Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation
The Sidney R. Baer, Jr. Foundation is a private foundation based in Eagan, Minnesota. It supports organizations and institutions working to improve mental health, with a focus on people living with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation at a glance
In short: Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation gave $1.7M across 41 grants in 2025 (avg $40K), top state Massachusetts. 49% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,659,597
- -32.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 41
- +17.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $40,478
- -42.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $34,982,475
- +13.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 49% first-time grantees (20 of 41, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (46% 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 Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Submit a letter of intent; organizations invited by the committee may then submit a full application.
- Review Cycle
- Letters of intent are accepted November 1 through March 1. Invited applications are due by May 31.
- Deadline
- Letters of intent are accepted November 1 through March 1.
- Contact
Application contact: Sidney Baer Jr Foundation
Mailing address: 1 N Brentwood Blvd Suite 1400, St Louis, MO 63105
Phone: (888) 265-7962
Website: https://baerfoundation.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
4 open opportunities from Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation
Sidney R. Baer, Jr. Foundation: Clinical Research Grants
Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Sidney R. Baer, Jr. Foundation: Criminal Justice Grants
Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Sidney R. Baer, Jr. Foundation: Education Grants
Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Massachusetts General Hospital ($173K). Together the top 10 received $905K.
Grant Size Distribution
151 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 68 grants of 151 (45%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation states that it has no geographic restriction within the continental United States. In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts (46%), Missouri (19%), and New York (17%); smaller shares went to Virginia (3%) and Texas (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 41 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation open to new grantees?
49%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 20 of 41 grantees (49%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $29K; repeat grants $52K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $40K repeat.
- 41% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 49% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 61% 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.7M (2025) to $3.7M (2021). In 2025 it made 41 grants totaling $1.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA | General Operating | $172,941 |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Charleston, MA | General Operating | $110,000 |
| Center for Reintegration Saugerties, NY | Scholarships | $100,000 |
| Bay Cove Human Services Inc Boston, MA | General Operating | $85,000 |
| University of Mass Medical School Worcester, MA | General Operating | $75,000 |
| Brookline Community Mental Health Center Brookline, MA | General Operating | $75,000 |
| Boston Children's Hospital Trust Boston, MA | General Operating | $75,000 |
| Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY | General Operating | $75,000 |
| Tufts University Medford, MA | General Operating | $69,661 |
| Genesis Club House Inc Worcester, MA | General Operating | $67,000 |
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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 | $34,982,475 | $6,558,321 | $2,261,229 | $1,659,597 | 41 | $1,741,533 | $6,097,510 | $2,865,417 |
| 2024 | $30,703,770 | $7,219,801 | $3,027,352 | $2,462,039 | 35 | $2,523,899 | $6,799,194 | $2,610,626 |
| 2023 | $26,412,734 | $7,570,121 | $2,737,724 | $2,138,404 | 22 | $2,216,183 | $7,164,598 | $2,354,456 |
| 2022 | $21,559,641 | $4,022,278 | $3,857,062 | $3,231,819 | 25 | $3,282,612 | $3,511,858 | $2,772,244 |
| 2021 | $21,397,000 | $3,935,930 | $4,221,609 | $3,685,803 | 28 | — | $3,459,962 | $2,493,946 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.9M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to award grants to organizations and institutions doing work with a tangible impact on mental health. Its five grant segments are education, criminal justice, reintegration, clinical research, and social support. Its guidelines identify schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder as primary areas of focus.
The foundation supports qualifying tax-exempt organizations whose application primarily concerns programs focused on schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Examples among its 2025 grantees include Genesis Club House, which says it provides psychosocial and vocational support for adults with mental illness; Independence Center, which says it helps people with mental illness live and work in the community; and Bay Cove Human Services, which says it serves people facing challenges including mental illness.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 41 grants totaling $1,659,597. Grants ranged from $4,995 to $172,941, with a median grant of $25,000. Its largest reported grants included $172,941 to Massachusetts General Hospital for general operating support, $110,000 to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for general operating support, and $100,000 to Center for Reintegration for scholarships. Other notable awards included $85,000 to Bay Cove Human Services, $75,000 each to University of Massachusetts Medical School, Brookline Community Mental Health Center, Boston Children’s Hospital Trust, and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and $55,000 to Independence Center.
The foundation’s application process begins with an eligibility review and a letter of intent submitted through its online portal. The grantmaking committee reviews LOIs and may invite selected organizations to submit a full application. Applicants must be eligible tax-exempt organizations under IRS sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2), and agree to spend no more than 7% of the grant on administrative expenses. The foundation does not fund 509(a)(3) supporting organizations, private foundations, or private operating foundations. Grants are not made for international activities or to foreign charitable institutions.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists U.S. Bank N.A. as trustee and Lee Bearman and Lee Rodgers as co-executive directors. The foundation’s grant guidelines give their names as Lee F. Bearman and Lee M. Rodgers.
Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation is led by Lee Bearman, Co-Executive Director on the 2025 filing; all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lee Bearman
Co-Executive Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
$25K (2025)
Lee Rodgers
Co-Executive Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
$25K (2025)
US Bank N A
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
$414K (2024) → $452K (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: George B. Handran (2021–2024) — Co-Trustee
- Former: US Bank (2021–2023) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $452K, to US Bank N a (Trustee). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation
How much does Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation give each year?
Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation gave $1.7M across 41 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.5M across 35 grants.
What is Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation's typical grant size?
Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $40,478, across 41 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation that year got $29K on average.
Where does Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation give grants?
Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 46% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Missouri (19%) and New York (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Saint Louis, MO (10 grants), Boston, MA (3 grants), Worcester, MA (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 98% of Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (40 of 41) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation's largest grantees?
Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Massachusetts General Hospital ($172,941), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center ($110,000) and Center for Reintegration ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 23% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation?
Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation reported $35.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.9M (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 Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to award grants to organizations and institutions doing work with a tangible impact on mental health. Its five grant segments are education, criminal justice, reintegration, clinical research, and social support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation?
Submit a letter of intent; organizations invited by the committee may then submit a full application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation's EIN?
Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-6829338. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 10, 2022)
- Added 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 October 29, 2024)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sidney-r-baer-jr-foundation-morg_abbf1b38f9fe409493967cb1e5a6055c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_436829338_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sidney R Baer Jr Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sidney-r-baer-jr-foundation-morg_abbf1b38f9fe409493967cb1e5a6055c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Sidney R Baer Jr 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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