Jahns Family Foundation
Jahns Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in education, conservation, arts, and welfare, including organizations in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Illinois, California, and Virginia.
Jahns Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Jahns Family Foundation gave $24K across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $851.071), top state Wisconsin. 39% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $23,830
- +133.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- +12.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $851
- +108.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $175
- Total assets
- $78,579
- +10.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 39% first-time grantees (11 of 28, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (38% 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 Jahns Family 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: 55 West Delaware Place Suite 1020, Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: (312) 919-8819
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Jahns Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Smith College ($8K). Together the top 10 received $21K.
Grant Size Distribution
129 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 128 grants of 129 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to organizations in Wisconsin (38%), Massachusetts (34%), Illinois (14%), California (9%), and Virginia (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Jahns Family Foundation open to new grantees?
39%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 28 grantees (39%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $500; repeat grants $1K. How we count
Medians: $250 first-time, $150 repeat.
- 46% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 84% 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 (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 $10K (2024) to $67K (2021). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $24K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Smith College Northampton, MA | Education | $8,000 |
| Driftless Area Land Conservancy Dodgeville, WI | Conservation | $5,500 |
| Coral Reef Alliance San Fransico, CA | Conservation | $2,000 |
| Chicago Architecture Foundation Chicago, IL | ARTS | $1,500 |
| Caxton Club Chicago, IL | Education | $1,000 |
| Reef Residence Fairfax, VA | Conservation | $1,000 |
| Wisonsin Public Radio Madison, WI | Education | $1,000 |
| Sauk Prairie Conservative Baraboo, WI | Conservation | $600 |
| American Players Theatre Spring Green, WI | ARTS | $500 |
| Second Harvest Madison, WI | Welfare | $300 |
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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 | $78,579 | $31,979 | $24,425 | $23,830 | 28 | $23,830 | $7,232 | $28,416 |
| 2024 | $71,025 | $25,541 | $11,077 | $10,200 | 25 | $10,200 | $5,623 | $23,832 |
| 2023 | $67,452 | $27,298 | $20,278 | $19,750 | 30 | $19,750 | $4,472 | $16,131 |
| 2021 | $131,204 | $160,263 | $67,981 | $67,418 | 23 | $67,418 | $3,280 | $12,454 |
| 2020 | $39,422 | $37,202 | $28,366 | $28,310 | 23 | — | $9,918 | $5,674 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Jahns Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $28K 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 include education, conservation, arts, and welfare. Among its grantees, Driftless Area Land Conservancy says its mission is to protect and restore southwest Wisconsin’s natural and agricultural landscape and connect people to the land and each other. Chicago Architecture Foundation says it aims to inspire people to discover why design matters, while Caxton Club describes its work as promoting and studying the arts and technologies related to printed books and other textual objects. Shake Rag Alley says it provides arts education and works to preserve historic buildings and its campus.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 28 grants totaling $23,830. Grants ranged from $75 to $8,000, with a median of $175. Notable awards included $8,000 to Smith College for education, $5,500 to Driftless Area Land Conservancy for conservation, $2,000 to Coral Reef Alliance for conservation, and $1,500 to Chicago Architecture Foundation for arts.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jeffrey Jahns as President/Trustee, Jill Jahns as Vice President/Trustee, and Ana Jahns as Trustee.
Jahns Family Foundation is led by Jeffrey Jahns, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jeffrey Jahns
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Ana Jahns
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jill Jahns
Vice President Trustee
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.
Frequently asked questions about Jahns Family Foundation
How much does Jahns Family Foundation give each year?
Jahns Family Foundation gave $24K across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $10K across 25 grants.
What is Jahns Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Jahns Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $175, and its average grant was $851, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Jahns Family Foundation that year got $500 on average.
Where does Jahns Family Foundation give grants?
Jahns Family Foundation's top state is Wisconsin, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Massachusetts (34%) and Illinois (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (8 grants), Madison, WI (4 grants), Spring Green, WI (3 grants) and Baraboo, WI (2 grants).
Does Jahns Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 28 grants with a stated purpose on Jahns Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Conservation" (11 grants), "Arts" (7 grants) and "Education" (5 grants).
Who are Jahns Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Jahns Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Smith College ($8,000), Driftless Area Land Conservancy ($5,500) and Coral Reef Alliance ($2,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 65% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Jahns Family Foundation?
Jahns Family Foundation reported $79K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $24K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $28K (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 Jahns Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include education, conservation, arts, and welfare. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Jahns Family 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 Jahns Family Foundation's EIN?
Jahns Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3934222. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Jahns Family 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 8, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS December 18, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 29, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 22, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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