Mason Foundation Inc
Mason Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its website says the foundation was formed to honor BJ Mason’s memory and describes its work as investing in young people’s education, athletics, and extracurricular activities, including financial support for youth programs and scholarships.
Mason Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Mason Foundation Inc gave $502K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $22K), mostly in Illinois. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $502,000
- +31.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +4.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $21,826
- +26.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $16,000
- Total assets
- $3,058,473
- +2.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (3 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (61% 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 Mason Foundation Inc
- 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. Its website describes spring and fall scholarship programs and invites suggestions about organizations or students in need, but the 2025 filing’s stated contribution policy is that grants go only to preselected organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 333 W Wacker Drive 1700, Chicago, IL 60606-1250
Phone: (312) 214-9003
Website: https://themasonfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mason Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Art Institute of Chicago and School of the Art Institute of Chicago ($81K). Together the top 10 received $371K.
Grant Size Distribution
114 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 110 grants of 114 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 61% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 10% to Virginia, 9% to California, 8% to New York, and 5% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Mason Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 23 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $23K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 87% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+11%). 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $292K (2020) to $502K (2025). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $502K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Art Institute of Chicago and School of the Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | Annual fund; school annual fund, department of the applied arts of europe-old master acquisition endowment; museum general operating support luminary | $81,000 |
| Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Alexandria, VA | Mason Phelps Memorial Scholarship | $48,000 |
| Hoover Institution at Stanford University Stanford, CA | General Charitable Purposes | $39,000 |
| Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL | Forester Fund | $39,000 |
| Christian Science Society Libertyville IL Libertyville, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $32,000 |
| Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY | The Vassar Fund | $32,000 |
| Ravinia Festival and Ravinia Steans Music Institute Highland Park, IL | Annual Fund; Steans Institute | $31,000 |
| Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chicago, IL | Annual Fund | $23,000 |
| International Crane Foundation Baraboo, WI | General Charitable Purposes | $23,000 |
| John G Shedd Aquarium Chicago, IL | Annual Fund | $23,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Mason Foundation Inc?
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 | $3,058,473 | $615,172 | $541,158 | $502,000 | 23 | $520,175 | $598,239 | $513,094 |
| 2024 | $2,978,620 | $282,493 | $411,931 | $381,000 | 22 | $393,100 | $266,941 | $472,931 |
| 2023 | $3,107,897 | $260,447 | $423,517 | $394,000 | 23 | $407,170 | $247,380 | $400,694 |
| 2022 | $3,270,967 | $236,936 | $488,569 | $453,000 | 23 | $465,666 | $258,954 | $412,641 |
| 2021 | $3,522,600 | $339,460 | $342,392 | $310,000 | 23 | $318,170 | $477,801 | $444,629 |
| 2020 | $3,855,532 | $356,948 | $320,595 | $292,000 | 24 | — | $110,151 | $327,062 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mason Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $513K 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 foundation’s website says its goal is to enrich young people’s lives through sports, extracurricular activities, and education by creating programs that assist children financially. It also says the foundation seeks to recognize people who overcome adversity and work to improve their communities.
The 2025 grants included support for educational institutions, arts and cultural organizations, a scholarship provider, a religious organization, and a conservation organization. The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation describes its work as providing need-based scholarships to military children. Lake Forest College describes its purpose as providing post-secondary education leading to a baccalaureate degree. Vassar College says its mission is to make a liberal education accessible. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association says it enriches, inspires, and transforms lives through music, community engagement, and education; Lyric Opera of Chicago describes its work as providing cultural service and advancing opera. The International Crane Foundation says it is committed to a world where cranes, people, and natural heritage thrive together.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation awarded 23 grants totaling $502,000. Grants ranged from $3,000 to $81,000, with a median of $16,000. Its largest reported grants included $81,000 to the Art Institute of Chicago and School of the Art Institute of Chicago, $48,000 to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, and $39,000 each to Hoover Institution at Stanford University and Lake Forest College.
Other notable grants were $32,000 to Christian Science Society Libertyville IL and $32,000 to Vassar College; $31,000 to Ravinia Festival and Ravinia Steans Music Institute; and $23,000 each to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, International Crane Foundation, John G Shedd Aquarium, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. The foundation’s website also describes scholarships supporting young people’s extracurricular activities; these are programs for youth, distinct from the foundation’s grants to organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Marian Pawlick as president and director; Robert Douglass and Timothy P Douglass as vice presidents and directors; Timothy G Carroll as secretary; and K Scott Douglass as treasurer and director.
Mason Foundation Inc is led by Marian Pawlick, President & Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 5 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Marian Pawlick
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
K. Scott Douglass
Treasurer & Director
Director → Treasurer & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Douglass
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Timothy P. Douglass
Vice President & Director
Director → Vice President & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Timothy G. Carroll
Secretary
Secretary & Treasurer → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$9K (2020) → $15K (2025)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $15K, to Timothy G Carroll (Secretary).
Frequently asked questions about Mason Foundation Inc
How much does Mason Foundation Inc give each year?
Mason Foundation Inc gave $502K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $381K across 22 grants.
What is Mason Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Mason Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $16,000, and its average grant was $21,826, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mason Foundation Inc that year got $17K on average.
Where does Mason Foundation Inc give grants?
Mason Foundation Inc gives mostly in Illinois: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Virginia (10%) and California (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (7 grants) and Lake Forest, IL (4 grants).
Does Mason Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 78% of Mason Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (18 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Mason Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Mason Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Art Institute of Chicago and School of the Art Institute of Chicago ($81,000), Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation ($48,000) and Hoover Institution at Stanford University ($39,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Mason Foundation Inc?
Mason Foundation Inc reported $3.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $520K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $513K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Mason Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s website says its goal is to enrich young people’s lives through sports, extracurricular activities, and education by creating programs that assist children financially. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mason Foundation Inc?
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 Mason Foundation Inc's EIN?
Mason Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3101263. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Mason Foundation Inc 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 26, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Mason Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Mason Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mason-foundation-inc-morg_36dcff83f4d042e9831e649da77554f2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363101263_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mason Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mason-foundation-inc-morg_36dcff83f4d042e9831e649da77554f2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Mason Foundation Inc'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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