Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara
Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. In filing year 2025, it reported 13 grants totaling $93,000 to charitable organizations.
Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara at a glance
In short: Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara gave $93K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Illinois. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $93,000
- -53.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- -23.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,154
- -39.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,004,142
- +20.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (5 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (74% 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 Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1420 N Lakeshore Dr Apt 15B, Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: (312) 497-1600
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Lincoln Park Zoo ($35K). Together the top 10 received $91K.
Grant Size Distribution
64 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 60 grants of 64 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Chicago, Illinois. In 2025, 74% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 16% to Pennsylvania, 7% to New York, and 1% each to the District of Columbia and Colorado.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 13 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 46% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 34% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 102% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $93K (2025) to $201K (2024). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $93K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, IL | General Fund | $35,000 |
| Cure Lemoyne, PA | General Fund | $15,000 |
| Northwestern Memorial Foundation Chicago, IL | General Fund | $12,500 |
| History Makers Chicago, IL | General Fund | $10,000 |
| College Possible Chicago, IL | General Fund | $5,000 |
| United Way of Metro Chicago Chicago, IL | General Fund | $5,000 |
| National Mill Dog Rescue Port Washington, NY | General Fund | $5,000 |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, NY | General Fund | $1,500 |
| The Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia Washington, DC | General Fund | $1,000 |
| The Cycle Effect Eagle, CO | General Fund | $1,000 |
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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 | $1,004,142 | $448,774 | $99,691 | $93,000 | 13 | $93,000 | $188,354 | $90,758 |
| 2024 | $830,635 | $491,789 | $212,078 | $201,200 | 17 | $201,200 | $293,934 | $68,893 |
| 2023 | $730,771 | $499,984 | $159,615 | $157,385 | 17 | $157,385 | $307,852 | $19,249 |
| 2022 | $491,126 | $274,033 | $143,224 | $141,000 | 8 | $141,000 | $73,936 | $22,542 |
| 2021 | $528,771 | $203,630 | $103,289 | $97,600 | 9 | $97,600 | $73,694 | $24,077 |
| 2020 | $526,131 | $168,140 | $111,831 | $110,000 | 6 | — | $160,325 | $21,060 |
| 2019 | $469,822 | $132,280 | $124,814 | $121,801 | 15 | — | $64,955 | $23,040 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara reported a distributable amount of $91K 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 a zoo, a cancer organization, educational and community organizations, and legal aid and disability-related organizations. The Cycle Effect, a 2025 grantee, describes its mission as empowering young women from underserved communities through education and mountain biking, helping lower-income girls develop skills and self-esteem.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $93,000. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $35,000, with a median of $5,000. Listed grants generally state “GENERAL FUND” as their purpose.
Among the largest reported grants were $35,000 to Lincoln Park Zoo, $15,000 to CURE, $12,500 to Northwestern Memorial Foundation, and $10,000 to History Makers. Other listed grants included $5,000 each to College Possible, United Way of Metro Chicago, and National Mill Dog Rescue; and $1,000 to The Cycle Effect.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Randall Mehrberg as president, Michele Schara as secretary and treasurer, and Dillon Mehrberg as vice-president.
Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara is led by Randall Mehrberg, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Randall Mehrberg
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dillon Mehrberg
Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michele Schara
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
0.5 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 Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara
How much does Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara give each year?
Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara gave $93K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $201K across 17 grants.
What is Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara's typical grant size?
Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,154, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara that year got $4K on average.
Where does Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara give grants?
Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara gives mostly in Illinois: 74% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (16%) and New York (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (7 grants).
Does Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara's largest grantees?
Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara's largest 2025 grantees include Lincoln Park Zoo ($35,000), Cure ($15,000) and Northwestern Memorial Foundation ($12,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 67% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara?
Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara reported $1.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $93K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $91K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for a zoo, a cancer organization, educational and community organizations, and legal aid and disability-related organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds 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 Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara's EIN?
Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-2026540. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 30, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/randy-and-michele-mehrberg-schara-morg_4b51b33ede704650bbc92f0c00b44e5c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_262026540_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/randy-and-michele-mehrberg-schara-morg_4b51b33ede704650bbc92f0c00b44e5c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Randy and Michele Mehrberg Schara'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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