James & Minerva Weiss Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Bannockburn, IL EIN: 36-6153191

James & Minerva Weiss Foundation is a private foundation, based in Bannockburn, IL. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $698K in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 4 grants totaling $30K. Net investment income was $57K.

James & Minerva Weiss Foundation at a glance

In short: James & Minerva Weiss Foundation gave $30K across 4 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$30,000
Grants made (2025)
4
Average grant
$7,500
Median grant
$8,500
Total assets
$698,346
-9.8% vs 2024
Primary geography
Illinois (60% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.

Who James & Minerva Weiss Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 4 recipients in 2025

Bleeding Disorders Alliance Illinois: $12KBleeding Disorders AllianceIllinois$12KNational Multiple Sclerosis Society: $12KNational Multiple SclerosisSociety$12KChicago Symphony Orchestra: $5KChicago Symphony Orchestra$5KKol Hadash Humanistic Congregation: $1KKol Hadash HumanisticCongregation$1K

The largest 2025 recipient was Bleeding Disorders Alliance Illinois ($12K). Together the top 4 received $30K.

Grant Size Distribution

48 grants across all recorded years

48<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 48 grants of 48 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

6states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 4 itemized grants.

Cities

ChicagoNew YorkHighland ParkLincolnshireFarmington HillsMontgomeryWashingtonBrooklineDeerfield

How James & Minerva Weiss Foundation gives

  • Giving fell 45% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 75% 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

$0$20K$40K$60K20 grants2019 21 grants2020 21 grants2021 18 grants2022 5 grants2023 0 grants2024 4 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $30K (2025) to $60K (2020). In 2025 it made 4 grants totaling $30K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Bleeding Disorders Alliance Illinois Chicago, ILGeneral Support$12,000
National Multiple Sclerosis Society New York, NYGeneral Support$12,000
Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chicago, ILGeneral Support$5,000
Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation Deerfield, ILGeneral Support$1,000
Your AI grants department

Ready to take the next step with James & Minerva Weiss Foundation?

Fully replaces Grant database subscriptions Instrumentl · Foundation Directory · GrantStation & similar

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$698,346$58,539$31,948$30,0004$30,260$56,881$40,425
2024$774,001$-8,061$4,962——$2,913—$37,778
2023$760,117$6,941$48,944$42,0005$43,950$5,002$37,426
2022$849,564$104,169$59,529$54,60018$56,350$102,489$40,279
2021$835,039$35,698$63,558$59,37521—$33,495$40,770
2020$834,322$31,338$62,684$59,60021—$29,434$41,519
2019$863,659$34,035$65,830$59,35020—$31,131$44,161

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, James & Minerva Weiss Foundation reported a distributable amount of $40K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

James & Minerva Weiss Foundation is led by Gene Weiss, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Gene Weiss

    President

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Eldon Ham

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Nan Weiss-Ham

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Sharyn Weiss

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 James & Minerva Weiss Foundation

How much does James & Minerva Weiss Foundation give each year?

James & Minerva Weiss Foundation gave $30K across 4 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

What is James & Minerva Weiss Foundation's typical grant size?

James & Minerva Weiss Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $8,500, and its average grant was $7,500, across 4 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does James & Minerva Weiss Foundation give grants?

James & Minerva Weiss Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (40%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (2 grants).

Does James & Minerva Weiss Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of James & Minerva Weiss Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 4) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

How large is James & Minerva Weiss Foundation?

James & Minerva Weiss Foundation reported $698K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $30K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $40K (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 is James & Minerva Weiss Foundation's EIN?

James & Minerva Weiss Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6153191. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.

Data update history

(8)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 11, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 4, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 31, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 27, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 26, 2024)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 25, 2025)
  7. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 11, 2026)
  8. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in James & Minerva Weiss Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database

Similar Funders

Funders that support many of the same organizations

Sol & Hilda Furst Foundation

Huntington, NY

The foundation supports a range of charitable causes, including services for older adults and people in need, hunger relief, poverty, health, and the environment, with most funding going to New York organizations. Its 2025 grants ranged from $80 to $31,550, with a median of $1,000. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.

Assets

$397K

Grants

11

Total Given

$44K

Howard and Sheila Pizer Charitable Found

Winnetka, IL

Assets

$165K

Grants

26

Total Given

$11K

Alpert Family Foundation II

Port Washington, NY

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$269K

Grants

30

Total Given

$24K

Gannett Foundation Inc

New York, NY

Gannett Foundation’s 2025 grants supported a range of organizations, with listed awards generally between $1,500 and $2,500, though the available figures do not establish a typical grant size or geographic focus. The foundation has wound down: its 2026 filing reports no grants or assets, and no current application process or acceptance of unsolicited requests is stated.

Assets

—

Grants

32

Total Given

$65K

The Stare Fund

Boston, MA

The Stare Fund supports arts and music, education, universities, social services, and community organizations. In 2025, its 46 grants ranged from $1,000 to $105,047, with a median of $7,000; recipients were across the U.S., with the largest shares going to Illinois and California. It gives only to preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.

Assets

$14.0M

Grants

46

Total Given

$585K

Yaris Family Foundation

Maplewood, NJ

Assets

$1.5M

Grants

50

Total Given

$100K

More similar funders

More Funders in Illinois

The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from James & Minerva Weiss 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.

James & Minerva Weiss Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?

Want AI to do this for you?