S Edward Marder Family Foundation
S Edward Marder Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Lake Forest, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations providing legal services, adoption support, animal welfare services, and assistance to people experiencing homelessness.
Key facts about S Edward Marder Family Foundation
In short: S Edward Marder Family Foundation gave $82K across 27 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Illinois. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 36-6157038
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $82,350
- Grants made (2025)
- 27
- Average grant
- $3,050
- Median grant
- $2,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (4 of 27, 2025)
- Total assets
- $334,659
- Primary geography
- Illinois (66% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$335K
-16.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$82K
+4.6% YoY
Grant Count
27
+8.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$3K
-3.2% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, S Edward Marder Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $128K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is S Edward Marder Family Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 27 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 74% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 78% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 68% 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 (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working in varied areas. For example, Prairie State Legal Services says its mission is to provide or coordinate free civil legal services for low-income individuals, families, and groups. Family Resource Center describes its mission as helping children through adoption, while PAWS Chicago describes its work as providing animal welfare programs for homeless and at-risk pets.
Other 2025 recipients include organizations whose stated missions address housing, homelessness, children’s programs, food assistance, medical research and treatment, and conservation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 27 grants totaling $82,350. Grants ranged from $350 to $12,000, with a median grant of $2,000. Notable awards included $12,000 to Prairie State Legal Services, $10,000 to Family Resource Center, $10,000 to Fidelity Charitable, $6,000 to Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, and $5,000 each to Evergreen Shared Housing and PAWS Chicago.
How to Apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with S Edward Marder Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 66% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois. Other reported recipient-state shares were Ohio, 12%; New York, 10%; and the District of Columbia and Virginia, 2% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $46K (2022) to $82K (2025). In 2025 it made 27 grants totaling $82K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Prairie State Legal Services Inc ($12K). Together the top 10 received $61K.
Grant Size Distribution
116 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 116 grants of 116 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Prairie State Legal Services Inc Rockford, IL | Charitable | $12,000 |
| Family Resource Center Chicago, IL | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Fidelity Charitable Cincinnati, OH | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Friends of the Israel Defense Forces Chicago, IL | Charitable | $6,000 |
| Evergreen Shared Housing Elmhurst, IL | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Paws Chicago Chicago, IL | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Chicago Coalition for the Homeless Chicago, IL | Charitable | $4,000 |
| ACLU Foundation New York, NY | Charitable | $3,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders USA New York, NY | Charitable | $3,000 |
| Frank Lentz Foundation Ltd Skokie, IL | Charitable | $3,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $334,659 | $23,943 | $91,488 | $82,350 |
| 2024 | $402,204 | $131,973 | $85,719 | $78,750 |
| 2023 | $355,950 | $36,014 | $54,037 | $48,500 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $334,659 | $402,204 | $355,950 |
| Revenue | $23,943 | $131,973 | $36,014 |
| Expenses | $91,488 | $85,719 | $54,037 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $86,375 | $81,775 | $51,150 |
| Net Investment Income | $21,943 | $128,973 | $33,389 |
| Distributable Amount | $127,716 | $115,057 | $89,974 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 28, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 19, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 10, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Chris Marder as president and director; David L Canmann Jr as treasurer and director; Linda L Marder as vice president, secretary, and director; and Michael E Cottle as assistant secretary and director.
S Edward Marder Family Foundation is led by Chris Marder, President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Chris Marder
President & Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
David L. Canmann Jr.
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Linda L. Marder
V.p., Secretary & Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Michael E. Cottle
Assistant Secretary & Director
On filings since 2021
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 207 Brampton Lane, Lake Forest, IL 60045
Phone: (847) 615-0198
Frequently asked questions about S Edward Marder Family Foundation
How much does S Edward Marder Family Foundation give each year?
S Edward Marder Family Foundation gave $82K across 27 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $79K across 25 grants.
What is S Edward Marder Family Foundation's typical grant size?
S Edward Marder Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $3,050, across 27 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from S Edward Marder Family Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does S Edward Marder Family Foundation give grants?
S Edward Marder Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 66% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Ohio (12%) and New York (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (6 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (2 grants).
Does S Edward Marder Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 27 grants with a stated purpose on S Edward Marder Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (27 grants).
Who are S Edward Marder Family Foundation's largest grantees?
S Edward Marder Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Prairie State Legal Services Inc ($12,000), Family Resource Center ($10,000) and Fidelity Charitable ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is S Edward Marder Family Foundation?
S Edward Marder Family Foundation reported $335K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $86K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $128K (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 S Edward Marder Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working in varied areas. For example, Prairie State Legal Services says its mission is to provide or coordinate free civil legal services for low-income individuals, families, and groups. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from S Edward Marder Family 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 S Edward Marder Family Foundation's EIN?
S Edward Marder Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6157038. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does S Edward Marder 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.
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