Robert C and Deborah K Bridges
Robert C and Deborah K Bridges is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. It made 19 grants totaling $295,300 in filing year 2025, with the listed grants supporting charitable organizations in areas including education, food assistance, health, and youth services.
Robert C and Deborah K Bridges at a glance
In short: Robert C and Deborah K Bridges gave $295K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $16K), mostly in Illinois. 37% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $295,300
- +70.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- +26.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $15,542
- +34.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $5,146,422
- +14.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (7 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (76% 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 Robert C and Deborah K Bridges
- 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: 444 W Webster Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: (312) 422-1720
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Robert C and Deborah K Bridges funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was A Better Chicago ($40K). Together the top 10 received $233K.
Grant Size Distribution
60 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 60 grants of 60 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Chicago, Illinois. In 2025, 76% of its grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 9% to Massachusetts, 5% to Minnesota, 3% to Virginia, and 3% to the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Robert C and Deborah K Bridges open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 19 grantees (37%) 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 $8K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 63% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 91% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 79% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2022–2025). 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 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $155K (2022) to $295K (2025). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $295K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| A Better Chicago Chicago, IL | General Support | $40,000 |
| Hope Chicago Inc Winnetka, IL | General Support | $40,000 |
| Education Pioneers Inc Boston, MA | General Support | $27,500 |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository Chicago, IL | General Support | $25,000 |
| The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights Chicago, IL | General Support | $25,000 |
| Lincoln Park Zoological Society Chicago, IL | General Support | $15,000 |
| Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN | General Support | $15,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of Illinois Chicago, IL | General Support | $15,000 |
| United Way of Metropolitan Chicago Chicago, IL | General Support | $15,000 |
| XS Tennis and Education Foundation Chicago, IL | General Support | $15,000 |
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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 | $5,146,422 | $963,041 | $318,867 | $295,300 | 19 | $297,315 | $958,114 | $377,460 |
| 2024 | $4,510,680 | $709,435 | $183,401 | $173,515 | 15 | $173,515 | $705,597 | $387,096 |
| 2023 | $3,977,872 | $2,542,734 | $199,292 | $156,000 | 13 | $156,000 | $192,321 | $265,858 |
| 2022 | $3,392,474 | $4,637,476 | $174,523 | $155,000 | 13 | $155,005 | $2,623,778 | $113,608 |
| 2021 | $436,395 | $2,422,008 | — | — | — | — | — | $9,932 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Robert C and Deborah K Bridges reported a distributable amount of $377K 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 with varied missions. For example, A Better Chicago says it invests in ideas to create opportunities for youth, while HOPE Chicago says it works to expand access to debt-free postsecondary education for Chicago Public School students and their parents. The Greater Chicago Food Depository describes its mission as ending hunger, and Mayo Clinic says it works to advance health and well-being through care, education, and research.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 19 grants totaling $295,300. Grants ranged from $2,300 to $40,000, with a median grant of $15,000. The listed grant purposes were general support.
The largest grants included $40,000 each to A Better Chicago and HOPE Chicago; $27,500 to Education Pioneers; and $25,000 each to the Greater Chicago Food Depository and the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights. Other listed grants included $15,000 each to Lincoln Park Zoological Society, Mayo Clinic, Planned Parenthood of Illinois, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, and XS Tennis and Education Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Robert Bridges and Deborah Bridges are listed as trustees on the 2025 filing.
Robert C and Deborah K Bridges's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Robert Bridges
Trustee
President → Trustee, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deborah Bridges
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Robert C and Deborah K Bridges
How much does Robert C and Deborah K Bridges give each year?
Robert C and Deborah K Bridges gave $295K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $174K across 15 grants.
What is Robert C and Deborah K Bridges's typical grant size?
Robert C and Deborah K Bridges's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $15,542, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Robert C and Deborah K Bridges that year got $8K on average.
Where does Robert C and Deborah K Bridges give grants?
Robert C and Deborah K Bridges gives mostly in Illinois: 76% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (9%) and Minnesota (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (11 grants).
Does Robert C and Deborah K Bridges give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Robert C and Deborah K Bridges's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Robert C and Deborah K Bridges's largest grantees?
Robert C and Deborah K Bridges's largest 2025 grantees include A Better Chicago ($40,000), Hope Chicago Inc ($40,000) and Education Pioneers Inc ($27,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Robert C and Deborah K Bridges?
Robert C and Deborah K Bridges reported $5.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $297K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $377K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Robert C and Deborah K Bridges fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Robert C and Deborah K Bridges?
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 Robert C and Deborah K Bridges's EIN?
Robert C and Deborah K Bridges's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-4075108. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Robert C and Deborah K Bridges 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Live grants for the work Robert C and Deborah K Bridges funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Robert C and Deborah K Bridges's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Robert C and Deborah K Bridges funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/robert-c-and-deborah-k-bridges-morg_48b7936da51a4018a5972e54d1027d00
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_874075108_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Robert C and Deborah K Bridges funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/robert-c-and-deborah-k-bridges-morg_48b7936da51a4018a5972e54d1027d00},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Robert C and Deborah K Bridges'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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