George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation
The George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 filing lists grants to organizations including Jewish communal, educational, cultural, and Holocaust-related organizations.
George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation at a glance
In short: George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation gave $250K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), mostly in Illinois. 16% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $250,000
- +4.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- +5.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $13,158
- -1.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,500
- Total assets
- $3,479,928
- +1.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (3 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (57% 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 George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Requests should be submitted in writing to Jeffrey Rubenstein. The filing lists no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Jeffrey Rubenstein
Mailing address: 191 N Wacker Drive Ste 1800, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 521-2435
Email: jrubenstein@muchlaw.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Anti-Defamation League ($30K). Together the top 10 received $185K.
Grant Size Distribution
87 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 86 grants of 87 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois (57%), New York (17%), the District of Columbia (8%), Pennsylvania (6%), and Michigan (6%), among other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 19 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $13K repeat.
- 84% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 131% 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 $155K (2020) to $270K (2022). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $250K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Defamation League Chicago, IL | Discretionary Use by Receiving Organization | $30,000 |
| Jewish National Fund Northbrook, IL | Discretionary Use by Receiving Organization | $25,000 |
| WTTW Chicago, IL | Discretionary Use by Receiving Organization | $25,000 |
| Friends of IDF Chicago, IL | Discretionary Use by Receiving Organization | $20,000 |
| American Jewish Committee Philadelphia, PA | Discretionary Use by Receiving Organization | $15,000 |
| Michigan Hillel Ann Arbor, MI | Discretionary Use by Receiving Organization | $15,000 |
| University of Wisconsin Hillel Foundation Madison, WI | Discretionary Use by Receiving Organization | $15,000 |
| US Holocaust Memorial Museum Washington, DC | Discretionary Use by Receiving Organization | $15,000 |
| Friends of Elnet New York, NY | Discretionary Use by Receiving Organization | $12,500 |
| The Ark Chicago, IL | Discretionary Use by Receiving Organization | $12,500 |
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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 | $3,479,928 | $353,647 | $287,365 | $250,000 | 19 | $254,896 | $321,174 | $194,219 |
| 2024 | $3,428,314 | $180,621 | $279,330 | $240,000 | 18 | $244,958 | $144,528 | $190,921 |
| 2023 | $3,526,732 | $65,836 | $239,380 | $210,000 | 15 | $212,457 | $51,263 | $175,728 |
| 2022 | $3,700,276 | $-218,522 | $325,835 | $270,000 | 17 | $272,607 | $22,048 | $184,518 |
| 2021 | $4,244,633 | $1,450,736 | $230,896 | $195,000 | 18 | $202,904 | $1,421,843 | $172,816 |
| 2020 | $3,024,793 | $99,389 | $181,388 | $155,000 | 15 | — | $83,462 | $171,646 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation reported a distributable amount of $194K 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 a range of organizations. For example, The Ark describes its mission as helping Chicagoland Jews facing adversity move toward self-reliance through free services grounded in Jewish values and laws. World ORT says it seeks to inform American Jewish nonprofit and religious organizations about charitable organizations and programs run or supported by World ORT internationally. Yeshiva University describes itself as providing education, training, research, and clinical programs.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 19 grants totaling $250,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $30,000, with a median of $12,500. Among the largest were $30,000 to the Anti-Defamation League; $25,000 each to Jewish National Fund and WTTW; and $20,000 to Friends of IDF. Other listed grants included $15,000 each to the American Jewish Committee, Michigan Hillel, University of Wisconsin Hillel Foundation, and US Holocaust Memorial Museum. The Ark received $12,500, and World ORT received $10,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jeffrey Rubenstein as president, Norman Bobins as treasurer, Howard M. Cohen as secretary, and Richard Wexler as assistant secretary.
George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation is led by Jeffrey Rubenstein, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jeffrey Rubenstein
President
On filings since 2020
15 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Howard M. Cohen
Secretary
On filings since 2020
15 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Norman Bobins
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
15 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard Wexler
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
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 George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation
How much does George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation give each year?
George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation gave $250K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $240K across 18 grants.
What is George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation's typical grant size?
George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $12,500, and its average grant was $13,158, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation give grants?
George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (17%) and District of Columbia (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (7 grants), New York, NY (5 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Discretionary Use by Receiving Organization" (19 grants).
Who are George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation's largest grantees?
George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Anti-Defamation League ($30,000), Jewish National Fund ($25,000) and WTTW ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation?
George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation reported $3.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $255K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $194K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, The Ark describes its mission as helping Chicagoland Jews facing adversity move toward self-reliance through free services grounded in Jewish values and laws. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation?
The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation's EIN?
George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4267872. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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 June 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 28, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/george-and-sarah-ohlhausen-foundation-morg_b83300e32ca64e6fadc6a3065de0c6e3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364267872_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{George and Sarah Ohlhausen Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/george-and-sarah-ohlhausen-foundation-morg_b83300e32ca64e6fadc6a3065de0c6e3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 George and Sarah Ohlhausen 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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