Robert G Weiss Family Foundation
The Robert G Weiss Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. In 2025, it reported 21 grants totaling $72,496, primarily to recipients in Illinois.
Robert G Weiss Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Robert G Weiss Family Foundation gave $72K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Illinois. 43% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $72,496
- -50.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- -4.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,452
- -48.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $45,567
- -18.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 43% first-time grantees (9 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (98% 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 G Weiss Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 835 W Buckingham Pl Rear, Chicago, IL 60657
Phone: (312) 720-6777
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Robert G Weiss Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Meryl Suzanne Weiss Fund ($60K). Together the top 10 received $70K.
Grant Size Distribution
114 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 112 grants of 114 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 1% to recipients in Minnesota, and less than 1% to recipients in Colorado, as reported by the foundation. Listed recipients included organizations in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Denver.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Robert G Weiss Family Foundation open to new grantees?
43%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 21 grantees (43%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $459; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $465 first-time, $500 repeat.
- 43% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 22% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 511% 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 $36K (2021) to $146K (2024). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $72K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Meryl Suzanne Weiss Fund Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $60,000 |
| Chicago Humanities Festival Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $3,000 |
| Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $1,300 |
| Camp Thunderbird Charitable Foundation Minneapolis, MN | General Purposes | $1,050 |
| Old Town School of Folk Music Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $1,000 |
| Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $1,000 |
| Wbez Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $750 |
| Steppenwolf Theatre Company Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $678 |
| American Cancer Society Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $500 |
| American Civil Liberties Union Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $45,567 | $65,494 | $76,021 | $72,496 | 21 | $74,271 | $63,744 | $14,537 |
| 2024 | $56,094 | $42,675 | $152,327 | $146,405 | 22 | $148,028 | $40,925 | $14,782 |
| 2023 | $165,746 | $90,923 | $55,577 | $52,153 | 24 | $53,768 | $89,114 | $16,041 |
| 2022 | $130,400 | $17,579 | $64,729 | $59,406 | 28 | $62,003 | $15,016 | $19,752 |
| 2021 | $177,550 | $16,976 | $41,434 | $36,171 | 19 | $36,186 | $11,728 | $20,546 |
| 2020 | $202,008 | $-12,363 | $53,847 | $48,225 | 16 | — | $10,891 | $18,845 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Robert G Weiss Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $15K 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 included arts and cultural organizations such as the Chicago Humanities Festival, whose mission is to promote public appreciation, understanding, and support of the humanities through festivals and educational programs, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, which says it aims to enrich, inspire, and transform lives through music, community engagement, and education.
Other recipients include Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, which says it provides resources for food, refuge, health care, education, and emergency assistance; and Steppenwolf Theatre Company, which says it strives to create “thrilling, courageous and provocative art” in a thoughtful and inclusive environment.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 21 grants totaling $72,496. Grants ranged from $100 to $60,000, with a median grant of $500.
The largest reported grant was $60,000 to the Meryl Suzanne Weiss Fund for general purposes. Other notable grants included $3,000 to the Chicago Humanities Festival, $1,300 to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, $1,050 to Camp Thunderbird Charitable Foundation, and $1,000 each to Old Town School of Folk Music and Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago. The foundation also gave $750 to WBEZ and $678 to Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Floretta A Weiss as secretary, Louis A Weiss as president, Robert A Weiss as vice president, and Robert G Weiss as treasurer.
Robert G Weiss Family Foundation is led by Louis A. Weiss, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Louis A. Weiss
President
Treasurer → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Floretta A. Weiss
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert G. Weiss
Vice President & Treasurer
Vice President & President → Vice President & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
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 Robert G Weiss Family Foundation
How much does Robert G Weiss Family Foundation give each year?
Robert G Weiss Family Foundation gave $72K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $146K across 22 grants.
What is Robert G Weiss Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Robert G Weiss Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $500, and its average grant was $3,452, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Robert G Weiss Family Foundation that year got $459 on average.
Where does Robert G Weiss Family Foundation give grants?
Robert G Weiss Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (16 grants).
Does Robert G Weiss Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Robert G Weiss Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (21 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Robert G Weiss Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Robert G Weiss Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Meryl Suzanne Weiss Fund ($60,000), Chicago Humanities Festival ($3,000) and Chicago Symphony Orchestra ($1,300), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 89% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Robert G Weiss Family Foundation?
Robert G Weiss Family Foundation reported $46K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $74K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $15K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Robert G Weiss Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Robert G Weiss Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it states that it 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 G Weiss Family Foundation's EIN?
Robert G Weiss Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6090520. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Robert G Weiss Family 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 24, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 27, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Robert G Weiss Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Robert G Weiss Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/robert-g-weiss-family-foundation-morg_bd2a9582291c4f0183c2dc8e48d331e0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366090520_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Robert G Weiss Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/robert-g-weiss-family-foundation-morg_bd2a9582291c4f0183c2dc8e48d331e0},
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 Robert G Weiss 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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