MEB Charitable Foundation
MEB Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations including food banks, cultural and educational organizations, and organizations working in health, animal welfare, and other areas.
MEB Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: MEB Charitable Foundation gave $261K across 37 grants in 2024 (avg $7K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $261,000
- +0.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 37
- -9.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,054
- +11.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $5,344,024
- -1.4% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Illinois (65% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to MEB Charitable Foundation
- 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.
- 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 MEB Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Greater Chicago Food Depository ($50K). Together the top 10 received $173K.
Grant Size Distribution
151 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 147 grants of 151 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 65% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois and 15% to recipients in the District of Columbia. Other reported shares were Missouri (4%), North Carolina (4%), and Ohio (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How MEB Charitable Foundation gives
- 86% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 126% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 88% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $10K (2020) to $274K (2022). In 2024 it made 37 grants totaling $261K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Chicago Food Depository Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $50,000 |
| Jewish United Fund Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $33,000 |
| The Theatre Lab Washington, DC | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $15,000 |
| United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Washington, DC | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $15,000 |
| Camp for All Kids St. Louis, MO | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $10,000 |
| Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $10,000 |
| Paws Chicago Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $10,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of Illinois Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $10,000 |
| Nourishing Hope Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $10,000 |
| Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina Raleigh, NC | Exempt Purpose of Organization | $10,000 |
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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 | $5,344,024 | $207,998 | $282,442 | $261,000 | 37 | $265,200 | $193,941 | $300,208 |
| 2023 | $5,418,398 | $133,390 | $281,073 | $260,000 | 41 | $264,000 | $121,309 | $264,135 |
| 2022 | $5,566,741 | $118,321 | $321,310 | $273,850 | 47 | $280,545 | $99,025 | $267,366 |
| 2021 | $5,769,291 | $1,414,217 | $133,864 | $115,500 | 25 | $118,995 | $1,400,642 | $275,033 |
| 2020 | $4,471,006 | $5,092,520 | $11,849 | $10,000 | 1 | — | $93,108 | $123,479 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, MEB Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $300K 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
No formal mission statement is provided in the available information. The 2024 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, the Greater Chicago Food Depository describes its mission as ending hunger, while Nourishing Hope says it provides food, mental health support, and social services. PAWS Chicago describes its work as helping homeless and at-risk pets through medical, spay/neuter, and adoption programs. Planned Parenthood of Illinois says it provides and promotes reproductive health care, education, and rights. The Theatre Lab describes offering theatre classes, workshops, and outreach.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 37 grants totaling $261,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $50,000, with a median of $5,000. Its largest reported grants included $50,000 to the Greater Chicago Food Depository and $33,000 to Jewish United Fund, both in Chicago; and $15,000 each to The Theatre Lab and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, both in Washington, DC.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Michael E Berger is listed as a director on the 2024 filing.
MEB Charitable Foundation is led by Michael E Berger, Director on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Michael E 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 MEB Charitable Foundation
How much does MEB Charitable Foundation give each year?
MEB Charitable Foundation gave $261K across 37 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $260K across 41 grants.
What is MEB Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
MEB Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,054, across 37 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does MEB Charitable Foundation give grants?
MEB Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (17 grants), Washington, DC (4 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Who are MEB Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
MEB Charitable Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Greater Chicago Food Depository ($50,000), Jewish United Fund ($33,000) and The Theatre Lab ($15,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is MEB Charitable Foundation?
MEB Charitable Foundation reported $5.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $265K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $300K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does MEB Charitable Foundation fund?
No formal mission statement is provided in the available information. The 2024 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from MEB Charitable 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 MEB Charitable Foundation's EIN?
MEB Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-1394134. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does MEB Charitable 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). MEB Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/meb-charitable-foundation-morg_ff7cc8aae8e540f6b9f4facba593b63d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_851394134_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{MEB Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/meb-charitable-foundation-morg_ff7cc8aae8e540f6b9f4facba593b63d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 MEB Charitable 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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