Jahn Foundation
Jahn Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2024 filing reports 14 grants totaling $83,745, with most grant dollars going to recipients in Illinois.
Jahn Foundation at a glance
In short: Jahn Foundation gave $84K across 14 grants in 2024 (avg $6K), mostly in Illinois. 50% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $83,745
- -9.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 14
- -12.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $5,982
- +3.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,850
- Total assets
- $286,197
- +1.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (7 of 14, 2024; small sample)
- 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. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Jahn Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists Evan Jahn as the contact and says to submit a written application including the organization’s name, address, and exempt purpose. Restrictions on awards are listed as N/A.
- Contact
Application contact: Evan Jahn
Mailing address: 410 N Michigan Avenue Suite 600, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 427-7300
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Jahn Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Chicago City Day School ($40K). Together the top 10 received $82K.
Grant Size Distribution
74 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 74 grants of 74 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 98% of grant dollars went to Illinois recipients and 1% to Maryland recipients; the filing lists 1% for an unspecified state. New York and Wisconsin each account for less than 1% in the state distribution. The listed grants include recipients in Chicago, Illinois, as well as an award to an organization in Ghent, New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Jahn Foundation open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 14 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $5K repeat.
- 36% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 113% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 113% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $39K (2021) to $93K (2023). In 2024 it made 14 grants totaling $84K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago City Day School Chicago, IL | Support General Operations | $39,875 |
| AIA Chicago Chicago, IL | Support General Operations | $10,500 |
| Lincoln Park Conservancy Chicago, IL | Support General Operations | $9,250 |
| Landmarks Illinois Chicago, IL | Support General Operations | $6,000 |
| Chicago Architecture Foundation Chicago, IL | Support General Operations | $5,000 |
| Facets Multi-Media Chicago, IL | Support General Operations | $5,000 |
| St Chrysostom's Episcopal Church Chicago, IL | Support General Operations | $4,500 |
| Window to the World Communications Inc Chicago, IL | Support General Operations | $1,200 |
| Epilepsy Foundation Bowie, MD | Support General Operations | $500 |
| Fondation Le Corbusier | Support General Operations | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $286,197 | $98,868 | $95,885 | $83,745 | 14 | $84,870 | $87,855 | $75,122 |
| 2023 | $283,214 | $44,006 | $105,812 | $92,705 | 16 | $94,705 | $33,467 | $63,896 |
| 2022 | $332,102 | $15,464 | $63,836 | $47,376 | 16 | $49,251 | $4,550 | $63,603 |
| 2021 | $380,474 | $22,673 | $53,838 | $39,235 | 17 | $40,925 | $11,615 | $70,553 |
| 2020 | $405,216 | $74,581 | $72,755 | $61,513 | 11 | — | $66,029 | $52,586 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Jahn Foundation reported a distributable amount of $75K 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 2024 grants went to organizations whose stated missions include preparing students for a changing society (Chicago City Day School), educating and supporting architects (AIA Chicago), and preserving and enhancing Lincoln Park (Lincoln Park Conservancy). Other grantees include organizations focused on architecture and design, public media, arts, and other activities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave 14 grants totaling $83,745. Awards ranged from $250 to $39,875, with a median grant of $2,850. The largest grants were $39,875 to Chicago City Day School, $10,500 to AIA Chicago, $9,250 to Lincoln Park Conservancy, $6,000 to Landmarks Illinois, and $5,000 each to Chicago Architecture Foundation and Facets Multi-Media. Each grant’s listed purpose was support for general operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Evan Jahn as president and director, Deborah Jahn as director, and Robert Danko as treasurer and secretary.
Jahn Foundation is led by Evan Jahn, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Evan Jahn
President & Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Deborah Jahn
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Danko
Treasurer & Secretary
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Arthur Herbstman (2020–2021) — Treasurer & Secretary
- Former: Helmut Jahn (2020–2021) — Director · Filing note: Deceased
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Jahn Foundation
How much does Jahn Foundation give each year?
Jahn Foundation gave $84K across 14 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $93K across 16 grants.
What is Jahn Foundation's typical grant size?
Jahn Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,850, and its average grant was $5,982, across 14 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Jahn Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Jahn Foundation give grants?
Jahn 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 (10 grants).
Does Jahn Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Jahn Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Jahn Foundation's largest grantees?
Jahn Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Chicago City Day School ($39,875), AIA Chicago ($10,500) and Lincoln Park Conservancy ($9,250), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 71% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Jahn Foundation?
Jahn Foundation reported $286K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $85K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $75K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Jahn Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Jahn Foundation?
The filing lists Evan Jahn as the contact and says to submit a written application including the organization’s name, address, and exempt purpose. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Jahn Foundation's EIN?
Jahn Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3882051. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Jahn Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/jahn-foundation-morg_cdb0e472ad3c462c9ece062f17868c2a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_263882051_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Jahn Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/jahn-foundation-morg_cdb0e472ad3c462c9ece062f17868c2a},
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 Jahn 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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