SF Foundation
SF Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2024 filing reports 11 grants totaling $2,420,000, all designated to support recipients’ general services.
SF Foundation at a glance
In short: SF Foundation gave $2.4M across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $220K), mostly in Minnesota. 18% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,420,000
- -45.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $220,000
- -45.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $20,925,749
- -7.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (2 of 11, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (68% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to SF Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3023 N Clark Street 889, Chicago, IL 60657
Phone: (312) 207-1040
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who SF Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was St Marys University ($1.6M). Together the top 10 received $2.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
57 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 27 grants of 57 (47%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 68% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota, 21% to recipients in Connecticut, and 11% to recipients in Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Is SF Foundation open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 11 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $30K; repeat grants $262K. How we count
Medians: $30K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 82% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 51% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 368% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $2.4M (2024) to $5.1M (2020). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $2.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Marys University Winona, MN | To Support General Services | $1,650,000 |
| Fairfield University Fairfield, CT | To Support General Services | $510,000 |
| Paws Chicago Chicago, IL | To Support General Services | $65,000 |
| Kohl Childrens Museum Glenview, IL | To Support General Services | $60,000 |
| Olph Glenview, IL | To Support General Services | $50,000 |
| Misericordia Chicago, IL | To Support General Services | $25,000 |
| Big Shoulders Fund Chicago, IL | To Support General Services | $20,000 |
| Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Chicago, IL | To Support General Services | $10,000 |
| Golf Glenview, IL | To Support General Services | $10,000 |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository Chicago, IL | To Support General Services | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with SF 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $20,925,749 | $930,130 | $2,685,626 | $2,420,000 | 11 | $2,420,000 | $812,853 | $658,394 |
| 2023 | $22,681,276 | $-325,761 | $4,551,849 | $4,420,000 | 11 | $4,420,000 | $302,064 | $739,778 |
| 2022 | $28,314,075 | $-1,450,400 | $4,273,091 | $3,900,000 | 11 | $3,900,000 | $173,351 | $1,031,745 |
| 2021 | $33,282,550 | $7,849,973 | $5,145,705 | $4,900,000 | 11 | $4,900,000 | $7,620,456 | $1,224,911 |
| 2020 | $34,794,851 | $12,528,765 | $5,310,998 | $5,055,000 | 13 | — | $12,261,434 | $1,350,107 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, SF Foundation reported a distributable amount of $658K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations including universities, schools, animal-welfare organizations, a children’s museum, and food and community-service organizations. Fairfield University describes its work as providing secondary, undergraduate, and graduate education, along with other educational, charitable, and religious work. PAWS Chicago describes its work in animal welfare, including spay/neuter, medical, and adoption programs. Big Shoulders Fund says it supports underserved schools providing values-based education, and the Greater Chicago Food Depository describes its mission as ending hunger.
Grantmaking
In 2024, SF Foundation made 11 grants totaling $2,420,000. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $1,650,000, with a median of $25,000. The largest grants were $1,650,000 to St Marys University in Winona, Minnesota, and $510,000 to Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Other listed grants included $65,000 to PAWS Chicago, $60,000 to Kohl Childrens Museum, and $50,000 to OLPH. The filing lists each grant’s purpose as supporting general services.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists S Simon, J Simon, and K Hondru as directors.
SF Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
J. Simon
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
K. Hondru
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
S. Simon
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 SF Foundation
How much does SF Foundation give each year?
SF Foundation gave $2.4M across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $4.4M across 11 grants.
What is SF Foundation's typical grant size?
SF Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $220,000, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from SF Foundation that year got $30K on average.
Where does SF Foundation give grants?
SF Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 68% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Connecticut (21%) and Illinois (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (5 grants) and Glenview, IL (3 grants).
Does SF Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of SF Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are SF Foundation's largest grantees?
SF Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include St Marys University ($1,650,000), Fairfield University ($510,000) and Paws Chicago ($65,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 92% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is SF Foundation?
SF Foundation reported $20.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $658K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does SF Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations including universities, schools, animal-welfare organizations, a children’s museum, and food and community-service organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from SF 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 SF Foundation's EIN?
SF Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4146804. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does SF 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 3, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in SF Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). SF Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sf-foundation-morg_582ed042269c489585588a35659879fc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364146804_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{SF Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sf-foundation-morg_582ed042269c489585588a35659879fc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 SF 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.
SF Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?