The Joseph Blazek Foundation
The Joseph Blazek Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports 11 grants, all listed for scholarships to recipients in Chicago.
The Joseph Blazek Foundation at a glance
In short: The Joseph Blazek Foundation gave $118K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in Illinois. 73% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $118,128
- +299.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +120.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,739
- +81.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $8,856
- Total assets
- $82,618
- -42.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 73% first-time grantees (8 of 11, 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 The Joseph Blazek Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing lists an application and says to contact the foundation. Award restrictions are listed as “see application.”
- Review Cycle
- March 15 of the year of graduation from high school (12th grade), as stated on the 2024 filing. This deadline is a past cycle as of September 29, 2026.
- Deadline
- March 15 of the year of graduation from high school (12th grade), as stated on the 2024 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: The Joseph Blazek Foundation
Mailing address: 50 S Lasalle C/O Michelle Lavallie, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 630-6000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Joseph Blazek Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Junjui Lin ($17K). Together the top 10 received $115K.
Grant Size Distribution
36 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 36 grants of 36 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars listed for 2025 went to recipients in Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Joseph Blazek Foundation open to new grantees?
73%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 11 grantees (73%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $14K first-time, $9K repeat.
- 27% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 330% 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $28K (2022) to $118K (2025). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $118K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Junjui Lin Chicago, IL | Scholarship | $16,800 |
| Muhammad Khan Chicago, IL | Scholarship | $16,800 |
| Muhmound Hakey Chicago, IL | Scholarship | $16,800 |
| Linda Segura Chicago, IL | Scholarship | $15,000 |
| Jose Orduno Chicago, IL | Scholarship | $12,000 |
| Alec Bargher Chicago, IL | Scholarship | $8,856 |
| Grace Rowan Chicago, IL | Scholarship | $8,855 |
| Quadri Durojaiye Chicago, IL | Scholarship | $8,855 |
| Aaron Hossain Chicago, IL | Scholarship | $6,162 |
| Arabella Mata Chicago, IL | Scholarship | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Joseph Blazek Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $82,618 | $56,142 | $118,128 | $118,128 | 11 | $118,128 | $6,195 |
| 2024 | $144,604 | $53,132 | $29,579 | $29,573 | 5 | $29,573 | $5,039 |
| 2023 | $121,051 | $59,146 | $29,558 | $29,450 | 5 | — | $3,658 |
| 2022 | $91,463 | $58,900 | $27,500 | $27,500 | 5 | — | $2,297 |
| 2021 | $60,063 | $55,000 | $62,000 | $62,000 | 10 | — | $1,366 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Joseph Blazek Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $118,128 through 11 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $3,000 to $16,800, with a median of $8,856. The listed 2025 grants were scholarships to individuals, including Junjui Lin and Muhammad Khan ($16,800 each), Muhmound Hakey ($16,800), Linda Segura ($15,000), and Jose Orduno ($12,000).
The foundation stated on its 2024 filing that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Michael Gosz as president, Michelle Pearson as vice president and secretary, and Michael McGinn as treasurer.
The Joseph Blazek Foundation is led by Michael Gosz, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael Gosz
President
On filings since 2021
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael McGinn
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Pearson
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2021
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Joseph Blazek Foundation
How much does The Joseph Blazek Foundation give each year?
The Joseph Blazek Foundation gave $118K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $30K across 5 grants.
What is The Joseph Blazek Foundation's typical grant size?
The Joseph Blazek Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $8,856, and its average grant was $10,739, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Joseph Blazek Foundation that year got $11K on average.
Where does The Joseph Blazek Foundation give grants?
The Joseph Blazek 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 (11 grants).
Does The Joseph Blazek Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on The Joseph Blazek Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (11 grants).
Who are The Joseph Blazek Foundation's largest grantees?
The Joseph Blazek Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Junjui Lin ($16,800), Muhammad Khan ($16,800) and Muhmound Hakey ($16,800), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 43% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Joseph Blazek Foundation?
The Joseph Blazek Foundation reported $83K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $118K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $6K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
How do I apply for a grant from The Joseph Blazek Foundation?
The 2024 filing lists an application and says to contact the foundation. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Joseph Blazek Foundation's EIN?
The Joseph Blazek Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7015800. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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