John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found
The John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Foundation is a private independent foundation established in 2007 and based in Chicago, Illinois. It operates as a 501(c)(3) organization designated for philanthropic, charitable, and grantmaking purposes. The foundation was founded by John Bucksbaum, a real estate entrepreneur who served as chairman and CEO of General Growth Properties and later founded Bucksbaum Retail Properties, and his wife Jacolyn, who has a background in the motion picture industry.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.1M
-33.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$989K
-44.8% YoY
Grant Count
127
+58.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$8K
-65.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation focuses on:
- Early childhood development
- Jewish education
- Excellence in sports
- Arts and civic organizations
- K-12 and higher education
- Health and disease prevention
The foundation maintains a low public profile and does not operate a website, which limits publicly available information on its specific grantmaking strategies and priorities.
Grantmaking
The foundation does not maintain a website or provide readily available contact information for grant applications, making it difficult for grantseekers to access formal application procedures. Networking may be necessary to reach the foundation.
Grant Range
$150,000 to $825,000
Average Grant
amount: approximately $78,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports organizations across 20 U.S. states, with particular emphasis on:
- Illinois (especially Chicago)
- Colorado (especially Aspen)
- New York
Additional states supported include: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and others.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $3.07 million
- Revenue: $328,000
- Expenses: $1 million
- Total Liabilities: $50,000
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $4.6 million
- Total Giving: $1.8 million
- Total Revenue: $424,763
- Total Expenses: $740,357
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,067,457 | $4,612,766 | $5,988,194 |
| Revenue | $328,328 | $424,763 | $2,461,879 |
| Expenses | $1,000,137 | $740,357 | $4,083,063 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $988,826 | $1,792,945 | $2,412,202 |
| Net Investment Income | $323,995 | $419,990 | $276,617 |
| Distributable Amount | $234,099 | $292,277 | $293,048 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
202 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- John Bucksbaum – President and Director (unpaid)
- Jacolyn Bucksbaum – Vice President and Director (unpaid)
- E. Michael Greaves – Director (unpaid)
- Robert Trattner – Treasurer and Secretary (unpaid)
Board Background: Jacolyn Bucksbaum serves on the boards of the Latin School of Chicago, Chicago International Film Festival, and the Society for Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago. She is co-founder of The Focus Foundation. The foundation board operates without paid staff or compensation to directors.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN BUCKSBAUM | PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JACOLYN BUCKSBAUM | VICE PRESIENT/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| E MICHAEL GREAVES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ROBERT TRATTNER | TREASURER/SECRETARY | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In February 2024, the Bucksbaum family made a transformational $25 million gift to the Art Institute of Chicago, designated for photography and media curation. This represented the institution's largest-ever gift for photography and media collection, supporting the creation of a new photography hub at the museum.
$25 million gift from Jackolyn Bucksbaum and family to art institute \u2013\Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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