Susan and Stephen Baird Family

CHICAGO, IL EIN: 20-0478557

The Susan and Stephen Baird Family Foundation is a private foundation established in 2005, based in Chicago, Illinois. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with no employees, functioning as a family foundation focused on philanthropic grantmaking.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$33.2M

-3.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.2M

+9.2% YoY

Grant Count

+45.8% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$64K

-25.1% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Susan and Stephen Baird Family reported a distributable amount of $2.3M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Grantmaking

The foundation is an active grantmaker with significant annual giving. Recent grantmaking activity includes:

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's giving is primarily concentrated in Illinois, California, and Ohio.

Grant Distribution by State

Illinois $5.0M (54%)

Massachusetts $1.7M (19%)

Ohio $1.3M (14%)

Colorado $585K (6%)

California $426K (5%)

District of Columbia $167K (2%)

New York $2K (0%)

Minnesota $1K (0%)

+4 more states

States

California Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Idaho Illinois Massachusetts Maine Minnesota New Mexico New York Ohio

Cities

AspenBasaltBerkeleyBoulderCambridgeCarbondaleChagrin FallsChampaignChicagoChula VistaCincinnatiConcordCortezEmeryvilleEvanstonGlencoeGlendaleGlenviewGranvilleHighland Park

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2023:

Total assets: $34,423,808
Total revenues: $1,869,017
Total expenses: $2,853,720
Total grants and contributions: $971,114
Investment income and dividends: $584,655

As of 2024:

Total assets: $33,171,660
Total giving: $2,248,820

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$33,171,660	$34,423,808	$35,753,391
Revenue	$2,185,427	$1,869,017	$3,342,100
Expenses	$3,089,267	$2,853,720	$2,366,691
Qualifying Distributions	$2,252,702	$2,059,400	$2,036,955
Net Investment Income	$994,531	$156,696	$1,276,734
Distributable Amount	$2,322,115	$2,097,200	$2,004,223

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

192 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Harvard University ($335,000), The Morton Arboretum ($310,000), Chicago Community Foundation ($247,500).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ALLIES FOR COMMUNITY BUSINESS CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED	$50,000
AMERICAN RED CROSS WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED	$10,000
AMERICAN RIVERS WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED	$30,000
ANDERSON RANCH ARTS CENTER SNOWMASS VILLAGE, CO	GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED	$20,000
ANN & ROBERT H LURIE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF CHICAGO CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED	$10,000
CAROLE ROBERTSON CENTER FOR LEARNING CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED	$65,000
CHICAGO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED	$247,500
CHICAGO MEDIA PROJECT CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED	$35,000
CHICAGO PUBLIC MEDIA WBEZ CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED	$125,000
ERIE FAMILY HEALTH FOUNDATION CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED	$25,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Stephen W. Baird is identified as a key contact and principal of the foundation.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
STEPHEN W BAIRD	DIRECTOR, PRESIDENT	0.1	—
SUSAN M BAIRD	DIRECTOR, SECRETARY	0.1	—

Contact Information

Address: 120 S La Salle St, Suite 2000 Chicago, IL 60603-3594

Telephone: 312-368-1855

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for a grant from Susan and Stephen Baird Family?

The foundation is an active grantmaker with significant annual giving. Recent grantmaking activity includes: **Recent Grants (2023):** • Harvard University: $335,000 (General and Unrestricted) • The Morton Arboretum: $310,000 (General and Unrestricted) • Chicago Community Foundation: $247,500 (General and Unrestricted) **Grant Characteristics:** • Typical award range: $55,000–$485,000 • Annual giving: $939,550 (2023); $2,248,820 (2024) • The foundation made 18+ grants in recent years **Funding …

Where does Susan and Stephen Baird Family make grants?

The foundation's giving is primarily concentrated in Illinois, California, and Ohio.

What size grants does Susan and Stephen Baird Family award?

In 2024, Susan and Stephen Baird Family awarded 35 grants totaling $2.2M — an average of about $64K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Susan and Stephen Baird Family required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Susan and Stephen Baird Family reported a distributable amount of $2.3M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Susan and Stephen Baird Family's EIN?

Susan and Stephen Baird Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-0478557. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.