — | $1,788 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, First Bank Chicago Foundation reported a distributable amount of $17K for 2024 — 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 grantees describe a range of activities: Bernie’s Book Bank distributes children’s books in underserved communities; College Bound Opportunities supports low-income, first-generation scholars; and the Northfield Township Food Pantry provides food assistance to township residents. These are grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 144 grants totaling $451,856. Awards ranged from $50 to $34,690, with a median grant of $1,000.
Among its largest 2024 grants were $34,690 to Community Partners for Affordable Housing, $29,050 to Harper College Educational Foundation, $25,000 to Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, $21,250 to Bernie’s Book Bank, and $20,000 each to Honest Game Foundation and Les Turner ALS Foundation. Each was listed as general operating support.
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Its filing specifies no application form and restricts contributions to exempt charitable, religious, educational, and scientific organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jill Takiff Hirsh as director and Randy Green as an officer.
First Bank Chicago Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jill Takiff Hirsh
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Randy Green
Officer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 First Bank Chicago Foundation
How much does First Bank Chicago Foundation give each year?
First Bank Chicago Foundation gave $452K across 144 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $429K across 142 grants.
What is First Bank Chicago Foundation's typical grant size?
First Bank Chicago Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $3,138, across 144 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does First Bank Chicago Foundation give grants?
First Bank Chicago Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (42 grants), Highland Park, IL (28 grants), Northbrook, IL (13 grants) and Skokie, IL (10 grants).
Does First Bank Chicago Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of First Bank Chicago Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (144 of 144) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are First Bank Chicago Foundation's largest grantees?
First Bank Chicago Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Community Partners for Affordable Housing ($34,690), Harper College Educational Foundation ($29,050) and IL Holocaust Museum and Education Center ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is First Bank Chicago Foundation?
First Bank Chicago Foundation reported $17K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $454K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $17K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does First Bank Chicago Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from First Bank Chicago Foundation?
Contact Jill Takiff Hirsch. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is First Bank Chicago Foundation's EIN?
First Bank Chicago Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3310459. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
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
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 1, 2020)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). First Bank Chicago Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/first-bank-chicago-foundation-morg_d8f91dd6dfaf4e6d97882d047978cba8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363310459_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{First Bank Chicago Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/first-bank-chicago-foundation-morg_d8f91dd6dfaf4e6d97882d047978cba8},
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 First Bank Chicago 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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