Tengelsen Family Foundation
Tengelsen Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including support for a scholars program and a sports-for-kids program, as well as direct charitable activities involving public-education documentary films.
Tengelsen Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Tengelsen Family Foundation gave $920K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $54K), mostly in Illinois. 43% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $919,952
- +14.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $54,115
- +14.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $1,892,339
- +65.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 43% first-time grantees (6 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% 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 Tengelsen Family 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: 363 E Wacker Drive 2003, Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: (773) 698-6570
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Tengelsen Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Big Shoulders Fund ($588K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $917K.
Grant Size Distribution
89 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 77 grants of 89 (87%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The filing reports that 100% of 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois. The listed recipients include organizations in Chicago and Wilmette, Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Tengelsen Family Foundation open to new grantees?
43%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 14 grantees (43%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $108K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 115% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $146K (2019) to $1.1M (2020). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $920K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Big Shoulders Fund Chicago, IL | Tengelsen Family Scholars Program | $475,875 |
| Shirley Ryan Ability Lab Chicago, IL | Tengelsen Family Sports for Kids Program | $200,000 |
| Big Shoulders Fund Chicago, IL | Donation Towards Exempt Purpose | $112,500 |
| Wolcot School Chicago, IL | Scholars Program | $43,000 |
| NAMI Chicago Chicago, IL | Donation Towards Exempt Purpose | $20,500 |
| Pilot Light Chicago, IL | Donation Towards Exempt Purpose | $20,000 |
| Shirley Ryan Ability Lab Chicago, IL | Donation Towards Exempt Purpose | $15,000 |
| Boys Hope Girls Hope Wilmette, IL | Donation Towards Exempt Purpose | $10,000 |
| Mt Carmel High School Chicago, IL | Donation Towards Exempt Purpose | $10,000 |
| Leo High School Chicago, IL | Donation Towards Exempt Purpose | $5,000 |
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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 | $1,892,339 | $1,795,238 | $1,044,092 | $919,952 | 17 | $2,065,763 | $13,881 | $22,377 |
| 2024 | $1,144,081 | $1,901,651 | $913,068 | $806,460 | 17 | $1,757,312 | — | $8,231 |
| 2023 | $155,098 | $502,592 | $531,762 | $477,451 | 18 | $529,945 | $780 | $8,061 |
| 2022 | $183,943 | $250,467 | $493,701 | $428,535 | 25 | $492,810 | — | $7,159 |
| 2021 | $427,177 | $1,000,167 | $827,928 | $787,025 | 12 | $819,108 | — | $36,769 |
| 2020 | $254,938 | $1,260,247 | $1,118,829 | $1,081,730 | 17 | — | — | $6,111 |
| 2019 | $113,520 | $250,761 | $157,803 | $145,885 | 18 | — | $131 | $5,895 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Tengelsen Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $22K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants included support for education-related programs, mental health, food education, and other charitable purposes. The foundation also reported direct charitable activities involving documentaries intended to educate the public about psychedelic medicine and about microplastics and persistent organic pollutants.
Grantee missions illustrate the work of some supported organizations. Big Shoulders Fund says it supports underserved schools providing quality, values-based education for Chicago children. NAMI Chicago says it educates, advocates, and offers hope, connection, and expertise to people on their mental health journeys. Pilot Light says it partners with PreK–12 teachers to support experiential food education in classrooms.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 17 grants totaling $919,952. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $475,875, with a median of $10,000. The largest awards included $475,875 to Big Shoulders Fund for the Tengelsen Family Scholars Program and $200,000 to Shirley Ryan AbilityLab for the Tengelsen Family Sports for Kids Program. Big Shoulders Fund also received $112,500; other notable grants included $43,000 to Wolcot School, $20,500 to NAMI Chicago, and $20,000 to Pilot Light.
The filing also lists grants to Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Boys Hope Girls Hope, an individual recipient High School, Leo High School, Chicago Yacht Club, and The Collective, among others.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jennifer Tengelsen as president and secretary, Erich Tengelsen as vice-president and treasurer, and Lauren J Wolven as a director.
Tengelsen Family Foundation is led by Jennifer Tengelsen, President & Secretary on every filing since 2019; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jennifer Tengelsen
President & Secretary
On filings since 2019
20 hrs/week
$30K (2020) → $30K (2025)
Lauren J. Wolven
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Erich Tengelsen
Vice President & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $30K, to Jennifer Tengelsen (President/Secretary).
Frequently asked questions about Tengelsen Family Foundation
How much does Tengelsen Family Foundation give each year?
Tengelsen Family Foundation gave $920K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $806K across 17 grants.
What is Tengelsen Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Tengelsen Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $54,115, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Tengelsen Family Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does Tengelsen Family Foundation give grants?
Tengelsen Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (13 grants).
Who are Tengelsen Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Tengelsen Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Big Shoulders Fund ($588,375 across 2 grants), Shirley Ryan Ability Lab ($216,000 across 3 grants) and Wolcot School ($43,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 92% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Tengelsen Family Foundation?
Tengelsen Family Foundation reported $1.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $22K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Tengelsen Family Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants included support for education-related programs, mental health, food education, and other charitable purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Tengelsen 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 Tengelsen Family Foundation's EIN?
Tengelsen Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5950073. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Tengelsen Family 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 9, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 25, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Tengelsen Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Tengelsen Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Tengelsen Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/tengelsen-family-foundation-morg_902c35239365479ea71fa222322f5b0f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_205950073_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Tengelsen Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/tengelsen-family-foundation-morg_902c35239365479ea71fa222322f5b0f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Tengelsen Family 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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