S & E Bramsen Foundation
S & E Bramsen Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois, that reported 21 grants totaling $1,571,710 in 2025. Its grants included substantial operating support for organizations in Illinois and Washington, DC, as well as smaller awards to organizations working in conservation, equine land access, community giving, and other areas.
S & E Bramsen Foundation at a glance
In short: S & E Bramsen Foundation gave $1.6M across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $75K), mostly in Illinois. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,571,710
- +3555.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- +23.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $74,843
- +2858.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $278,732
- -84.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (3 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (92% 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 S & E Bramsen Foundation
- 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: 161 N Clark St 2700, Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: (312) 641-6888
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who S & E Bramsen Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Home Centered Care Institue (HCCI) ($1.3M). Together the top 10 received $1.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
100 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 90 grants of 100 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois and 7% went to recipients in Washington, DC. The filing also lists grants to recipients in Kentucky, New Jersey, and Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is S & E Bramsen Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 21 grantees (14%) 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 $68K; repeat grants $76K. How we count
Medians: $100K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 76% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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 $43K (2024) to $4.6M (2020). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $1.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Home Centered Care Institue (HCCI) Schaumburg, IL | Operating Funds. | $1,320,000 |
| Hudson Insitute - Award Dinner Sponsor Washington, DC | Operating Funds. | $100,000 |
| The Danish Home Chicago, IL | Operating Funds. | $100,000 |
| Barrington Area Community Foundation Barrington, IL | Major Gifts Campaign | $5,000 |
| Conservation Foundation Naperville, IL | Operating Needs | $5,000 |
| Citizens for Conservation Barrington, IL | Operating Needs | $5,000 |
| Equine Land Conservation Resource Lexington, KY | Operating Needs | $5,000 |
| Nature Conservancy of Illinois Chicago, IL | Operating Needs | $5,000 |
| US Equestrian Team Foundation Gladstone, NJ | Operating Needs | $5,000 |
| Parkinson Research Foundation Sarasota, FL | Operating Needs | $3,000 |
Ready to take the next step with S & E Bramsen Foundation?
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 | $278,732 | $107,482 | $1,575,055 | $1,571,710 | 21 | $1,571,710 | $104,152 | $61,576 |
| 2024 | $1,746,305 | $45,516 | $66,709 | $43,000 | 17 | $43,000 | $45,516 | $71,844 |
| 2023 | $1,767,498 | $2,390,774 | $1,106,068 | $1,089,000 | 17 | $1,089,000 | $1,173,706 | $62,437 |
| 2022 | $1,684,460 | $228,171 | $1,764,978 | $1,750,000 | 22 | $1,750,000 | $39,630 | $176,694 |
| 2021 | $3,221,267 | $1,566,491 | $356,840 | $274,500 | 23 | $274,500 | $1,153,245 | $177,390 |
| 2020 | $2,011,616 | $2,655,283 | $4,644,340 | $4,632,000 | 22 | — | $2,592,943 | $220,073 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, S & E Bramsen Foundation reported a distributable amount of $62K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, The Conservation Foundation says it works to improve community health by preserving and restoring natural areas and protecting rivers and watersheds. Citizens for Conservation says it protects and restores land and promotes stewardship, while Equine Land Conservation Resource describes its mission as securing access to and conserving land for equine use. The Barrington Area Community Foundation says it makes donations to community-based 501(c)(3) organizations. Parkinson Research Foundation says it funds research toward a cure and provides education and services for patients and caregivers.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $1,571,710. Awards ranged from $250 to $1,320,000, with a median grant of $3,000. The largest grant was $1,320,000 to Home Centered Care Institute (HCCI) for operating funds. Other large awards included $100,000 to Hudson Institute for an award dinner sponsor and $100,000 to The Danish Home, both for operating funds. The foundation also gave $5,000 each to Barrington Area Community Foundation for a major gifts campaign and to The Conservation Foundation, Citizens for Conservation, Equine Land Conservation Resource, and Nature Conservancy of Illinois for operating needs.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists James E Bramsen as president, treasurer, and director; Mary Muehlstein as secretary and director; and Franklin E Bramsen, Sigrid L Gray, and Julia E Bramsen as directors.
S & E Bramsen Foundation is led by James E. Bramsen, President, Treasurer & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James E. Bramsen
President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Franklin E. Bramsen
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julia E. Bramsen
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary Muehlstein
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sigrid L. Gray
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/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 S & E Bramsen Foundation
How much does S & E Bramsen Foundation give each year?
S & E Bramsen Foundation gave $1.6M across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $43K across 17 grants.
What is S & E Bramsen Foundation's typical grant size?
S & E Bramsen Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $74,843, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from S & E Bramsen Foundation that year got $68K on average.
Where does S & E Bramsen Foundation give grants?
S & E Bramsen Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (3 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants) and Barrington, IL (3 grants).
Does S & E Bramsen Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 95% of S & E Bramsen Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are S & E Bramsen Foundation's largest grantees?
S & E Bramsen Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Home Centered Care Institue (HCCI) ($1,320,000), Hudson Insitute - Award Dinner Sponsor ($100,000) and The Danish Home ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 97% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is S & E Bramsen Foundation?
S & E Bramsen Foundation reported $279K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $62K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does S & E Bramsen Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from S & E Bramsen Foundation?
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 S & E Bramsen Foundation's EIN?
S & E Bramsen Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-2546470. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does S & E Bramsen 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 October 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 May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in S & E Bramsen Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). S & E Bramsen Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/s-and-e-bramsen-foundation-morg_10727934281d4cef9afde4d03a8a8392
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_362546470_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{S \& E Bramsen Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/s-and-e-bramsen-foundation-morg_10727934281d4cef9afde4d03a8a8392},
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 S & E Bramsen 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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