Helen V Brach Foundation
The Helen V Brach Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its filings report grantmaking activity in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
Helen V Brach Foundation at a glance
In short: Helen V Brach Foundation gave $6.8M across 1 grant in 2026 (avg $6.8M), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $6,849,120
- +15.4% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 1
- -99.8% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $6,849,120
- +63730.6% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $6,849,120
- Total assets
- $128,949,011
- +0.8% vs 2025
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Helen V Brach Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2025 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists an application form, available upon request, and names Joseph J Griseta as the contact for applications. Awards are restricted to organizations exempt under Section 501(c)(3).
- Review Cycle
- The filing lists December 31 for consideration in the year ending March 31.
- Deadline
- The filing lists December 31 for consideration in the year ending March 31.
- Contact
Application contact: Joseph J Griseta
Mailing address: 104 S Michigan Ave Suite 1310, Chicago, IL 60603
Phone: (312) 372-4471
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Helen V Brach Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
2,268 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 2,179 grants of 2,268 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2026 filing reports that 100% of its grant dollars went to Illinois. The single grant listed for that year is associated with Chicago, Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of the 2026 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.
States
Cities
How Helen V Brach Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2023 to 2026 (+0%). Method
- In 2026 it paid out 98% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $4.5M (2021) to $6.9M (2023). In 2026 it made 1 grant totaling $6.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| See Attached Detail Chicago, IL | See Attached Detail | $6,849,120 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $128,949,011 | $9,876,120 | $8,848,501 | $6,849,120 | 1 | $8,084,519 | $9,262,641 | $8,290,936 |
| 2025 | $127,921,392 | $17,155,097 | $7,670,064 | $5,933,773 | 553 | $6,983,278 | $16,618,310 | $7,740,557 |
| 2024 | $118,436,357 | $13,643,070 | $8,084,792 | $6,516,942 | 527 | $7,457,703 | $13,215,981 | $6,995,768 |
| 2023 | $112,878,083 | $2,664,272 | $8,259,937 | $6,876,250 | 586 | $7,822,001 | $3,055,526 | $6,894,384 |
| 2022 | $118,473,745 | $6,552,474 | $8,042,033 | $6,479,499 | 601 | $7,548,919 | $6,109,360 | $7,910,416 |
| 2021 | $119,963,308 | $12,430,151 | $6,038,238 | $4,505,237 | 561 | — | $12,022,320 | $6,801,581 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Helen V Brach Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8.3M for 2026 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated purposes also include charitable and literary activities. Its 2026 filing lists one grant to “See Attached Detail” in Chicago, with the purpose also recorded as “See Attached Detail”; it does not identify the recipient’s mission or a more specific funding area.
Grantmaking
For filing year 2025, the foundation reported $5,933,773 in grants across 553 grants. For 2026, it reported one grant totaling $6,849,120, listed to “See Attached Detail.” No typical award size or named grantees are identified in the information provided. Its 2026 filing, the latest on this page, reports 1 grant totaling $6.8 million.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists John J Sheridan, Charles A Vorhees, and Cherryl T Thomas as directors; R Matthew Simon as chief advisor; Mark T Simon and Stephanie Simon as members; Joseph J Griseta as associate director; and Virginia Groark Hale as a member.
Helen V Brach Foundation's 2026 filing lists 8 officers; all 8 officers listed in 2026 are compensated.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Charles A Vorhees
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$17K (2021) → $20K (2026)
Cherryl T Thomas
Director
Directoor → Director, 2026
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$17K (2021) → $20K (2026)
John J Sheridan
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$17K (2021) → $20K (2026)
Joseph J Griseta
Associate Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$99K (2021) → $116K (2026)
Mark T Simon
Member
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
$34K (2021) → $25K (2026)
R Matthew Simon
Chief Advisor
President & Member → Chief Advisor, 2026
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$235K (2021) → $660K (2026)
Stephanie Simon
Member
On filings since 2024
4 hrs/week
$25K (2024) → $25K (2026)
Virginia Groark Hale
Member
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
$15K (2024) → $20K (2026)
Former officers (3)
- Former: James J O'Connor (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Donald Senior CP The Congregati (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Raymond F Simon (2021–2023) — Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2026 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2026 filing was $660K, to R Matthew Simon (Chief Advisor). 8 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Helen V Brach Foundation
How much does Helen V Brach Foundation give each year?
Helen V Brach Foundation gave $6.8M across 1 grant in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $5.9M across 553 grants.
How large is Helen V Brach Foundation?
Helen V Brach Foundation reported $128.9M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $8.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $8.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Helen V Brach Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated purposes also include charitable and literary activities. Its 2026 filing lists one grant to “See Attached Detail” in Chicago, with the purpose also recorded as “See Attached Detail”; it does not identify the recipient’s mission or a more specific funding area. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Helen V Brach Foundation?
The foundation’s 2025 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does Helen V Brach Foundation make grants?
The foundation’s 2026 filing reports that 100% of its grant dollars went to Illinois. The single grant listed for that year is associated with Chicago, Illinois.
What is Helen V Brach Foundation's EIN?
Helen V Brach Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7376427. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2026.
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 2026 (received by the IRS August 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Helen V Brach Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Helen V Brach Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/helen-v-brach-foundation-morg_ca9a38615dbf4849ad2882fdb49bef04
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237376427_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Helen V Brach Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/helen-v-brach-foundation-morg_ca9a38615dbf4849ad2882fdb49bef04},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Helen V Brach 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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