Metzner Family Foundation
The Metzner Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. It supports charitable organizations, with 2025 grants going mostly to recipients in Illinois and including organizations in areas such as the arts, education, and human services.
Metzner Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Metzner Family Foundation gave $409K across 68 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Illinois. 24% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $409,298
- +16.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 68
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,019
- +16.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,529
- Total assets
- $2,836,457
- -8.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (16 of 68, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (85% 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 Metzner Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 500 W Superior St 2109, Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: (312) 222-9838
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Metzner Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Ark ($30K). Together the top 10 received $212K.
Grant Size Distribution
324 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 324 grants of 324 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 85% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 6% to New York, 2% to Arizona, 1% to Indiana, and 1% to Wisconsin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 68 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Metzner Family Foundation open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 16 of 68 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 62% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 39% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% 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 (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 $184K (2019) to $409K (2025). In 2025 it made 68 grants totaling $409K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Ark Chicago, IL | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $30,000 |
| Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $25,000 |
| Driehaus Museum Chicago, IL | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $25,000 |
| Harris Theater Chicago, IL | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $25,000 |
| Columbia College Chicago, IL | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $22,600 |
| Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, IL | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $22,500 |
| AIDS Foundation Chicago, IL | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $16,500 |
| Chiarts Chicago, IL | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $15,000 |
| Jewish Federation of Chicago Chicago, IL | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $15,000 |
| Ravinia Festival Development Highland Park, IL | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $15,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,836,457 | $178,854 | $428,083 | $409,298 | 68 | $413,814 | $167,139 | $444,380 |
| 2024 | $3,086,203 | $195,211 | $370,300 | $351,313 | 68 | $356,510 | $183,735 | $429,128 |
| 2023 | $3,262,936 | $175,845 | $432,086 | $388,896 | 65 | $392,652 | $166,472 | $380,214 |
| 2022 | $3,525,011 | $2,175,449 | $326,417 | $295,176 | 67 | $311,970 | $2,162,628 | $372,800 |
| 2021 | $1,707,952 | $216,423 | $219,180 | $213,578 | 56 | $218,653 | $115,897 | $294,526 |
| 2020 | $1,678,197 | $81,300 | $225,178 | $208,252 | 66 | — | $82,874 | $231,202 |
| 2019 | $1,801,174 | $221,113 | $197,809 | $183,748 | 66 | — | $219,775 | $204,479 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Metzner Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $444K 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 own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations, educational institutions, and human-service organizations. For example, The Ark describes its mission as helping Chicagoland Jews facing adversity navigate toward self-reliance through free services grounded in Jewish values and laws. The Museum of Contemporary Art describes its work as presenting contemporary art and related exhibitions, performances, collections, and educational programs. The University of Chicago describes its mission as communicating and creating knowledge and fostering a community of scholars and students.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 68 grants totaling $409,298. Grants ranged from $100 to $30,000, with a median grant of $2,528. Among the largest grants were $30,000 to The Ark; $25,000 each to the Art Institute of Chicago, Driehaus Museum, and Harris Theater; $22,600 to Columbia College; and $22,500 to the Museum of Contemporary Art. The listed purposes for these grants were unrestricted charitable contributions.
The foundation also gave $16,500 to AIDS Foundation, $15,000 each to ChiArts, Jewish Federation of Chicago, and Ravinia Festival Development, and $13,250 to the University of Chicago. Its filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mark J Metzner as president, Gary F Metzner as secretary, David B Metzner as treasurer, Scott Johnson as assistant treasurer, and Joan S Henson as vice president.
Metzner Family Foundation is led by Mark J. Metzner, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Mark J. Metzner
President
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David B. Metzner
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gary F. Metzner
Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joan S. Henson
Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Scott Johnson
Assistant Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/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 Metzner Family Foundation
How much does Metzner Family Foundation give each year?
Metzner Family Foundation gave $409K across 68 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $351K across 68 grants.
What is Metzner Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Metzner Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,529, and its average grant was $6,019, across 68 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Metzner Family Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Metzner Family Foundation give grants?
Metzner Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (34 grants), New York, NY (8 grants), Tucson, AZ (3 grants) and Highland Park, IL (2 grants).
Does Metzner Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Metzner Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (68 of 68) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Metzner Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Metzner Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Ark ($30,000), Art Institute of Chicago ($25,000) and Driehaus Museum ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Metzner Family Foundation?
Metzner Family Foundation reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $414K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $444K (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 Metzner Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations, educational institutions, and human-service organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Metzner Family Foundation?
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 ↑
What is Metzner Family Foundation's EIN?
Metzner Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4264868. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Metzner 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 October 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 August 16, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 19, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 23, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Metzner Family Foundation funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Metzner Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Metzner Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/metzner-family-foundation-morg_e01e7ed8adce45a0b61ef9ca1f4bced2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364264868_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Metzner Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/metzner-family-foundation-morg_e01e7ed8adce45a0b61ef9ca1f4bced2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Metzner 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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