James G Hart Foundation
The James G Hart Foundation is a private foundation based in Wadsworth, Illinois. In its 2025 filing, it reported making 73 grants totaling $857,500 to charitable organizations.
James G Hart Foundation at a glance
In short: James G Hart Foundation gave $858K across 73 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), top state New York. 5% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $857,500
- +1.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 73
- +1.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $11,747
- +0.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $14,304,212
- +0.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (4 of 73, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (48% 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 James G Hart Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 15541 W Illinois Route 173, Wadsworth, IL 60083-9469
Phone: (847) 599-1717
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who James G Hart Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Women Make Movies ($225K). Together the top 10 received $658K.
Grant Size Distribution
314 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 290 grants of 314 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipient states accounted for the following shares of grant dollars: New York, 48%; Illinois, 13%; Louisiana, 12%; District of Columbia, 10%; and Massachusetts, 9%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 73 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is James G Hart Foundation open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 73 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 93% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 87% 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 $231K (2020) to $858K (2025). In 2025 it made 73 grants totaling $858K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Women Make Movies New York, NY | General Fund | $225,000 |
| Tulane University New Orleans, LA | General Fund | $100,000 |
| Committee to Protect Journalists New York, NY | General Fund | $75,000 |
| Frontline Journalism Fund Boston, MA | General Fund | $60,000 |
| Old Town School of Folk Music Chicago, IL | General Fund | $60,000 |
| Institute for Music & Neurologic Function Bronx, NY | General Fund | $50,000 |
| Project on Government Oversight Washington, DC | General Fund | $25,000 |
| US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Washington, DC | General Fund | $25,000 |
| International Rescue Committee New York, NY | General Fund | $20,000 |
| Wuwm Milwaukee Public Radio Milwaukee, WI | General Fund | $17,500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $14,304,212 | $1,088,099 | $978,908 | $857,500 | 73 | $887,891 | $1,026,263 | $1,025,575 |
| 2024 | $14,195,021 | $3,084,578 | $925,912 | $842,000 | 72 | $867,414 | $1,930,453 | $894,581 |
| 2023 | $12,036,355 | $730,465 | $826,397 | $756,000 | 70 | $776,313 | $686,910 | $821,257 |
| 2022 | $12,132,287 | $551,124 | $925,378 | $840,500 | 50 | $877,646 | $506,902 | $823,415 |
| 2021 | $12,506,541 | $1,538,428 | $405,397 | $351,500 | 49 | $364,679 | $561,097 | $824,135 |
| 2020 | $11,373,510 | $320,014 | $307,118 | $231,000 | 32 | — | $307,510 | $682,933 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, James G Hart Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.0M 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 formal mission statement for the foundation is stated in the available information. Its grants support organizations with varied missions. For example, Women Make Movies describes its work as facilitating the production, promotion, distribution, and exhibition of independent films by and about women. The Committee to Protect Journalists says it promotes press freedom worldwide and defends journalists’ ability to report safely. Old Town School of Folk Music says it teaches and celebrates music and cultural expressions rooted in diverse American and global communities.
Other supported organizations describe work in government accountability, humanitarian response, human rights, and documentary filmmaking. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not stated missions of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 73 grants totaling $857,500. Grants ranged from $500 to $225,000, with a median of $2,500. The largest listed grants included $225,000 to Women Make Movies, $100,000 to Tulane University, $75,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists, and $60,000 each to Frontline Journalism Fund and Old Town School of Folk Music. These grants were listed for general fund purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists James G Hart as president and treasurer/director, Carol Ann Vretta as director, and Rockney W Hudson as secretary/director.
James G Hart Foundation is led by James G. Hart, President, Treasurer & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James G. Hart
President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Carol Ann Vretta
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Rockney W. Hudson
Secretary & Director
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 James G Hart Foundation
How much does James G Hart Foundation give each year?
James G Hart Foundation gave $858K across 73 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $842K across 72 grants.
What is James G Hart Foundation's typical grant size?
James G Hart Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $11,747, across 73 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from James G Hart Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does James G Hart Foundation give grants?
James G Hart Foundation's top state is New York, with 48% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Illinois (13%) and Louisiana (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (13 grants), Chicago, IL (11 grants), New York, NY (10 grants) and Boston, MA (5 grants).
Does James G Hart Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of James G Hart Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (73 of 73) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are James G Hart Foundation's largest grantees?
James G Hart Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Women Make Movies ($225,000), Tulane University ($100,000) and Committee to Protect Journalists ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 47% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is James G Hart Foundation?
James G Hart Foundation reported $14.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $888K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.0M (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 James G Hart Foundation fund?
No formal mission statement for the foundation is stated in the available information. Its grants support organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from James G Hart Foundation?
The foundation 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 James G Hart Foundation's EIN?
James G Hart Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-0254015. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does James G Hart 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 23, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). James G Hart Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/james-g-hart-foundation-morg_b2dff5646b9249e9b6ca49d49c5f715c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_200254015_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{James G Hart Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/james-g-hart-foundation-morg_b2dff5646b9249e9b6ca49d49c5f715c},
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 James G Hart 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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