JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation
JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including recipients in Illinois, Florida, Missouri, Washington, D.C., and New Jersey.
JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation at a glance
In short: JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation gave $366K across 26 grants in 2024 (avg $14K), mostly in Illinois. 19% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $366,286
- +27.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 26
- -42.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $14,088
- +120.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,400
- Total assets
- $4,313,209
- -2.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (5 of 26, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (87% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 900 N Michigan Ave Suite 930, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 440-9600
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Jewish United Fund ($250K). Together the top 10 received $352K.
Grant Size Distribution
179 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 176 grants of 179 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 87% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 7% to Florida, 4% to Missouri, and 1% each to Washington, D.C., and New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 26 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 54% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 345% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 116% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $82K (2021) to $366K (2024). In 2024 it made 26 grants totaling $366K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish United Fund Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $250,000 |
| Sixpoint St Petersburg, FL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $25,000 |
| Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $20,000 |
| Truman Library Institute Kansas City, MO | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $15,000 |
| Anshe Emet Synagogue Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $13,350 |
| Wolcott College Prep Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $10,000 |
| Ark Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $5,400 |
| High Jump Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $5,000 |
| Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $5,000 |
| Chabad at UIC Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $3,600 |
Ready to take the next step with JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,313,209 | $270,559 | $377,538 | $366,286 | 26 | $372,511 | $251,835 | $321,918 |
| 2023 | $4,410,185 | $164,139 | $296,442 | $287,692 | 45 | $291,707 | $146,595 | $288,165 |
| 2022 | $4,538,754 | $232,530 | $233,217 | $217,047 | 64 | $224,798 | $211,664 | $284,783 |
| 2021 | $4,537,025 | $236,679 | $90,615 | $82,346 | 21 | $85,841 | $233,199 | $295,227 |
| 2020 | $4,368,341 | $5,093,440 | $114,907 | $113,058 | 23 | — | $93,086 | $123,249 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $322K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing lists grant purposes as “exempt purpose of organization.” Its 2024 recipients include organizations whose own missions address Jewish community services, combating antisemitism and other forms of hate, education, youth development, animal rescue, breast cancer research, and support for people in Ukraine. For example, Jewish United Fund describes its work as providing resources such as food, health care, education, and emergency assistance; Sixpoint says it combats antisemitism and other forms of hate by empowering digital storytellers.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 26 grants totaling $366,286. Individual grants ranged from $1 to $250,000, with a median grant of $1,400.
The largest reported grant was $250,000 to Jewish United Fund in Chicago. Other notable grants included $25,000 to Sixpoint in St. Petersburg, Florida; $20,000 to Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School in Chicago; $15,000 to Truman Library Institute in Kansas City, Missouri; and $13,350 to Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago. The foundation also gave $10,000 to Wolcott College Prep, $5,400 to ARK, $5,000 each to High Jump and Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago, and $2,500 to Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Foundation, all in Chicago.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
James R Berger is listed as a director on the 2024 filing.
JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation is led by James R Berger, Director on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
James R Berger
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation
How much does JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation give each year?
JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation gave $366K across 26 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $288K across 45 grants.
What is JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation's typical grant size?
JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,400, and its average grant was $14,088, across 26 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation that year got $12K on average.
Where does JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation give grants?
JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Florida (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (17 grants).
Who are JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation's largest grantees?
JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Jewish United Fund ($250,000), Sixpoint ($25,000) and Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 81% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation?
JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation reported $4.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $373K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $322K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing lists grant purposes as “exempt purpose of organization.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it 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 JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation's EIN?
JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-1393990. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does JR and Katie Berger 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.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/jr-and-katie-berger-family-foundation-morg_fcdc793e3bef4f3b8b75b20e7116d501
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_851393990_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{JR and Katie Berger Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/jr-and-katie-berger-family-foundation-morg_fcdc793e3bef4f3b8b75b20e7116d501},
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 JR and Katie Berger Family 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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