Gurtz Family Foundation
Gurtz Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, primarily in Illinois, including organizations working in health care, education, human services, and animal welfare.
Key facts about Gurtz Family Foundation
In short: Gurtz Family Foundation gave $620K across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $22K), mostly in Illinois. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 26-0173765
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $620,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- Average grant
- $22,143
- Median grant
- $15,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (4 of 28, 2025)
- Total assets
- $9,994,962
- Primary geography
- Illinois (85% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$10.0M
+3.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$620K
+25.3% YoY
Grant Count
28
+16.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$22K
+7.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gurtz Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $618K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Gurtz Family Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 28 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 86% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 55% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 118% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. Saturday Place says it provides reading and math tutoring to Chicago Public Schools students in third and fourth grade who are behind state standards. HFS Chicago Scholars says it supports the educational aspirations of economically disadvantaged, academically motivated Chicago youth through scholarships and related school-cost assistance. The Anti-Cruelty Society describes its work as building a community where pets and people thrive together; PAWS Chicago describes itself as a no-kill animal welfare organization. The Ark says it helps Chicagoland Jews facing adversity move toward self-reliance.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $620,000 through 28 grants. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $75,000, with a median of $15,000. Notable awards included $75,000 to Northwestern Memorial Foundation; $50,000 each to Lurie Children’s Hospital Foundation, St. Jude Hospital, and Zacharias Center; and $40,000 each to Feldman Family Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Ronald McDonald House. Other recipients included Saturday Place ($25,000), HFS Chicago Scholars ($20,000), the Anti-Cruelty Society ($15,000), the American Heart Association ($10,000), PAWS Chicago ($10,000), and The Ark ($5,000).
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 85% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois. Recipients in Tennessee received 8%, Wisconsin 3%, Texas 2%, and New York 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $400K (2022) to $620K (2025). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $620K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Northwestern Memorial Foundation ($75K). Together the top 10 received $415K.
Grant Size Distribution
118 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 104 grants of 118 (88%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Memorial Foundation Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose Operations | $75,000 |
| Lurie Childrens Hospital Fdn Carol Stream, IL | Exempt Purpose Operations | $50,000 |
| St Jude Hospital Memphis, TN | Exempt Purpose Operations | $50,000 |
| Zacharias Center Gurnee, IL | Exempt Purpose Operations | $50,000 |
| Feldman Family Foundation Lake Forest, IL | Exempt Purpose Operations | $40,000 |
| Make-a-Wish Foundation Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose Operations | $40,000 |
| Ronald McDonald House Oak Brook, IL | Exempt Purpose Operations | $40,000 |
| Rory David Deutch Foundation Highland Park, IL | Exempt Purpose Operations | $25,000 |
| Saturday Place Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose Operations | $25,000 |
| Charlie Project Dog Rescue Twin Lakes, WI | Exempt Purpose Operations | $20,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $9,994,962 | $1,104,336 | $733,106 | $620,000 |
| 2024 | $9,623,732 | $1,073,470 | $601,287 | $495,000 |
| 2023 | $9,151,549 | $569,830 | $490,693 | $400,000 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $9,994,962 | $9,623,732 | $9,151,549 |
| Revenue | $1,104,336 | $1,073,470 | $569,830 |
| Expenses | $733,106 | $601,287 | $490,693 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $728,588 | $596,790 | $443,107 |
| Net Investment Income | $207,392 | $199,101 | $195,532 |
| Distributable Amount | $618,157 | $578,776 | $510,563 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 16, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Frank L. Gurtz as president and Tracy A. Robinson as director.
Gurtz Family Foundation is led by Frank L. Gurtz, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Frank L. Gurtz
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Tracy A. Robinson
Director
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 77 West Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
Phone: (847) 734-2400
Frequently asked questions about Gurtz Family Foundation
How much does Gurtz Family Foundation give each year?
Gurtz Family Foundation gave $620K across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $495K across 24 grants.
What is Gurtz Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Gurtz Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $22,143, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Gurtz Family Foundation that year got $13K on average.
Where does Gurtz Family Foundation give grants?
Gurtz Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Tennessee (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (13 grants) and Highland Park, IL (3 grants).
Who are Gurtz Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Gurtz Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Northwestern Memorial Foundation ($75,000), Lurie Childrens Hospital Fdn ($50,000) and St Jude Hospital ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Gurtz Family Foundation?
Gurtz Family Foundation reported $10.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $729K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $618K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Gurtz Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. Saturday Place says it provides reading and math tutoring to Chicago Public Schools students in third and fourth grade who are behind state standards. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gurtz Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Gurtz Family Foundation's EIN?
Gurtz Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-0173765. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Gurtz Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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