The Jessica Fund
The Jessica Fund is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. In 2025, it made grants to organizations working in areas including contemporary art, theatre, women and girls, emergency medical response, civil liberties, education, and youth mentoring.
The Jessica Fund at a glance
In short: The Jessica Fund gave $387K across 31 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in Illinois. 45% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $387,435
- +25.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 31
- +3.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,498
- +21.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,884,064
- -1.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 45% first-time grantees (14 of 31, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (65% 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 The Jessica Fund
- How to Apply
-
Contact Carol Prins and submit two typewritten pages. The foundation states that there are no deadlines and no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Carol Prins
Mailing address: 1500 North Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: (312) 642-7165
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Jessica Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Museum of Contemporary Art ($90K). Together the top 10 received $303K.
Grant Size Distribution
129 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 120 grants of 129 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 65% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 21% to New York, 10% to California, 2% to Georgia, and 1% to New Mexico.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Jessica Fund open to new grantees?
45%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 14 of 31 grantees (45%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $17K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $9K repeat.
- 39% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 246% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $167K (2020) to $665K (2023). In 2025 it made 31 grants totaling $387K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, IL | General Operating Support | $90,000 |
| Chicago Foundation for Women Chicago, IL | General Operating Support | $80,000 |
| Chicago Theatre Group Inc Chicago, IL | General Operating Support | $35,000 |
| Friends of United Hatzalah Inc New York, NY | General Operating Support | $24,000 |
| American Civil Liberties Union Foundation Inc New York, NY | General Operating Support | $20,000 |
| The Neighborhood Playhouse New York, NY | General Operating Support | $12,000 |
| Standwithus Los Angeles, CA | General Operating Support | $11,120 |
| Chicago Sinai Temple Chicago, IL | General Operating Support | $10,675 |
| Barnard College New York, NY | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Maman Nonprofit Encino, CA | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
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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 | $2,884,064 | $388,217 | $421,746 | $387,435 | 31 | $387,435 | $156,421 | $157,322 |
| 2024 | $2,917,253 | $417,983 | $339,891 | $307,830 | 30 | $307,830 | $235,922 | $152,799 |
| 2023 | $2,838,997 | $130,915 | $697,361 | $665,000 | 25 | $665,030 | $98,573 | $149,653 |
| 2022 | $3,405,087 | $837,548 | $452,019 | $418,500 | 23 | $418,500 | $45,302 | $146,633 |
| 2021 | $3,021,060 | $1,380,344 | $219,426 | $197,605 | 20 | $197,605 | $484,124 | $122,876 |
| 2020 | $1,862,892 | $266,114 | $181,070 | $166,605 | 30 | — | $51,023 | $102,554 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Jessica Fund reported a distributable amount of $157K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the Museum of Contemporary Art describes its work as presenting contemporary art and helping the public understand its historical, social, and cultural contexts. The Chicago Foundation for Women says it addresses challenges and needs faced by women, girls, and gender-expansive people. Friends of the Children – Chicago describes its mission as supporting young people facing significant obstacles through long-term professional mentoring.
Other 2025 grantees include organizations whose stated missions involve producing theatre, supporting emergency medical response, advancing civil liberties, and providing a liberal arts education to young women.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 31 grants totaling $387,435. Grant amounts ranged from $300 to $90,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest grants included $90,000 to the Museum of Contemporary Art, $80,000 to the Chicago Foundation for Women, and $35,000 to Chicago Theatre Group. Each was designated for general operating support. Other notable grants were $24,000 to Friends of United Hatzalah and $20,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, also for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Carol Prins, John Hart, and Audrey Prins as trustees.
The Jessica Fund's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Audrey Prins
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carol Prins
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Hart
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Jessica Fund
How much does The Jessica Fund give each year?
The Jessica Fund gave $387K across 31 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $308K across 30 grants.
What is The Jessica Fund's typical grant size?
The Jessica Fund's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $12,498, across 31 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Jessica Fund that year got $7K on average.
Where does The Jessica Fund give grants?
The Jessica Fund gives mostly in Illinois: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (21%) and California (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (13 grants), New York, NY (6 grants), Los Angeles, CA (3 grants) and Encino, CA (2 grants).
Does The Jessica Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Jessica Fund's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (31 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Jessica Fund's largest grantees?
The Jessica Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Museum of Contemporary Art ($90,000), Chicago Foundation for Women ($80,000) and Chicago Theatre Group Inc ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 53% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Jessica Fund?
The Jessica Fund reported $2.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $387K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $157K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Jessica Fund fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the Museum of Contemporary Art describes its work as presenting contemporary art and helping the public understand its historical, social, and cultural contexts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Jessica Fund?
Contact Carol Prins and submit two typewritten pages. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Jessica Fund's EIN?
The Jessica Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6850332. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 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 2020 (received by the IRS November 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 25, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 10, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 17, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Jessica Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Jessica Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-jessica-fund-morg_ce0f66c7fcc249a3bdc7215dba51f9e4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366850332_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Jessica Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-jessica-fund-morg_ce0f66c7fcc249a3bdc7215dba51f9e4},
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 Jessica 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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