The Neisser Family Foundation
The Neisser Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. In its 2025 filing, it reported 16 grants totaling $260,960, including support for Chicago-area arts, education, and cultural organizations.
The Neisser Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Neisser Family Foundation gave $261K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $16K), mostly in Illinois. 31% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $260,960
- +21.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- +33.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $16,310
- -9.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $59,051
- +90.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (5 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (92% 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 Neisser 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: 134 N Lasalle Street 2020, Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: (312) 568-5550
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Neisser Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Fulcrum Point New Music Project ($92K). Together the top 10 received $233K.
Grant Size Distribution
74 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 68 grants of 74 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 4% to recipients in Washington, DC, and 4% to recipients in New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Neisser Family Foundation open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 16 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 69% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−4%). Method
- In 2021 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 $210K (2023) to $299K (2021). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $261K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fulcrum Point New Music Project Chicago, IL | Public Charity Support | $92,160 |
| Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | Public Charity Support | $26,000 |
| Erickson Institute Chicago, IL | Public Charity Support | $25,000 |
| Design Museum of Chicago Chicago, IL | Public Charity Support | $20,000 |
| Francis W Parker School Chicago, IL | Public Charity Support | $20,000 |
| Chicago Architecture Center Chicago, IL | Public Charity Support | $10,000 |
| Merit School of Music Chicago, IL | Public Charity Support | $10,000 |
| NPR Washinton, DC | Public Charity Support | $10,000 |
| Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY | Public Charity Support | $10,000 |
| Snow City Arts Chicago, IL | Public Charity Support | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Neisser Family 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 | $59,051 | $285,829 | $273,890 | $260,960 | 16 | $260,960 | $232,947 | — |
| 2024 | $31,012 | $221,135 | $228,396 | $215,500 | 12 | $215,500 | $175,325 | — |
| 2023 | $24,603 | $212,105 | $222,492 | $209,500 | 10 | $209,500 | $132,770 | — |
| 2022 | $33,660 | $280,431 | $286,467 | $272,149 | 16 | $272,149 | $158,444 | — |
| 2021 | $39,371 | $323,235 | $312,652 | $299,477 | 20 | $299,477 | $191,530 | $111 |
| 2020 | $60,723 | $275,075 | $276,965 | $264,794 | 20 | — | $165,109 | — |
| 2019 | $16,503 | $151,673 | $294,189 | $275,967 | 18 | — | $108,736 | $1,843 |
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 went to organizations whose work includes music, design, education, and public media. For example, Fulcrum Point New Music Project describes its mission as championing diverse new music, presenting multimedia performances, providing educational programs, and commissioning innovative works. Merit School of Music says it helps young people access high-quality music education, while the Design Museum of Chicago says it uses exhibitions, events, public programs, and digital media to engage people with design.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 16 grants totaling $260,960. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $92,160, with a median grant of $10,000. The largest awards included $92,160 to Fulcrum Point New Music Project; $26,000 to the Art Institute of Chicago; $25,000 to Erickson Institute; and $20,000 each to Design Museum of Chicago and Francis W. Parker School. All listed purposes were “public charity support.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Katherine Neisser as director and president, and Isaac Neisser Burns and Edward Neisser Burns as directors.
The Neisser Family Foundation is led by Katherine Neisser, Director & President on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Katherine Neisser
Director & President
On filings since 2019
1.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Edward Neisser Burns
Director
On filings since 2024
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Isaac Neisser Burns
Director
On filings since 2024
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Nathan M. Grossman (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Sherwin A. Zuckerman (2019–2023) — Director & Secretary
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 Neisser Family Foundation
How much does The Neisser Family Foundation give each year?
The Neisser Family Foundation gave $261K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $216K across 12 grants.
What is The Neisser Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Neisser Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $16,310, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Neisser Family Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Neisser Family Foundation give grants?
The Neisser Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (14 grants).
Does The Neisser Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on The Neisser Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Public Charity Support" (16 grants).
Who are The Neisser Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Neisser Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Fulcrum Point New Music Project ($92,160), Art Institute of Chicago ($26,000) and Erickson Institute ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Neisser Family Foundation?
The Neisser Family Foundation reported $59K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $286K.
What does The Neisser Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations whose work includes music, design, education, and public media. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Neisser 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 The Neisser Family Foundation's EIN?
The Neisser Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6054300. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Neisser 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 19, 2020)
- 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 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Neisser Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-neisser-family-foundation-morg_dc83bad57af04f7bae16ae6546c99963
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366054300_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Neisser Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-neisser-family-foundation-morg_dc83bad57af04f7bae16ae6546c99963},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 Neisser 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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