Oppenheimer Family Foundation
The Oppenheimer Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Ojai, California. Its 2024 grants supported organizations in Illinois and California, including a college, music and arts organizations, and a parks organization.
Oppenheimer Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Oppenheimer Family Foundation gave $301K across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $16K), mostly in Illinois. 5% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $300,615
- +14.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- -17.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $15,822
- +38.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $278,438
- +4.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (1 of 19, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (92% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Oppenheimer Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applications should include a brief description of the grantee’s funding needs; the board may then request specific data. Each case is considered separately at the board’s discretion.
- Review Cycle
- Applications are accepted at any time.
- Deadline
- Applications are accepted at any time.
- Contact
Application contact: Oppenheimer Family Foundation Co H
Mailing address: PO Box 277, Highland Park, IL 60035
Phone: (312) 943-9484
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Oppenheimer Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Miscellaneous Available Upon Request ($119K). Together the top 10 received $274K.
Grant Size Distribution
97 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 88 grants of 97 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois and 8% to recipients in California. Listed recipients include organizations in Chicago, Lake Forest, and Ojai.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Oppenheimer Family Foundation open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 1 of 19 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 95% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+3%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 335% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 $263K (2023) to $906K (2020). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $301K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Available Upon Request Chicago, IL | General Charitable | $119,115 |
| Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL | General Charitable | $100,000 |
| Her Story Theater Chicago, IL | General Charitable | $10,000 |
| Live the Spirit Residency Chicago, IL | General Charitable | $10,000 |
| Merit School of Music Chicago, IL | General Charitable | $10,000 |
| Chicago Jazz Philharmonic Chicago, IL | General Charitable | $5,000 |
| Hyde Park Jazz Festival Chicago, IL | General Charitable | $5,000 |
| Jazz Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | General Charitable | $5,000 |
| Madd Rhythm Chicago, IL | General Charitable | $5,000 |
| Ojai Valley Land Conservancy Ojai, CA | General Charitable | $5,000 |
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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 | $278,438 | $349,954 | $339,168 | $300,615 | 19 | $300,615 | $308,984 | $89,856 |
| 2023 | $267,652 | $226,418 | $298,808 | $262,500 | 23 | $272,020 | $201,730 | $88,428 |
| 2022 | $340,042 | $365,385 | $401,640 | $371,750 | 14 | $380,810 | $346,431 | $100,753 |
| 2021 | $376,297 | $230,160 | $324,276 | $292,100 | 17 | $302,131 | $201,408 | $114,544 |
| 2020 | $470,413 | $919,366 | $938,683 | $906,050 | 24 | — | $897,423 | $108,868 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Oppenheimer Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $90K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for varied organizations. Lake Forest College describes its mission as providing post-secondary education leading to a baccalaureate degree. Merit School of Music says it works to remove barriers to high-quality music education for young people. The Jazz Institute of Chicago says its mission is to preserve and perpetuate jazz performance, education, and culture. Friends of the Parks says it mobilizes Chicago residents to support an equitable park system.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 19 grants totaling $300,615. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $119,115, with a median grant of $5,000. Its largest listed awards were $119,115 to Miscellaneous Available Upon Request and $100,000 to Lake Forest College, both for general charitable purposes. Other grants included $10,000 each to Her Story Theater, Live the Spirit Residency, and Merit School of Music.
The foundation made 23 grants totaling $262,500 in 2023 and 17 grants totaling $292,100 in 2021.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Edward H. Oppenheimer as president; James Oppenheimer and Harry J. Oppenheimer as vice-presidents; and William J. Garmisa as secretary.
Oppenheimer Family Foundation is led by Edward H. Oppenheimer, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Edward H. Oppenheimer
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Harry J. Oppenheimer
Vice President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$2K (2021) → $0 (2024)
James Oppenheimer
Vice President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$2K (2023) → $0 (2024)
William J. Garmisa
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/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.
Compensation Overview
From 2023 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2023 filing was $3K, to Harry J Oppenheimer (Vice-President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Oppenheimer Family Foundation
How much does Oppenheimer Family Foundation give each year?
Oppenheimer Family Foundation gave $301K across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $263K across 23 grants.
What is Oppenheimer Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Oppenheimer Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $15,822, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Oppenheimer Family Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Oppenheimer Family Foundation give grants?
Oppenheimer Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (9 grants) and Ojai, CA (7 grants).
Does Oppenheimer Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Oppenheimer Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Oppenheimer Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Oppenheimer Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Miscellaneous Available Upon Request ($119,115), Lake Forest College ($100,000) and Her Story Theater ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 76% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Oppenheimer Family Foundation?
Oppenheimer Family Foundation reported $278K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $301K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $90K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Oppenheimer Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for varied organizations. Lake Forest College describes its mission as providing post-secondary education leading to a baccalaureate degree. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Oppenheimer Family Foundation?
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Oppenheimer Family Foundation's EIN?
Oppenheimer Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6054015. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 18, 2022)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 7, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 25, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Oppenheimer Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/oppenheimer-family-foundation-morg_b127d3e2c09f4f16a9bcebad6befc7d7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366054015_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Oppenheimer Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/oppenheimer-family-foundation-morg_b127d3e2c09f4f16a9bcebad6befc7d7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Oppenheimer 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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