Straus Family Foundation
The Straus Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Evanston, Illinois. Its 2024 filing lists grants to charitable organizations working in areas including education, health, literacy, and community support.
Key facts about Straus Family Foundation
In short: Straus Family Foundation gave $97K across 25 grants in 2024 (avg $4K), top state Illinois. 36% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 20-5841614
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $97,000
- Grants made (2024)
- 25
- Average grant
- $3,880
- Median grant
- $3,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (9 of 25, 2024)
- Total assets
- $1,102,141
- Primary geography
- Illinois (36% of itemized 2024 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, 2024; 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 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.1M
+1.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$97K
+7.8% YoY
Grant Count
25
-10.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$4K
+20.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Straus Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $91K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Straus Family Foundation open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 9 of 25 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 32% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 24% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 109% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation does not state a mission in the information provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Hope Chicago says it works to expand access to debt-free postsecondary education for Chicago Public School students and parents; Bernie’s Book Bank says it provides children with free, high-quality books; and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital says it advances cures and prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.
Other 2024 grantees describe work in community change (Evanston Community Foundation), creative arts therapy (Institute for Therapy Through the Arts), dance education and children’s well-being (Celebrate the Beat), and education for students with learning differences (Forman School). These are grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 25 grants totaling $97,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $10,000, with a median of $3,000. Among the largest grants were $10,000 to Planned Parenthood; $7,000 to Hope Chicago; and $5,000 each to Bernie’s Book Bank, Camperships for Nebagamon, Celebrate the Beat, Evanston Community Foundation, Forman School, Make a Wish Foundation, Skidmore College, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, The Conservation Fund, and Feeding America.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Illinois accounted for 36% of grant dollars and Washington, DC, for 25%. New York and Wisconsin each accounted for 6% and 5%, respectively, as did Colorado at 5%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $45K (2020) to $97K (2024). In 2024 it made 25 grants totaling $97K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Planned Parenthood ($10K). Together the top 10 received $57K.
Grant Size Distribution
148 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 148 grants of 148 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Planned Parenthood Washington, DC | Program Support | $10,000 |
| Hope Chicago Chicago, IL | Program Support | $7,000 |
| Bernie's Book Bank Lake Bluff, IL | Program Support | $5,000 |
| Camperships for Nebagamon Lake Nebagamon, WI | Education | $5,000 |
| Celebrate the Beat Dillon, CO | Education | $5,000 |
| Evanston Community Foundation Evanston, IL | Program Support | $5,000 |
| Forman School Litchfield, CT | Education | $5,000 |
| Make a Wish Foundation Washington, DC | Program Support | $5,000 |
| Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY | Program Support | $5,000 |
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital Memphis, TN | Program Support | $5,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,102,141 | $154,617 | $108,507 | $97,000 across 25 grants |
| 2023 | $1,085,599 | $23,945 | $100,061 | $90,000 across 28 grants |
| 2022 | $1,161,639 | $22,884 | $95,743 | $80,500 across 33 grants |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,102,141 | $1,085,599 | $1,161,639 |
| Revenue | $154,617 | $23,945 | $22,884 |
| Expenses | $108,507 | $100,061 | $95,743 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $98,825 | $91,690 | $82,135 |
| Net Investment Income | $144,935 | $15,574 | $14,276 |
| Distributable Amount | $90,968 | $79,209 | $79,809 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Barnard Straus as president and secretary, Nancy Straus as treasurer, and Gregory Hilton as director.
Straus Family Foundation is led by Barnard Straus, President & Secretary on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Barnard Straus
President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gregory Hilton
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Straus
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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.
Contact
Mailing address: 1025 Hinman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60202
Phone: (847) 424-1932
Frequently asked questions about Straus Family Foundation
How much does Straus Family Foundation give each year?
Straus Family Foundation gave $97K across 25 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $90K across 28 grants.
What is Straus Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Straus Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $3,000, and its average grant was $3,880, across 25 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Straus Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Straus Family Foundation give grants?
Straus Family Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (25%) and New York (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (5 grants), Chicago, IL (4 grants) and Evanston, IL (2 grants).
Does Straus Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on Straus Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (22 grants) and "Education" (3 grants).
Who are Straus Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Straus Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Planned Parenthood ($10,000), Hope Chicago ($7,000) and Bernie's Book Bank ($5,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 23% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Straus Family Foundation?
Straus Family Foundation reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $99K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $91K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Straus Family Foundation fund?
The foundation does not state a mission in the information provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Straus 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 Straus Family Foundation's EIN?
Straus Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5841614. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Straus 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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