Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation
The Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, all of them in Illinois.
Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation at a glance
In short: Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation gave $2.7M across 97 grants in 2025 (avg $28K), mostly in Illinois. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,691,882
- -18.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 97
- -14.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $27,751
- -5.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $14,540,984
- -12.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (13 of 97, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% 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 Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 415 East North Water Street 2301, Chicago, IL 60611-5594
Phone: (312) 955-0026
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine ($225K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
601 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 486 grants of 601 (81%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All reported 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois. Listed recipients include organizations in Chicago, Evanston, Skokie, and other Illinois locations.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 97 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 13 of 97 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $20K; repeat grants $29K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 81% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 24% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 352% 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 $2.7M (2025) to $4.0M (2021). In 2025 it made 97 grants totaling $2.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago, IL | General Unrestricted, Exempt Purpose of Organization | $225,000 |
| West Coast Sports Medicine Foundation Chicago, IL | General Unrestricted, Exempt Purpose of Organization | $205,000 |
| Lookingglass Theatre Company Chicago, IL | General Unrestricted, Exempt Purpose of Organization | $115,000 |
| Collaboraction Theatre Chicago, IL | General Unrestricted, Exempt Purpose of Organization | $105,000 |
| Dovetail Project Chicago, IL | General Unrestricted, Exempt Purpose of Organization | $100,000 |
| Echoes of Hope Chicago, IL | General Unrestricted, Exempt Purpose of Organization | $100,000 |
| Friends of Elnet Chicago, IL | General Unrestricted, Exempt Purpose of Organization | $100,000 |
| Iola's Lyceum Chicago, IL | General Unrestricted, Exempt Purpose of Organization | $100,000 |
| Imagine Englewood If Chicago, IL | General Unrestricted, Exempt Purpose of Organization | $75,382 |
| Timeline Theatre Chicago, IL | General Unrestricted, Exempt Purpose of Organization | $60,000 |
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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 | $14,540,984 | $825,922 | $2,853,331 | $2,691,882 | 97 | $2,700,804 | $702,434 | $767,080 |
| 2024 | $16,568,393 | $1,860,954 | $3,448,828 | $3,318,955 | 113 | $3,327,905 | $1,669,606 | $827,264 |
| 2023 | $18,156,267 | $-1,173,822 | $3,575,792 | $3,445,733 | 128 | $3,453,485 | $655,263 | $944,234 |
| 2022 | $22,905,881 | $-2,414,997 | $4,360,377 | $3,533,540 | 125 | $3,542,064 | — | $1,173,527 |
| 2021 | $29,681,255 | $2,395,945 | $4,151,850 | $4,002,700 | 138 | $4,011,160 | $2,173,922 | $1,474,869 |
| 2020 | $31,728,358 | $3,103,492 | $3,900,424 | $3,715,455 | 127 | — | $2,937,537 | $1,598,467 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation reported a distributable amount of $767K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including theatre, medicine, homelessness services, education, music, science and technology education, and community development.
The grantees describe their own work in varied terms. Lookingglass Theatre Company says it creates and presents innovative theatrical work, incorporating movement, circus arts, and narrative. Connections for the Homeless says it works to end homelessness through eviction prevention, shelter, and housing services. Girls 4 Science describes its work as introducing Chicago girls ages 10–18 to science, technology, engineering, and math. These are grantee descriptions, not stated priorities of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 97 grants totaling $2,691,882. Grant amounts ranged from $1,500 to $225,000, with a median of $15,000. The largest grants included $225,000 to Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, $205,000 to West Coast Sports Medicine Foundation, $115,000 to Lookingglass Theatre Company, and $105,000 to Collaboraction Theatre. Dovetail Project, Echoes of Hope, Friends of ELNET, and Iola’s Lyceum each received $100,000. The listed purposes for these grants were general unrestricted support for the recipient organizations’ exempt purposes.
Other reported 2025 grants included $50,000 each to Northwestern University, The People’s Music School, Window to the World Communications, Connections for the Homeless, Girls 4 Science, and Ignite.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Janice Feinberg as president, assistant secretary, and treasurer; Joseph Feinberg as vice president and secretary; and Rhonda Feinberg as director.
Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation is led by Janice Feinberg, President, Assistant Secretary & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Janice Feinberg
President, Assistant Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rhonda Feinberg
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joseph Feinberg
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
4 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 Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation
How much does Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation give each year?
Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation gave $2.7M across 97 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $3.3M across 113 grants.
What is Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation's typical grant size?
Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $27,751, across 97 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation that year got $20K on average.
Where does Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation give grants?
Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (97 grants).
Does Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (97 of 97) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation's largest grantees?
Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine ($225,000), West Coast Sports Medicine Foundation ($205,000) and Lookingglass Theatre Company ($115,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation?
Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation reported $14.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $767K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including theatre, medicine, homelessness services, education, music, science and technology education, and community development. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation's EIN?
Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7028857. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Joseph & Bessie Feinberg 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 October 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 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/joseph-and-bessie-feinberg-foundation-morg_b10c11d25acd44a8be4e4e35001bd3a8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237028857_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Joseph \& Bessie Feinberg Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/joseph-and-bessie-feinberg-foundation-morg_b10c11d25acd44a8be4e4e35001bd3a8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Joseph & Bessie Feinberg 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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