Jacob Best Foundation
The Jacob Best Foundation is a private foundation based in Tampa, Florida. Its 2026 filing reports 36 grants totaling $244,000 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in housing, youth and family services, education, child protection, and poverty alleviation.
Jacob Best Foundation at a glance
In short: Jacob Best Foundation gave $244K across 36 grants in 2026 (avg $7K), top state Illinois. 19% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $244,000
- +9.9% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 36
- -7.7% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $6,778
- +19.1% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $6,000
- Total assets
- $4,118,446
- +7.9% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (7 of 36, 2026)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (27% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Jacob Best 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: 701 S Howard Ave Ste 106-392, Tampa, FL 33606
Phone: (813) 280-9948
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Jacob Best Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Metropolitan Ministeries ($25K). Together the top 10 received $122K.
Grant Size Distribution
182 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 182 grants of 182 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2026 grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Illinois (27%), Michigan (25%), California (22%), and Florida (19%), with 3% going to recipients in Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 36 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Jacob Best Foundation open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 7 of 36 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 78% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving grew 52% from 2023 to 2026. Method
- In 2026 it paid out 96% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2026). 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 2021 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $160K (2023) to $244K (2026). In 2026 it made 36 grants totaling $244K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Ministeries Tampa, FL | General Support | $25,000 |
| Steadfast LA Foundation San Rafael, CA | General Support | $25,000 |
| The Beaumont Foundationroyal Oak Cardia Rehab Enhancement Fund Royal Oak, MI | General Support | $10,000 |
| Ucan Chicago, IL | General Support | $10,000 |
| Brightpoint Chicago, IL | General Support | $10,000 |
| Academy Prep Center of Tampa Tampa, FL | General Support | $10,000 |
| Boy's Hopegirl's Hope of Chicago Wilmette, IL | General Support | $9,000 |
| Mary Lee's House Tampa, FL | General Support | $7,500 |
| Isaiah 177 (Hillsborough Chapter) Elizabethton, TN | General Support | $7,500 |
| Figure 1 Foundation Culver City, CA | General Support | $7,500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $4,118,446 | $557,751 | $287,944 | $244,000 | 36 | $246,090 | $525,341 | $257,397 |
| 2025 | $3,817,160 | $548,492 | $263,634 | $222,000 | 39 | $223,935 | $508,782 | $243,103 |
| 2024 | $3,534,677 | $232,520 | $238,438 | $206,800 | 35 | $208,587 | $202,096 | $226,575 |
| 2023 | $3,530,723 | $288,471 | $196,423 | $160,000 | 36 | $161,670 | $261,956 | $210,379 |
| 2022 | $3,438,675 | $311,703 | $240,602 | $200,000 | 36 | $201,721 | $279,682 | $237,922 |
| 2021 | $3,367,574 | $99,514 | $257,748 | $230,000 | 41 | — | $75,417 | $200,518 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Jacob Best Foundation reported a distributable amount of $257K for 2026 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2026 grants included support for organizations whose own missions address a range of needs. Metropolitan Ministries describes its work as serving people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. UCAN focuses on building strong youth and families through healing, education, and empowerment. Academy Prep Center of Tampa describes its mission as supporting students through a rigorous middle school program and ongoing graduate support, while Mary Lee’s House serves victims of child abuse and neglect through a child protection and advocacy center.
Other 2026 grantees describe work in poverty alleviation and community building, trauma-informed services, adoption assistance, and residential education. These include Lighthouse of Oakland County, Lawrence Hall, Gift of Adoption Fund, and Glenwood Academy.
Grantmaking
In 2026, the foundation reported 36 grants totaling $244,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $25,000, with a median of $6,000. Among the largest reported grants were $25,000 each to Metropolitan Ministries in Tampa and Steadfast LA Foundation in San Rafael, California. Other grants included $10,000 to UCAN and Brightpoint in Chicago, $10,000 to Academy Prep Center of Tampa, and $7,500 to Mary Lee’s House in Tampa.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Thomas S Bridges as treasurer and director, Bryan Best as secretary and director, Thilo D Best as president and director, and Peter Best as director.
Jacob Best Foundation is led by Thilo D. Best, President & Director on every filing since 2021; none of the 4 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Thilo D. Best
President & Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Bryan Best
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Peter Best
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Thomas S. Bridges
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Jacob Best Foundation
How much does Jacob Best Foundation give each year?
Jacob Best Foundation gave $244K across 36 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $222K across 39 grants.
What is Jacob Best Foundation's typical grant size?
Jacob Best Foundation's median grant in 2026 was $6,000, and its average grant was $6,778, across 36 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Jacob Best Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does Jacob Best Foundation give grants?
Jacob Best Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 27% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Michigan (25%) and California (22%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (6 grants), Tampa, FL (4 grants), Detroit, MI (4 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (4 grants).
Does Jacob Best Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Jacob Best Foundation's 2026 grants with a stated purpose (36 of 36) were for general or operating support, per its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Jacob Best Foundation's largest grantees?
Jacob Best Foundation's largest 2026 grantees include Metropolitan Ministeries ($25,000), Steadfast LA Foundation ($25,000) and The Beaumont Foundationroyal Oak Cardia Rehab Enhancement Fund ($10,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Jacob Best Foundation?
Jacob Best Foundation reported $4.1M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $246K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $257K (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 Jacob Best Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2026 grants included support for organizations whose own missions address a range of needs. Metropolitan Ministries describes its work as serving people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Jacob Best 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 Jacob Best Foundation's EIN?
Jacob Best Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6052049. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2026.
Does Jacob Best 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS August 19, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Jacob Best Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Jacob Best Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/jacob-best-foundation-morg_0c5ee35ebf2a43ff9b0b1d3076c853d2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366052049_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Jacob Best Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/jacob-best-foundation-morg_0c5ee35ebf2a43ff9b0b1d3076c853d2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Jacob Best 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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