Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc
Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in Illinois and other states, including organizations with religious, civic, and educational purposes.
Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc gave $200K across 53 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Illinois. 32% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $199,705
- +21.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 53
- -11.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,768
- +37.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $533,690
- -23.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (17 of 53, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (79% 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 Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc
- 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: 70 West Madison Street 5200, Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: (312) 977-4108
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Am Shalom ($43K). Together the top 10 received $157K.
Grant Size Distribution
255 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 251 grants of 255 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 79% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 12% to New York, 3% to Washington, DC, and 2% to California. The state or location was not identified for 4% of grant dollars.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 53 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 17 of 53 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $250 first-time, $509 repeat.
- 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+0%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 557% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $106K (2021) to $362K (2020). In 2025 it made 53 grants totaling $200K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Am Shalom Glencoe, IL | Religious | $43,170 |
| Jewish United Fund Chicago, IL | CIVIC | $30,000 |
| Museum of Contemporary Photography Chicago, IL | Educational | $21,000 |
| Anti-Defamation League New York, NY | CIVIC | $12,350 |
| Bayit Brigade America Chicago, IL | CIVIC | $10,000 |
| Hope Chicago Chicago, IL | Educational | $10,000 |
| Clearbrook Arlington Heights, IL | CIVIC | $9,500 |
| Montresso Art Foundation | Educational | $8,708 |
| The Art Center of Highland Park Highland Park, IL | Educational | $7,580 |
| US Holocaust Memorial Museum Washington, DC | Educational | $5,100 |
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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 | $533,690 | $58,949 | $218,761 | $199,705 | 53 | $199,705 | $45,869 | $35,863 |
| 2024 | $693,502 | $39,273 | $199,516 | $164,089 | 60 | $164,089 | $17,035 | $42,741 |
| 2023 | $853,745 | $17,879 | $204,233 | $169,536 | 51 | $169,536 | $5,661 | $47,048 |
| 2022 | $1,040,099 | $37,358 | $236,852 | $199,369 | 46 | $199,369 | $11,392 | $56,259 |
| 2021 | $1,239,593 | $221,270 | $147,999 | $106,364 | 45 | $106,364 | $98,971 | $62,115 |
| 2020 | $1,166,322 | $1,505,750 | $413,725 | $362,163 | 37 | — | $11,849 | $45,781 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $36K 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 reported 2025 grants include support for religious, civic, and educational purposes. The grantees’ own descriptions illustrate some of the work supported: Hope Chicago says it provides access to debt-free postsecondary education and related support; Clearbrook describes services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and the Anti-Defamation League describes its work fighting antisemitism and other forms of hate.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 53 grants totaling $199,705. Grants ranged from $35 to $43,170, with a median grant of $500.
Among the largest reported grants were $43,170 to Am Shalom for religious purposes, $30,000 to Jewish United Fund for civic purposes, $21,000 to the Museum of Contemporary Photography for educational purposes, and $12,350 to the Anti-Defamation League for civic purposes. Other recipients included Hope Chicago ($10,000), Clearbrook ($9,500), and the Art Center of Highland Park ($7,580).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Gary I Levenstein as director, chair, secretary, and treasurer.
Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc is led by Gary I. Levenstein, Director, Chair & Secretary Treasurer on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gary I. Levenstein
Director, Chair & Secretary Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
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 Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc
How much does Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc give each year?
Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc gave $200K across 53 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $164K across 60 grants.
What is Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $500, and its average grant was $3,768, across 53 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc that year got $1K on average.
Where does Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc give grants?
Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc gives mostly in Illinois: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (20 grants), New York, NY (9 grants), Highland Park, IL (3 grants) and Glencoe, IL (2 grants).
Does Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 53 grants with a stated purpose on Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Educational" (20 grants), "Medical" (13 grants) and "Civic" (13 grants).
Who are Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Am Shalom ($43,170), Jewish United Fund ($30,000) and Museum of Contemporary Photography ($21,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 47% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc?
Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc reported $534K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $200K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $36K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its reported 2025 grants include support for religious, civic, and educational purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc?
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 Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc's EIN?
Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-1467844. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc 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 May 21, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/jerrold-ruskin-foundation-inc-morg_5a10c0ff65094431afb1b177ff6e05b7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_831467844_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/jerrold-ruskin-foundation-inc-morg_5a10c0ff65094431afb1b177ff6e05b7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Jerrold Ruskin Foundation Inc'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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