Out of the Box Foundation Inc
Out of the Box Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in food assistance, housing, legal services, health care, literacy, and community services.
Out of the Box Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Out of the Box Foundation Inc gave $122K across 30 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Illinois. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $122,100
- +2.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 30
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,070
- +2.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,067,057
- +18.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (10 of 30, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (82% 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 Out of the Box 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: Tockman 5510 N Sheridan Rd 15 A, Chicago, IL 60640
Phone: (312) 919-1118
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Out of the Box Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Greater Chicago Food Depository ($15K). Together the top 10 received $67K.
Grant Size Distribution
131 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 131 grants of 131 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 82% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois. The remaining reported shares went to Arkansas, Florida, the District of Columbia, and Minnesota, at 4% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Out of the Box Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 30 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 27% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 141% 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 $75K (2021) to $122K (2025). In 2025 it made 30 grants totaling $122K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Chicago Food Depository Chicago, IL | Generalgeneral | $15,000 |
| Habitat for Humanity Chicago, IL | General | $11,000 |
| South Asian Friendship Chicago, IL | Generalgeneral | $6,000 |
| Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic Chicago, IL | General | $5,000 |
| Chicago Coalition for the Homeless Chicago, IL | General | $5,000 |
| Heifer International Little Rock, AR | General | $5,000 |
| Himalayan Youth Foundation Winter Park, FL | General | $5,000 |
| Human Rights Campaign Fund Washington, DC | General | $5,000 |
| IRC International Rescue Committee Albert Lea, MN | General | $5,000 |
| Lasalle Street Church Breakthrough Fund Chicago, IL | General | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation reported 30 grants in 2025 and 2024, and 28 in 2023.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,067,057 | $298,811 | $136,021 | $122,100 | 30 | $122,115 | $288,271 | $86,792 |
| 2024 | $904,267 | $152,597 | $129,870 | $119,000 | 30 | $119,015 | $161,613 | $85,823 |
| 2023 | $881,159 | $92,644 | $121,721 | $112,186 | 28 | $112,201 | $83,124 | $76,109 |
| 2022 | $910,419 | $82,149 | $110,874 | $96,000 | 27 | $96,015 | $72,749 | $74,493 |
| 2021 | $939,144 | $203,946 | $85,134 | $75,200 | 16 | $75,215 | $194,670 | $72,069 |
| 2020 | $820,332 | $109,758 | $113,238 | $104,500 | 24 | — | $101,020 | $61,176 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Out of the Box Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $87K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the Greater Chicago Food Depository says its mission is to end hunger and that it works with community organizations and individuals. Habitat for Humanity describes its work as bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Other 2025 grantees include Lincoln Park Community Services, which says it works with people facing homelessness and poverty to secure stable housing, and Open Books, which says it promotes literacy and reading and writing in Chicago and beyond.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation awarded 30 grants totaling $122,100. Grants ranged from $100 to $15,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest listed awards were $15,000 to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, $11,000 to Habitat for Humanity, and $6,000 to South Asian Friendship. Other listed grants included $5,000 each to Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Heifer International, Himalayan Youth Foundation, Human Rights Campaign Fund, IRC International Rescue Committee, and three LaSalle Street Church funds.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Susan Schaefer, Lee Tockman, and Philip GD Schaefer as trustees.
Out of the Box Foundation Inc's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lee Tockman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Philip Gd Schaefer
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Susan Schaefer
Trustee
On filings since 2020
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 Out of the Box Foundation Inc
How much does Out of the Box Foundation Inc give each year?
Out of the Box Foundation Inc gave $122K across 30 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $119K across 30 grants.
What is Out of the Box Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Out of the Box Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $4,070, across 30 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Out of the Box Foundation Inc that year got $2K on average.
Where does Out of the Box Foundation Inc give grants?
Out of the Box Foundation Inc gives mostly in Illinois: 82% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (23 grants).
Does Out of the Box Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 87% of Out of the Box Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 30) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Generalgeneral" (3 grants).
Who are Out of the Box Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Out of the Box Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Greater Chicago Food Depository ($15,000), Habitat for Humanity ($11,000) and South Asian Friendship ($6,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Out of the Box Foundation Inc?
Out of the Box Foundation Inc reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $122K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $87K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Out of the Box Foundation Inc fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the Greater Chicago Food Depository says its mission is to end hunger and that it works with community organizations and individuals. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Out of the Box 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 Out of the Box Foundation Inc's EIN?
Out of the Box Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4410455. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Out of the Box 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 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 April 28, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 7, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 20, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work Out of the Box Foundation Inc funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Out of the Box Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Out of the Box Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/out-of-the-box-foundation-inc-morg_495c95cf09744702a4b8da290b64ba3b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364410455_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Out of the Box Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/out-of-the-box-foundation-inc-morg_495c95cf09744702a4b8da290b64ba3b},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-11. 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 Out of the Box 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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