Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund
The Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. In filing year 2026, it reported 69 grants totaling $112,832, including support for animal welfare, food access, homelessness services, and cultural and educational organizations.
Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund at a glance
In short: Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund gave $113K across 69 grants in 2026 (avg $2K), mostly in Illinois. 9% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $112,832
- +15.6% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 69
- +6.2% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $1,635
- +8.9% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $1,629,770
- +417.4% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (6 of 69, 2026)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (61% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2440 North Lakeview Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614-2872
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Anti-Cruelty Society ($14K). Together the top 10 received $75K.
Grant Size Distribution
358 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 358 grants of 358 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In filing year 2026, Illinois recipients accounted for 61% of grant dollars. Other leading recipient-state shares were Nebraska at 9%, the District of Columbia at 7%, Florida at 5%, and Utah at 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 69 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 6 of 69 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $475; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $475 first-time, $500 repeat.
- 81% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2023 to 2026 (+11%). Method
- In 2026 it paid out 117% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2026). 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 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $75K (2020) to $113K (2026). In 2026 it made 69 grants totaling $113K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Cruelty Society Chicago, IL | To Further Program Services | $14,000 |
| Friends of Animal Care and Control Chicago, IL | To Further Program Services | $12,000 |
| Bright Directions Lincoln, NE | To Further Program Services | $10,000 |
| Chicago Coalition for Homeless Chicago, IL | To Further Program Services | $8,000 |
| Cradles to Crayons Chicago, IL | To Further Program Services | $6,000 |
| Give Kids the World Village Kissimmee, FL | To Further Program Services | $5,000 |
| Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, IL | To Further Program Services | $5,000 |
| Shedd Aquarium Chicago, IL | To Further Program Services | $5,000 |
| World Wildlife Fund Washington, DC | To Further Program Services | $5,000 |
| Best Friends Animal Society Kanab, UT | To Further Program Services | $4,500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $1,629,770 | $1,440,541 | $125,783 | $112,832 | 69 | $118,251 | $1,430,827 | $101,055 |
| 2025 | $315,012 | $65,861 | $102,117 | $97,600 | 65 | $99,524 | $63,336 | $112,613 |
| 2024 | $351,268 | $93,791 | $100,350 | $96,527 | 74 | $98,451 | $91,892 | $101,658 |
| 2023 | $357,827 | $48,661 | $106,799 | $101,483 | 78 | $103,407 | $42,964 | $98,024 |
| 2022 | $415,965 | $80,236 | $85,342 | $81,527 | 72 | $83,183 | $78,608 | $103,323 |
| 2021 | $421,071 | $116,171 | $88,406 | $85,234 | 56 | — | $40,055 | $82,956 |
| 2020 | $393,306 | $65,889 | $77,833 | $74,770 | 43 | — | $39,370 | $86,606 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund reported a distributable amount of $101K for 2026 — 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 fund itself is provided. Its 2026 grants included organizations working in areas such as animal welfare, hunger relief, wildlife conservation, and services for people experiencing homelessness. For example, the Anti-Cruelty Society describes its work as building a healthy and happy community where pets and people thrive together. The Greater Chicago Food Depository says its mission is to end hunger and that it works with community-based organizations and individuals to advance that goal. WWF describes its mission as conserving nature and reducing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2026, the fund reported 69 grants totaling $112,832. Grants ranged from $200 to $14,000, with a median grant of $500.
Among the largest reported grants were $14,000 to the Anti-Cruelty Society, $12,000 to Friends of Animal Care and Control, $10,000 to Bright Directions, and $8,000 to Chicago Coalition for Homeless. Other recipients included Cradles to Crayons ($6,000), Give Kids the World Village ($5,000), Lincoln Park Zoo ($5,000), Shedd Aquarium ($5,000), and World Wildlife Fund ($5,000). The listed purposes for these grants were to further program services.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Susan S. Ettelson as president, William S. Ettelson as secretary, and John R. Ettelson as treasurer.
Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund is led by Susan S. Ettelson, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Susan S. Ettelson
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John R. Ettelson
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William S. Ettelson
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2026. "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 Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund
How much does Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund give each year?
Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund gave $113K across 69 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $98K across 65 grants.
What is Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund's typical grant size?
Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund's median grant in 2026 was $500, and its average grant was $1,635, across 69 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund that year got $475 on average.
Where does Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund give grants?
Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund gives mostly in Illinois: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Nebraska (9%) and District of Columbia (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (18 grants), Washington, DC (6 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2026: none of the 69 grants with a stated purpose on Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund's 2026 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Further Program Services" (69 grants).
Who are Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund's largest grantees?
Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund's largest 2026 grantees include Anti-Cruelty Society ($14,000), Friends of Animal Care and Control ($12,000) and Bright Directions ($10,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund?
Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund reported $1.6M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $118K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $101K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund fund?
No mission statement for the fund itself is provided. Its 2026 grants included organizations working in areas such as animal welfare, hunger relief, wildlife conservation, and services for people experiencing homelessness. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund?
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund's EIN?
Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6110603. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2026.
Does Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 10, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS June 29, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/susan-and-jerome-ettelson-fund-morg_c4a78332078c4037bdab8a306b699f84
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366110603_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Susan \& Jerome Ettelson Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/susan-and-jerome-ettelson-fund-morg_c4a78332078c4037bdab8a306b699f84},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Susan & Jerome Ettelson Fund'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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