Joseph Perlman Family Foundation
The Joseph Perlman Family Foundation is a private foundation located in Glencoe, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports 38 grants totaling $74,390 to charitable organizations, including Jewish organizations, cultural institutions, and community-service organizations.
Key facts about Joseph Perlman Family Foundation
In short: Joseph Perlman Family Foundation gave $74K across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Illinois. 29% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 23-7042532
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $74,390
- Grants made (2025)
- 38
- Average grant
- $1,958
- Median grant
- $500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (11 of 38, 2025)
- Total assets
- $637,611
- Primary geography
- Illinois (95% 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 for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). 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
$638K
+1.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$74K
+20.9% YoY
Grant Count
38
+18.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2K
+1.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Joseph Perlman Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $74K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Joseph Perlman Family Foundation open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 38 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $405; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $300 first-time, $550 repeat.
- 55% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 27% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 101% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied charitable activities. For example, the Greater Chicago Food Depository describes its mission as ending hunger, and The Ark says it helps Chicagoland Jews facing adversity navigate toward self-reliance. Brandeis University describes its work as advancing the humanities, arts, and sciences and providing a broad liberal arts education. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 38 grants totaling $74,390. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $31,500, with a median of $500. Its largest grants included $31,500 to Jewish United Fund, $16,620 to Am Shalom, and $6,810 to North Suburban Synagogue Beth El. Other grants included $2,000 each to Chicago Botanic Garden and Highland Park Strings, and $1,250 to WBEZ.
How to Apply
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with Joseph Perlman Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois. The remaining reported shares were DC (2%), and Massachusetts, New York, and California (1% each).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $52K (2021) to $74K (2025). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $74K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jewish United Fund ($32K). Together the top 10 received $64K.
Grant Size Distribution
150 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 150 grants of 150 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish United Fund Chicago, IL | Charitable | $31,500 |
| Am Shalom Glencoe, IL | Charitable | $16,620 |
| North Suburban Synagogue Beth El Highland Park, IL | Charitable | $6,810 |
| Chicago Botanic Garden Glencoe, IL | Charitable | $2,000 |
| Highland Park Strings Highland Park, IL | Charitable | $2,000 |
| Wbez Chicago, IL | Charitable | $1,250 |
| Brandeis University Waltham, MA | Charitable | $1,000 |
| Lurie Children Foundation Chicago, IL | Charitable | $1,000 |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository Chicago, IL | Charitable | $950 |
| Camp Ramah Chicago, IL | Charitable | $750 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $637,611 | $99,600 | $91,294 | $74,390 |
| 2024 | $629,305 | $104,854 | $74,281 | $61,540 |
| 2023 | $598,732 | $42,962 | $66,443 | $55,430 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $637,611 | $629,305 | $598,732 |
| Revenue | $99,600 | $104,854 | $42,962 |
| Expenses | $91,294 | $74,281 | $66,443 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $74,390 | $61,540 | $55,430 |
| Net Investment Income | $85,642 | $104,854 | $42,962 |
| Distributable Amount | $73,938 | $67,672 | $56,880 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Willard L Shonfeld as president, Kenneth Shonfeld as vice president, and Francine Shonfeld as secretary/treasurer.
Joseph Perlman Family Foundation is led by Willard L. Shonfeld, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Willard L. Shonfeld
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Francine Shonfeld
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kenneth Shonfeld
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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.
Contact
Mailing address: 1032 Oak Ridge Drive, Glencoe, IL 60022
Phone: (847) 835-4534
Frequently asked questions about Joseph Perlman Family Foundation
How much does Joseph Perlman Family Foundation give each year?
Joseph Perlman Family Foundation gave $74K across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $62K across 32 grants.
What is Joseph Perlman Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Joseph Perlman Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $500, and its average grant was $1,958, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Joseph Perlman Family Foundation that year got $405 on average.
Where does Joseph Perlman Family Foundation give grants?
Joseph Perlman Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (17 grants), Glencoe, IL (4 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants) and Highland Park, IL (2 grants).
Does Joseph Perlman Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 38 grants with a stated purpose on Joseph Perlman Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (38 grants).
Who are Joseph Perlman Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Joseph Perlman Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Jewish United Fund ($31,500), Am Shalom ($16,620) and North Suburban Synagogue Beth El ($6,810), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 74% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Joseph Perlman Family Foundation?
Joseph Perlman Family Foundation reported $638K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $74K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $74K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Joseph Perlman Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied charitable activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Joseph Perlman Family Foundation?
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 Joseph Perlman Family Foundation's EIN?
Joseph Perlman Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7042532. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Joseph Perlman Family 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.
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