The Ed Watkowski Foundation
The Ed Watkowski Foundation is a Form 990-PF filer (a private foundation) based in Chicago, Illinois. In its 2025 filing, it reported making 11 grants totaling $1,100,000 to charitable organizations.
The Ed Watkowski Foundation at a glance
In short: The Ed Watkowski Foundation gave $1.1M across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $100K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,100,000
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $100,000
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $100,000
- Total assets
- $13,976,468
- -6.7% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Illinois (55% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Ed Watkowski 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: 333 W Wacker Drive 1700, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 332-1111
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Ed Watkowski Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Diocese of Chicago - Holy Name Cathedral ($100K). Together the top 10 received $1.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
22 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 22 grants of 22 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grants went to recipients in Illinois, Ohio, Texas, Tennessee, New York, and Kansas. The filing reports grant-dollar shares of 55% for Illinois, 9% each for Ohio, Texas, Tennessee, and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Ed Watkowski Foundation gives
- 82% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 136% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2024 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.1M (2024) to $1.1M (2025). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Diocese of Chicago - Holy Name Cathedral Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $100,000 |
| Disabled American Veterans (Dav) Cincinnati, OH | General Purposes | $100,000 |
| Make a Wish Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $100,000 |
| March of Dimes Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $100,000 |
| Mercy Home for Boys and Girls Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $100,000 |
| Mercy Ships Garden Valley, TX | General Purposes | $100,000 |
| Ronald McDonald House Lurie Children's Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $100,000 |
| Shriners Children's Hospital Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $100,000 |
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital Memphis, TN | General Purposes | $100,000 |
| Tunnel to Towers Foundation Staten Island, NY | General Purposes | $100,000 |
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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 | $13,976,468 | $517,596 | $1,516,934 | $1,100,000 | 11 | $1,248,647 | $175,511 | $916,347 |
| 2024 | $14,975,806 | $16,138,374 | $1,527,622 | $1,100,000 | 11 | $1,234,374 | $574,293 | $906,972 |
| 2023 | $365,054 | $370,030 | $4,976 | — | — | — | $249,245 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ed Watkowski Foundation reported a distributable amount of $916K 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 in the available information. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including hospitals and health-related charities, a cathedral, organizations serving children, and veterans’ and other charitable organizations. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital describes its own mission as advancing cures and prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment, and says that no child is denied treatment based on race, religion, or a family’s ability to pay.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 11 grants totaling $1,100,000. Each was $100,000. Recipients included the Diocese of Chicago – Holy Name Cathedral, Disabled American Veterans, Make-A-Wish, March of Dimes, Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, Mercy Ships, Ronald McDonald House Lurie Children’s, Shriners Children’s Hospital, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Tunnel to Towers Foundation, and Wounded Warrior Project. The stated purpose for each grant was “general purposes.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joseph G. Brady as president, treasurer, and director; Scott C. Brady as secretary and director; and Joanne M. Brady as vice president and director.
The Ed Watkowski Foundation is led by Joseph G. Brady, President, Treasurer & Director on every filing since 2023; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joseph G. Brady
President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
$190K (2024) → $240K (2025)
Joanne M. Brady
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Scott C. Brady
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2025. "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 $240K, to Joseph G Brady (Pres/Treas/DIR).
Frequently asked questions about The Ed Watkowski Foundation
How much does The Ed Watkowski Foundation give each year?
The Ed Watkowski Foundation gave $1.1M across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.1M across 11 grants.
What is The Ed Watkowski Foundation's typical grant size?
The Ed Watkowski Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $100,000, and its average grant was $100,000, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Ed Watkowski Foundation give grants?
The Ed Watkowski Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 55% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Ohio (9%) and Texas (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (6 grants).
Does The Ed Watkowski Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Ed Watkowski Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Ed Watkowski Foundation's largest grantees?
The Ed Watkowski Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Diocese of Chicago - Holy Name Cathedral ($100,000), Disabled American Veterans (Dav) ($100,000) and Make a Wish ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Ed Watkowski Foundation?
The Ed Watkowski Foundation reported $14.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $916K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Ed Watkowski Foundation fund?
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including hospitals and health-related charities, a cathedral, organizations serving children, and veterans’ and other charitable organizations. St. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ed Watkowski 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 Ed Watkowski Foundation's EIN?
The Ed Watkowski Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-2477586. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2025.
Does The Ed Watkowski 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 18, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 30, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2023–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Ed Watkowski Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ed-watkowski-foundation-morg_29a6448d6b734b818e8b96978f1f437f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_932477586_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ed Watkowski Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ed-watkowski-foundation-morg_29a6448d6b734b818e8b96978f1f437f},
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 Ed Watkowski 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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