The Bellick Foundation
The Bellick Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations, including organizations in Illinois, Michigan, Washington, D.C., New York, and Indiana.
The Bellick Foundation at a glance
In short: The Bellick Foundation gave $410K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $29K), mostly in Illinois. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $409,703
- +74.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- -33.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $29,265
- +162.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $21,500
- Total assets
- $6,651,900
- +239.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (3 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (60% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Bellick 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: 175 W Jackson Blvd 200, Chicago, IL 60604-3034
Phone: (312) 884-4000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Bellick Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Temple Shalom ($100K). Together the top 10 received $409K.
Grant Size Distribution
142 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 127 grants of 142 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars were reported by recipient state as follows: Illinois 60%, Michigan 15%, Washington, D.C. 12%, New York 9%, and Indiana 5%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Bellick Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 14 grantees (21%) 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 $7K; repeat grants $35K. How we count
Medians: $320 first-time, $35K repeat.
- 64% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 584% of 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 $234K (2024) to $575K (2019). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $410K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Temple Shalom Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $100,000 |
| Jewish United Fund (JUF) Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $79,180 |
| University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI | General Purpose | $60,000 |
| US Holocaust Memorial Museum Washington, DC | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation Chicago, IL | General Purposegeneral Purposes | $36,215 |
| Friends of the School in the Square New York, NY | General Purpose | $35,000 |
| Bernard Zell Jewish School Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $23,000 |
| Usamidwest Tennis & Education Foundation Indianapolis, IN | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| The Ark Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $5,175 |
| Israel Tennis & Education Centers Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $381 |
Ready to take the next step with The Bellick Foundation?
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 | $6,651,900 | $9,443,233 | $416,147 | $409,703 | 14 | $409,703 | $4,477,635 | $70,135 |
| 2024 | $1,962,086 | $149,863 | $263,900 | $234,220 | 21 | $234,220 | $117,851 | $102,225 |
| 2023 | $2,076,123 | $4,102,316 | $554,117 | $552,002 | 41 | $552,002 | $1,963,574 | $91,199 |
| 2022 | $419,487 | $9,525 | $393,157 | $391,317 | 30 | $391,317 | $5,845 | $31,444 |
| 2021 | $803,119 | $1,891 | $323,969 | $322,179 | 36 | $322,179 | — | $49,266 |
| 2020 | $1,125,197 | $6,087 | $458,897 | $457,007 | 27 | — | $2,307 | $70,058 |
| 2019 | $1,578,007 | $36,482 | $578,208 | $574,784 | 25 | — | $31,118 | $88,078 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Bellick Foundation reported a distributable amount of $70K 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
No foundation mission is stated. Its 2025 recipients include organizations with varied missions. The University of Michigan describes its mission as representing and advocating for its member physicians. The Ark says its mission is to help Chicagoland Jews facing adversity navigate toward self-reliance, providing free, comprehensive services within a framework of Jewish values and laws.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $409,703. Grant amounts ranged from $72 to $100,000, with a median of $21,500. The largest listed grants included $100,000 to Temple Shalom, $79,180 to Jewish United Fund (JUF), $60,000 to the University of Michigan, and $50,000 to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. The filing lists the purposes of these grants as general purpose.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Robert R. Bellick as director, treasurer, and secretary; Sheryl D. Bellick as director and president; and Christopher L. Gust as director.
The Bellick Foundation is led by Sheryl D. Bellick, Director & President on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sheryl D. Bellick
Director & President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christopher L. Gust
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert R. Bellick
Director, Treasurer & Secretary
On filings since 2019
0.5 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.
Frequently asked questions about The Bellick Foundation
How much does The Bellick Foundation give each year?
The Bellick Foundation gave $410K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $234K across 21 grants.
What is The Bellick Foundation's typical grant size?
The Bellick Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $21,500, and its average grant was $29,265, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Bellick Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does The Bellick Foundation give grants?
The Bellick Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Michigan (15%) and District of Columbia (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (6 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does The Bellick Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Bellick Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Bellick Foundation's largest grantees?
The Bellick Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Temple Shalom ($100,000), Jewish United Fund (JUF) ($79,180) and University of Michigan ($60,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Bellick Foundation?
The Bellick Foundation reported $6.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $410K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $70K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Bellick Foundation fund?
No foundation mission is stated. Its 2025 recipients include organizations with varied missions. The University of Michigan describes its mission as representing and advocating for its member physicians. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Bellick 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 The Bellick Foundation's EIN?
The Bellick Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 30-0064562. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Bellick 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.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 25, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Bellick Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in Illinois
The Chicago Community Trust
Chicago, IL
The Chicago Community Trust funds eligible nonprofits working to narrow the wealth gap and meet urgent needs, with priorities including economic mobility, education, jobs, homeownership, and community development in metropolitan Chicago and Cook County. Its 2025 grants had a median of $26,500, though amounts varied widely; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$7.1B
Grants
4,316
Total Given
$1.2B
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
Chicago, IL
The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago funds human services, Jewish education and community programs, crisis response, and support for Israel and Jewish communities worldwide, primarily through Chicago-area agencies and initiatives. In 2025, its grants had a median of about $20,000, though awards ranged widely; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
896
Total Given
$166.6M
The Allstate Foundation
Northbrook, IL
The Allstate Foundation funds youth empowerment, efforts to prevent and address relationship abuse, nonprofit leadership, and related economic opportunity and equity work. Its 2024 grants ranged from $250 to $2 million, with a median of $1,000, and awards must support work in the United States. It accepts proposals from organizations beyond a preselected list; proposals are reviewed as received.
Assets
$89.3M
Grants
2,010
Total Given
$38.0M
Elks National Foundation Inc
Chicago, IL
The Elks National Foundation funds scholarships, youth programs, veterans’ services, and charitable projects through Elks Lodges and state associations across the United States. Its 2026 grants had a median size of $10,000, though awards varied widely; the profile describes application routes for specific Lodge and scholarship programs but does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$954.1M
Grants
1,536
Total Given
$36.5M
John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation
Chicago, IL
The MacArthur Foundation funds work advancing a more just, verdant, and peaceful world, including climate solutions, criminal justice, journalism, technology, and Chicago. In 2024, its grants had a median of $160,000, though awards ranged widely; it generally does not accept unsolicited requests, with possible exceptions for specific open calls or proposals that meet program guidelines.
Assets
$9.3B
Grants
1,086
Total Given
$356.1M
Arie and Ida Crown Memorial
Chicago, IL
Arie and Ida Crown Memorial supports education, the environment, health and human services, gun violence prevention, homelessness prevention, and Jewish community and Israel initiatives, with a strong focus on Chicago and giving across the U.S. and internationally. In 2024, its grants ranged from $500 to $3 million, with a median of $55,000. It uses an invitation-only process and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.4B
Grants
897
Total Given
$115.2M
More similar funders
More Funders in Illinois
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Bellick Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-bellick-foundation-morg_709da602743443b98c49d25859cc86ab
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_300064562_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Bellick Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-bellick-foundation-morg_709da602743443b98c49d25859cc86ab},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 The Bellick 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.
The Bellick Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?