Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation
The Seymour A Cohen Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in cancer research, family and community services, and education.
Key facts about Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation
In short: Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation gave $231K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), mostly in Illinois. 31% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 36-3991489
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $230,926
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- Average grant
- $17,764
- Median grant
- $4,900
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (4 of 13, 2025)
- Total assets
- $3,091,577
- Primary geography
- Illinois (88% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- 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. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 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
$3.1M
+1.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$231K
+16.0% YoY
Grant Count
13
-18.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$18K
+42.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $216K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 13 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $25K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 62% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−12%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 107% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for the Cancer Research Foundation, which says its mission is to fund early-career cancer scientists and new directions in cancer science research. Metropolitan Family Services describes its mission as providing and mobilizing services to strengthen families and communities. LINK Unlimited Scholars says it connects Black students with resources and opportunities to help them succeed as they advance to, through, and beyond college. Emory University describes its mission as creating, preserving, teaching, and applying knowledge in the service of humanity.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $230,926. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $135,000, with a median of $4,900.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 grant dollars were reported as 88% to recipients in Illinois, 10% in California, 2% in Georgia, and less than 1% in Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $197K (2021) to $271K (2023). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $231K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Cancer Research Foundation ($135K). Together the top 10 received $228K.
Grant Size Distribution
68 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 60 grants of 68 (88%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cancer Research Foundation Chicago, IL | Promote org's activity by gifts to gen'l rev fund | $135,000 |
| Metropolitan Family Services Chicago, IL | Promote org's activity by gifts to gen'l rev fund | $50,000 |
| Center for International Experiential Learning Los Angeles, CA | Promote org's activity by gifts to gen'l rev fund | $15,000 |
| CASA of Contra Costa County Concord, CA | Promote org's activity by gifts to gen'l rev fund | $5,000 |
| Emory University Atlanta, GA | Promote Org's Activity by Gifts to Scholarship Fund | $5,000 |
| Link Unlimited Scholars Chicago, IL | Promote org's activity by gifts to gen'l rev fund | $5,000 |
| Ravinia Highland Park, IL | Promote org's activity by gifts to gen'l rev fund | $4,900 |
| University of Chicago Women's Board Chicago, IL | Promote org's activity by gifts to gen'l rev fund | $3,000 |
| Holocaust Museum Skokie, IL | Promote org's activity by gifts to gen'l rev fund | $2,500 |
| Life Long Medical Care Berkeley, CA | Promote org's activity by gifts to gen'l rev fund | $2,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,091,577 | $288,946 | $259,614 | $230,926 (13 grants) |
| 2024 | $3,062,245 | $488,058 | $224,436 | $199,112 (16 grants) |
| 2023 | $2,798,623 | $284,945 | $290,289 | $270,553 (14 grants) |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,091,577 | $3,062,245 | $2,798,623 |
| Revenue | $288,946 | $488,058 | $284,945 |
| Expenses | $259,614 | $224,436 | $290,289 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $231,453 | $199,627 | $271,068 |
| Net Investment Income | $267,785 | $468,920 | $266,273 |
| Distributable Amount | $216,492 | $198,130 | $182,752 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 28, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Merle G Cohen as director, Aaron S Cohen as treasurer, and Lisa Schenkman as president.
Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation is led by Lisa Schenkman, President since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lisa Schenkman
President
Secretary, Treasurer & Trustee → President, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Merle G. Cohen
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Aaron S. Cohen
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2021
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 680 N Lakeshore Drive 2500, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (773) 852-0845
Frequently asked questions about Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation
How much does Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation give each year?
Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation gave $231K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $199K across 16 grants.
What is Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $4,900, and its average grant was $17,764, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation give grants?
Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (6 grants).
Does Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Promote Org's Activity by Gifts to Gen'l Rev Fund" (12 grants).
Who are Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Cancer Research Foundation ($135,000), Metropolitan Family Services ($50,000) and Center for International Experiential Learning ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 87% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation?
Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation reported $3.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $231K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $216K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for the Cancer Research Foundation, which says its mission is to fund early-career cancer scientists and new directions in cancer science research. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Seymour a Cohen Family 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 Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation's EIN?
Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3991489. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Seymour a Cohen Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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