Ries Foundation
Ries Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. It makes contributions to charitable organizations, including organizations in Illinois and other states.
Ries Foundation at a glance
In short: Ries Foundation gave $67K across 32 grants in 2024 (avg $2K), mostly in Illinois. 19% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $66,586
- +24.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 32
- -8.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $2,081
- +35.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $1,337,535
- +92.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (6 of 32, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (63% 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 Ries Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1000 N State Street Unit 11, Chicago, IL 60610-2859
Phone: (312) 613-0031
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ries Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Jewish United Fund ($18K). Together the top 10 received $56K.
Grant Size Distribution
167 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 167 grants of 167 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 63% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 23% to California, 8% to New York, 3% to Washington, DC, and 2% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Ries Foundation open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 32 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $300 first-time, $750 repeat.
- 78% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+14%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 106% 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 $51K (2020) to $67K (2024). In 2024 it made 32 grants totaling $67K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish United Fund Chicago, IL | Charitable Gift | $18,418 |
| Worthy Books Encinitas, CA | Charitable Gift | $15,000 |
| US Holocaust Memorial Highland Park, IL | Charitable Gift | $5,000 |
| Am Shalom Glencoe, IL | Charitable Gift | $4,950 |
| Northwestern University Evanston, IL | Charitable Grants | $2,500 |
| Self Help Home Chicago, IL | Charitable Gift | $2,150 |
| Friends of the IDF Chicago, IL | Charitable Gift | $2,143 |
| Jewish Women's Foundation Chicago, IL | Charitable Gift | $2,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | Charitable Grants | $2,000 |
| Cornell University Ithaca, NY | Charitable Gift | $1,500 |
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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 | $1,337,535 | $72,763 | $80,845 | $66,586 | 32 | $66,586 | $50,619 | $62,979 |
| 2023 | $693,962 | $116,314 | $64,304 | $53,660 | 35 | $55,001 | $108,015 | $57,531 |
| 2022 | $652,588 | $83,651 | $70,641 | $55,602 | 37 | $57,091 | $70,802 | $57,979 |
| 2021 | $637,501 | $46,344 | $70,645 | $58,466 | 32 | $60,391 | $36,090 | $58,291 |
| 2020 | $631,907 | $39,294 | $63,863 | $51,206 | 31 | — | $28,768 | $51,582 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ries Foundation reported a distributable amount of $63K 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 is provided. The foundation’s 2024 grants include support for charitable and educational organizations. Among its grantees, Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago says it provides food, refuge, health care, education, and emergency assistance; Worthy Books says it disseminates books and related content to enrich lives and contribute to community well-being; Northwestern University describes its commitments to teaching, research, and students’ intellectual and personal growth; and The Selfhelp Home says it provides nursing, health care, and related activities for older adults.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 32 grants totaling $66,586. Grants ranged from $25 to $18,418, with a median grant of $500. Notable grants included $18,418 to Jewish United Fund, $15,000 to Worthy Books, $5,000 to US Holocaust Memorial, $4,950 to Am Shalom, and $2,500 to Northwestern University.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Dr. Michael H Ries as president, treasurer, and director; Dr. Elaine Leboff-Ries as vice president, secretary, and director; and Jeffrey Ries and Laura Ries as directors.
Ries Foundation is led by Michael H. Ries, President, Treasurer & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Michael H. Ries
President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Elaine Leboff-Ries
Vice President, Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jeffrey Ries
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Laura Ries
Director
On filings since 2020
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.
Frequently asked questions about Ries Foundation
How much does Ries Foundation give each year?
Ries Foundation gave $67K across 32 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $54K across 35 grants.
What is Ries Foundation's typical grant size?
Ries Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $500, and its average grant was $2,081, across 32 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ries Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Ries Foundation give grants?
Ries Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (23%) and New York (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (11 grants), New York, NY (5 grants) and Ithaca, NY (2 grants).
Does Ries Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 32 grants with a stated purpose on Ries Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable Gift" (26 grants) and "Charitable Grants" (4 grants).
Who are Ries Foundation's largest grantees?
Ries Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Jewish United Fund ($18,418), Worthy Books ($15,000) and US Holocaust Memorial ($5,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Ries Foundation?
Ries Foundation reported $1.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $67K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $63K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Ries Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The foundation’s 2024 grants include support for charitable and educational organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ries Foundation?
The foundation 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 Ries Foundation's EIN?
Ries Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-2545485. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Ries 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Ries Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ries Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ries-foundation-morg_32633df7abb1447287bb1cb8fae5c3a5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_362545485_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ries Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ries-foundation-morg_32633df7abb1447287bb1cb8fae5c3a5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Ries 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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