John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found
The John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in health, education, Jewish life, cycling, skiing, and environmental education.
Key facts about John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found
In short: John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found gave $2.0M across 134 grants in 2025 (avg $15K), top state Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 26-0450497
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,007,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 134
- Average grant
- $14,978
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $32,338,917
- Primary geography
- Illinois (43% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- 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. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$32.3M
+954.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.0M
+103.0% YoY
Grant Count
134
+5.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$15K
+92.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found reported a distributable amount of $1.4M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found gives
- 70% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−17%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 147% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, The Focus Foundation says it works to improve awareness, identification, understanding, and treatment of children with apraxia, dyslexia, and sex chromosome disorders, and to foster related scientific research. PeopleForBikes Foundation says its vision is to make America the best place in the world to ride a bicycle. Aspen Center for Environmental Studies says it aims to inspire a lifelong commitment to the Earth through programming for all ages.
Other 2024 grantees include the American Jewish Committee, which says it works to enhance the wellbeing of the Jewish people and Israel and advance human rights and democratic values; Moadon Kol Chadash, which describes itself as an educational center for Jewish living, Hebrew language, and connection to Israel; and Teach for America, which says it finds, develops, and supports leaders to teach underserved students.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 127 grants totaling $988,800. Grants ranged from $100 to $200,000, with a median grant of $2,500. Among the largest were $200,000 to The Focus Foundation, $101,000 to Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club, $50,000 to the American Jewish Committee, and $35,000 each to The Field Museum and USA Cycling Foundation.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to organizations in Colorado (33%), Illinois (27%), Maryland (20%), and New York (13%). California received 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 134 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $989K (2024) to $2.4M (2022). In 2025 it made 134 grants totaling $2.0M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Temple Sholom of Chicago ($515K). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
474 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 440 grants of 474 (93%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Temple Sholom of Chicago Chicago, IL | All contributions made for the intent established by the various charities | $515,000 |
| Podium Society Los Angeles, CA | All contributions made for the intent established by the various charities | $250,000 |
| Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club Aspen, CO | All contributions made for the intent established by the various charities | $166,000 |
| Museum of Language Arts Washington, DC | All contributions made for the intent established by the various charities | $75,000 |
| USA Cycling Foundation Colorado Springs, CO | All contributions made for the intent established by the various charities | $75,000 |
| Cinema Chicago Chicago, IL | All contributions made for the intent established by the various charities | $55,000 |
| American Jewish Committee New York, NY | All contributions made for the intent established by the various charities | $50,000 |
| US Holocaust Memorial Museum Washington, DC | All contributions made for the intent established by the various charities | $50,000 |
| Civic Counsulting Alliance Chicago, IL | All contributions made for the intent established by the various charities | $40,000 |
| The Performance Zone Inc New York, NY | All contributions made for the intent established by the various charities | $40,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $3,067,457 | $328,328 | $1,000,137 | $988,800 |
| 2023 | $4,612,766 | $424,763 | $740,357 | $1,792,919 |
| 2022 | $5,988,194 | $2,461,879 | $4,083,063 | $2,406,885 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $32,338,917 | $3,067,457 | $4,612,766 |
| Revenue | $31,291,988 | $328,328 | $424,763 |
| Expenses | $2,546,528 | $1,000,137 | $740,357 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,008,804 | $988,826 | $1,792,945 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,283,032 | $323,995 | $419,990 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,369,978 | $234,099 | $292,277 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 28, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 3, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists John Bucksbaum as president and director; Jacolyn Bucksbaum as vice president and director; E. Michael Greaves as director; and Robert Trattner as treasurer and secretary.
John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found is led by John Bucksbaum, President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John Bucksbaum
President & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jacolyn Bucksbaum
Vice Presient & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Riswold
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Trattner
Treasurer & Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: E. Michael Greaves (2019–2024) — Director
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 1 North Franklin 625, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 960-2524
Frequently asked questions about John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found
How much does John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found give each year?
John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found gave $2.0M across 134 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $989K across 127 grants.
What is John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found's typical grant size?
John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $14,978, across 134 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found give grants?
John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found's top state is Illinois, with 43% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Colorado (24%) and California (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (45 grants), Aspen, CO (19 grants), Washington, DC (7 grants) and New York, NY (7 grants).
Does John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 134 grants with a stated purpose on John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found's largest grantees?
John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found's largest 2025 grantees include Temple Sholom of Chicago ($515,000), Podium Society ($250,000) and Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club ($166,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found?
John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found reported $32.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found's EIN?
John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-0450497. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does John & Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Found accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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