Mardell Family Charitable Fdn
Mardell Family Charitable Fdn is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 filing is marked as the organization’s final return, indicating that it has wound down or is winding down; the filing reports grants for that year, but does not establish that grantmaking is continuing.
Mardell Family Charitable Fdn at a glance
In short: Mardell Family Charitable Fdn gave $15K across 26 grants in 2025 (avg $586.115), top state Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $15,239
- +144.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 26
- +18.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $586
- +107.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $300
- Primary geography
- Illinois (49% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Mardell Family Charitable Fdn
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing states that the foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. As the filing is marked final, this should not be taken as a current application process.
- Contact
Mailing address: 800 N Chicago Ave 2902, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 664-4355
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mardell Family Charitable Fdn funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Planned Parenthood ($4K). Together the top 10 received $12K.
Grant Size Distribution
77 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 76 grants of 77 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 49% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 31% to New York, 10% to California, 4% to Tennessee, and 2% to Colorado. These figures describe the locations of grant recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Mardell Family Charitable Fdn gives
- 31% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 789% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2K (2022) to $226K (2021). In 2025 it made 26 grants totaling $15K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Planned Parenthood New York, NY | General Donation | $3,550 |
| Chicago Humanities Chicago, IL | General Donation | $3,000 |
| WTTW Chicago, IL | General Donation | $1,300 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | General Donation | $1,000 |
| HAR' El Congregation Palm Desert, CA | General Donation | $900 |
| Temple Shalom Chicago, IL | General Donation | $600 |
| St Jude Children's Hospital Memphis, TN | General Donation | $569 |
| Wbez Chicago, IL | General Donation | $500 |
| Jewish Federation of the Desert Palm Springs, CA | General Donation | $450 |
| WFMT Chicago, IL | General Donation | $400 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
— = not provided.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | $1 | $20,239 | $15,239 | 26 | $15,239 | $1 | $454 |
| 2024 | $20,388 | $13 | $9,075 | $6,230 | 22 | $6,230 | $13 | $1,198 |
| 2023 | $29,330 | $3 | $10,381 | $3,995 | 12 | $3,995 | $3 | $1,654 |
| 2022 | $39,678 | $4 | $2,773 | $1,715 | 12 | $1,715 | $4 | $2,031 |
| 2021 | $42,446 | $8,020 | $226,577 | $226,052 | 5 | $226,052 | $7,776 | — |
| 2020 | $293,792 | $72,795 | $47,524 | $47,500 | 4 | — | $67,795 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mardell Family Charitable Fdn reported a distributable amount of $454 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 is stated in the available information. Its grants included support for organizations such as Feeding America, whose mission is to advance change by ensuring equitable access to nutritious food; SHALVA, which describes its work as supporting people experiencing and healing from domestic abuse; and Reach Out and Read, which aims to promote children’s success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read together. The foundation also gave to organizations in areas including culture, media, religion, health, and conservation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 26 grants totaling $15,239. Grants ranged from $100 to $3,550, with a median grant of $300. Among the largest were Planned Parenthood in New York ($3,550), Chicago Humanities ($3,000), WTTW ($1,300), Doctors Without Borders ($1,000), and Har’ El Congregation ($900). The listed purposes for these grants were “general donation.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Susan Mardell as president and Elizabeth Pope, Sarah Robinson, and Caleb Mardell as directors.
Mardell Family Charitable Fdn is led by Susan Mardell, President since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Susan Mardell
President
Treasurer → President, 2021
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Caleb Mardell
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Pope
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Sarah Robinson
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Caleb Madrell (2022) — Director
- Former: Fred Mardell (2020) — President
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 Mardell Family Charitable Fdn
How much does Mardell Family Charitable Fdn give each year?
Mardell Family Charitable Fdn gave $15K across 26 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $6K across 22 grants.
What is Mardell Family Charitable Fdn's typical grant size?
Mardell Family Charitable Fdn's median grant in 2025 was $300, and its average grant was $586, across 26 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Mardell Family Charitable Fdn give grants?
Mardell Family Charitable Fdn's top state is Illinois, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (31%) and California (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (12 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does Mardell Family Charitable Fdn give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Mardell Family Charitable Fdn's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Mardell Family Charitable Fdn's largest grantees?
Mardell Family Charitable Fdn's largest 2025 grantees include Planned Parenthood ($3,550), Chicago Humanities ($3,000) and WTTW ($1,300), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
What does Mardell Family Charitable Fdn fund?
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mardell Family Charitable Fdn?
The 2025 filing states that the foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
How much is Mardell Family Charitable Fdn required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, Mardell Family Charitable Fdn reported a distributable amount of $454 on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Mardell Family Charitable Fdn's EIN?
Mardell Family Charitable Fdn's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4191712. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Mardell Family Charitable Fdn 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 20, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 28, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 30, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 22, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Mardell Family Charitable Fdn funds
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