Seyfarth Shaw Charitable Foundation
Seyfarth Shaw Charitable Foundation is associated with Seyfarth Shaw LLP, a law firm based in Chicago, Illinois. The foundation operates as part of the firm's broader commitment to pro bono legal services and philanthropic giving.
Key facts about Seyfarth Shaw Charitable Foundation
- EIN
- 20-1076114
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $286,563
- Grants made (2024)
- 118
- Average grant
- $2,429
- Median grant
- $2,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (38 of 118, 2024)
- Total assets
- $19,881
- Primary geography
- New York (19% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who Seyfarth Shaw Charitable Foundation funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Seyfarth Shaw Charitable Foundation's 118 itemized 2024 grants were New York (19%), Georgia (15%) and District of Columbia (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (15 grants), Atlanta, GA (13 grants), Washington, DC (9 grants) and Chicago, IL (8 grants). 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
Is Seyfarth Shaw Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 38 of 118 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 68% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 43% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Seyfarth Shaw Charitable Foundation
- How to evaluate Seyfarth Shaw Charitable Foundation as a funder
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Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$20K
+1110.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$287K
+1.6% YoY
Grant Count
118
-11.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2K
+14.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Seyfarth Shaw Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $13K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's work aligns with Seyfarth Shaw LLP's stated mission to provide access to justice for those who cannot otherwise afford legal services. The firm encourages all attorneys to devote time to pro bono legal work, with a best practice recommendation that each attorney devote at least 3% of billable hours per year to pro bono matters.
The firm's pro bono legal services focus on:
- Asylum, visas, and other immigration matters
- Adoption, guardian ad litem, and divorce
- Intellectual property matters
- Additional legal services addressing unmet community needs
Ready to take the next step with Seyfarth Shaw Charitable Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in California, Illinois, and Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 118 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $19,881 | $1,643 | $-7,342 |
| Revenue | $305,135 | $291,000 | $227,015 |
| Expenses | $286,897 | $282,015 | $236,130 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $286,593 | $282,015 | $236,030 |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | $12,837 | $6,869 | $4,664 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
512 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta Inc ($17,500), Lawyers Alliance for New York ($15,000), World Central Kitchen ($10,558).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| PRO BONO PARTNERSHIP OF ATLANTA INC Atlanta, GA | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $17,500 |
| LAWYERS ALLIANCE FOR NEW YORK New York, NY | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $15,000 |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN Washington, DC | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $10,558 |
| CRADLES TO CRAYONS Chicago, IL | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $7,500 |
| MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF NORTHEASTERN CA & NORTHERN NV Sacramento, CA | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $7,500 |
| EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS Washington, DC | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $6,809 |
| HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST New York, NY | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $6,000 |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES Washington, DC | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $5,000 |
| CHARLOTTE CENTER FOR LEGAL ADVOCACY Charlotte, NC | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $5,000 |
| CHILDREN'S LEGAL CENTER Chicago, IL | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $5,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Suzanne L Saxman is listed as the principal officer associated with the foundation's operations.
Compensation Overview
No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.
From 2024 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joan Larkin | President | 0.5 | — |
| Randell Montellaro | Secretary/Treasurer | 0.5 | — |
| Kathleen Cahill-Slaught | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Christa Dommers | Vice President | 0.5 | — |
| William Prickett | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Alex Drummond | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Whitney Schmidt | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Jennifer Kraft | Director | 0.5 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Seyfarth Shaw Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation's work aligns with Seyfarth Shaw LLP's stated mission to provide access to justice for those who cannot otherwise afford legal services. The firm encourages all attorneys to devote time to pro bono legal work, with a best practice recommendation that each attorney devote at least 3% of billable hours per year to pro bono matters. The firm's pro bono legal services focus on: • Asylum, visas, and other immigration matters • Adoption, guardian ad litem, and divorce • Intellectual pr…
Where does Seyfarth Shaw Charitable Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in California, Illinois, and Connecticut.
What size grants does Seyfarth Shaw Charitable Foundation award?
In 2024, Seyfarth Shaw Charitable Foundation awarded 118 grants totaling $287K — an average of about $2K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Seyfarth Shaw Charitable Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Seyfarth Shaw Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $13K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Seyfarth Shaw Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Seyfarth Shaw Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1076114. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.