Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation
The Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations including organizations working in cancer research, cultural programming, food assistance, reproductive health, and Holocaust remembrance.
Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation at a glance
In short: Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation gave $373K across 57 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in New York. 19% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $372,860
- +31.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 57
- -3.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,541
- +36.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $5,165,072
- +3.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (11 of 57, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (78% 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 Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1 N Franklin St 625, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 960-2524
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Breast Cancer Research Foundation ($50K). Together the top 10 received $275K.
Grant Size Distribution
253 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 244 grants of 253 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipients in New York received 78% of grant dollars and recipients in Washington, DC, received 14%. Recipients in Pennsylvania received 3%, California 2%, and recipients in an unspecified state 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 57 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 57 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+15%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 157% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $225K (2019) to $406K (2023). In 2025 it made 57 grants totaling $373K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Breast Cancer Research Foundation New York, NY | All contributions made for the intent established by the various charities | $50,000 |
| The Temple Emanu-El Streicker Cultural Center 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 |
| Elluminate New York, NY | All contributions made for the intent established by the various charities | $40,000 |
| UJA Federation of New York New York, NY | All contributions made for the intent established by the various charities | $30,000 |
| ADL Fighting Hate for Good New York, NY | All contributions made for the intent established by the various charities | $15,000 |
| City Harvest Brooklyn, NY | All contributions made for the intent established by the various charities | $10,000 |
| Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan New York, NY | All contributions made for the intent established by the various charities | $10,000 |
| Moving Traditions Elkins Park, PA | All contributions made for the intent established by the various charities | $10,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Federation of America New York, NY | All contributions made for the intent established by the various charities | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,165,072 | $544,066 | $333,753 | $372,860 | 57 | $372,875 | $546,947 | $237,834 |
| 2024 | $5,004,759 | $458,397 | $284,817 | $283,035 | 59 | $283,076 | $472,199 | $233,275 |
| 2023 | $4,881,179 | $211,134 | $507,565 | $406,259 | 61 | $406,285 | $96,333 | $235,009 |
| 2022 | $5,077,610 | $46,487 | $336,272 | $325,378 | 55 | $325,404 | $148,581 | $238,393 |
| 2021 | $5,391,915 | $398,513 | $285,716 | $282,240 | 21 | $282,240 | $397,640 | $274,434 |
| 2020 | $5,322,470 | $144,054 | $244,894 | $244,625 | 23 | — | $143,800 | $241,732 |
| 2019 | $5,521,830 | $1,461,292 | $235,024 | $224,780 | 19 | — | $964,969 | $235,465 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $238K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its grantees describe a range of missions: for example, Elluminate says it empowers feminist Jewish women leaders and philanthropists to advance equity and social justice, while Moving Traditions says it emboldens Jewish youth to thrive through personal wellbeing, caring relationships, and a Jewish and feminist vision of equity and justice. Other supported organizations include the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, City Harvest, and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 57 grants totaling $372,860. Awards ranged from $5 to $50,000, with a median of $2,500. Its largest reported grants were $50,000 each to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Temple Emanu-El Streicker Cultural Center, and U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Other notable 2025 grants included $40,000 to Elluminate, $30,000 to UJA Federation of New York, and $15,000 to ADL Fighting Hate for Good.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson as president and director, Allen Adamson as vice president and director, and Robert Trattner as secretary and treasurer.
Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation is led by Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson, President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson
President & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Allen Adamson
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Trattner
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation
How much does Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation give each year?
Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation gave $373K across 57 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $283K across 59 grants.
What is Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation's typical grant size?
Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $6,541, across 57 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation give grants?
Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation gives mostly in New York: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (34 grants), Pound Ridge, NY (3 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).
Does Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 57 grants with a stated purpose on Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation's largest grantees?
Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Breast Cancer Research Foundation ($50,000), The Temple Emanu-El Streicker Cultural Center ($50,000) and US Holocaust Memorial Museum ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation?
Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation reported $5.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $373K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $238K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation?
The foundation 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 Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation's EIN?
Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4442342. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 28, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 22, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/madelyn-bucksbaum-adamson-foundation-morg_e8532c1859824fb58023149379523cd6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364442342_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/madelyn-bucksbaum-adamson-foundation-morg_e8532c1859824fb58023149379523cd6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson 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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