Morton S Abelson Foundation
The Morton S Abelson Foundation is a private foundation based in Highland Park, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations in health care, food assistance, civil rights, and other areas.
Morton S Abelson Foundation at a glance
In short: Morton S Abelson Foundation gave $93K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Illinois. 35% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $93,010
- +136.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +27.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,044
- +84.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $176,102
- -18.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (8 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (67% 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 Morton S Abelson 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: 1539 Linden Avenue, Highland Park, IL 60035
Phone: (847) 831-4109
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Morton S Abelson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago Foundation ($25K). Together the top 10 received $85K.
Grant Size Distribution
80 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 80 grants of 80 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 67% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, followed by Colorado (9%), California (8%), Massachusetts (5%), and Alabama (5%). The filing also lists a grant to World Central Kitchen in Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Morton S Abelson Foundation open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 23 grantees (35%) 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 $8K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 61% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 417% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 240% 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 $16K (2020) to $93K (2025). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $93K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago Foundation Chicago, IL | General Support | $25,000 |
| Northwest Memorial Foundation Chicago, IL | General Support | $20,000 |
| Fistula Foundation San Jose, CA | General Support | $7,500 |
| Sparky Productions Telluride, CO | General Support | $7,500 |
| Anti Defamation League Chicago, IL | General Support | $5,000 |
| Back Bay Ringers Boston, MA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Jewish United Fund Chicago, IL | General Support | $5,000 |
| Southern Poverty Law Center Montgomery, AL | General Support | $5,000 |
| Northern Illinois Food Bank Geneva, IL | General Support | $3,250 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | General Support | $2,000 |
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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 | $176,102 | $57,399 | $96,367 | $93,010 | 23 | $94,239 | $56,171 | $39,288 |
| 2024 | $215,070 | $70,707 | $42,899 | $39,410 | 18 | $40,410 | $69,707 | $37,026 |
| 2023 | $186,762 | $77,551 | $65,482 | $58,660 | 24 | $59,560 | $76,651 | $32,250 |
| 2022 | $174,693 | $11,087 | $22,047 | $18,000 | 9 | $18,750 | $10,337 | $30,482 |
| 2021 | $185,653 | $50,480 | $19,650 | $18,250 | 6 | $18,950 | $49,780 | $30,347 |
| 2020 | $154,823 | $23,101 | $18,855 | $16,050 | 12 | — | $22,426 | $26,011 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Morton S Abelson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $39K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations whose own missions span different fields. For example, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Foundation says its mission is to optimize philanthropy in support of the hospital’s mission and future. Northern Illinois Food Bank says it provides meals through a network of food pantries and programs, while World Central Kitchen says it provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 23 grants totaling $93,010. Grant amounts ranged from $160 to $25,000, with a median of $1,000. Its largest reported grants included $25,000 to Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Foundation and $20,000 to Northwest Memorial Foundation, both for general support. Other notable grants were $7,500 each to Fistula Foundation and Sparky Productions, and $5,000 each to Anti-Defamation League, Back Bay Ringers, Jewish United Fund, and Southern Poverty Law Center.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Susan A. Star as president, treasurer, and secretary; Michael A. Abelson as vice-president and director; and Robert Star as director.
Morton S Abelson Foundation is led by Susan A. Star, President, Treasurer & Secretary since 2025 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Susan A. Star
President, Treasurer & Secretary
President & Secretary → President, Treasurer & Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael A. Abelson
Vice President & Director
V.p. Director → Vice President & Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Star
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 Morton S Abelson Foundation
How much does Morton S Abelson Foundation give each year?
Morton S Abelson Foundation gave $93K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $39K across 18 grants.
What is Morton S Abelson Foundation's typical grant size?
Morton S Abelson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $4,044, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Morton S Abelson Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does Morton S Abelson Foundation give grants?
Morton S Abelson Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Colorado (9%) and California (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (10 grants), Telluride, CO (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Morton S Abelson Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Morton S Abelson Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (23 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Morton S Abelson Foundation's largest grantees?
Morton S Abelson Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago Foundation ($25,000), Northwest Memorial Foundation ($20,000) and Fistula Foundation ($7,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Morton S Abelson Foundation?
Morton S Abelson Foundation reported $176K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $94K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $39K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Morton S Abelson Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations whose own missions span different fields. For example, Ann & Robert H. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Morton S Abelson 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 Morton S Abelson Foundation's EIN?
Morton S Abelson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6149634. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Morton S Abelson 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 1, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 27, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 20, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Morton S Abelson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/morton-s-abelson-foundation-morg_8ffb3b17d4234f6fbac7e3f138ed05f2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366149634_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Morton S Abelson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/morton-s-abelson-foundation-morg_8ffb3b17d4234f6fbac7e3f138ed05f2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 Morton S Abelson 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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