The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation
The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation is a private foundation based in Lake Bluff, Illinois. In 2024, it gave $153,937 through 12 grants to charitable organizations, with grants listed for recipients in several states.
The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation at a glance
In short: The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation gave $154K across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $13K), top state Maryland. 67% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $153,937
- +17.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- +100.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,828
- -41.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $2,681,741
- +0.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 67% first-time grantees (8 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (29% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 346 Crescent Drive, Lake Bluff, IL 60044
Phone: (847) 220-0633
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Thread ($45K). Together the top 10 received $153K.
Grant Size Distribution
38 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 38 grants of 38 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states. By share of grant dollars, Maryland accounted for 29%, New York 26%, Illinois 17%, Alabama 10%, and Missouri 10%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation open to new grantees?
67%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 12 grantees (67%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $27K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $23K repeat.
- 33% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 54% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 2% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $100K (2021) to $186K (2022). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $154K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Thread Baltimore, MD | General Purposes | $45,000 |
| Ravinia Reach Teach Play Highland Park, IL | General Purposes | $25,000 |
| Careers Through Culinary Arts (C-Cap) New York, NY | General Purposes | $21,400 |
| Yellowhammer Fund Birmingham, AL | General Purposes | $16,000 |
| Brownpreneurs Saint Louis, MO | General Purposes | $15,000 |
| Central American Legal Assistance Brooklyn, NY | General Purposes | $10,000 |
| Inside Circle San Francisco, CA | General Purposes | $10,000 |
| Books Beyond Bars Brooklyn, NY | General Purposes | $5,000 |
| Chashama Inc New York, NY | General Purposes | $4,000 |
| Berkshire Community Land Trust Barrington, MA | General Purposes | $1,834 |
Ready to take the next step with The Ralph S Hoffman 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,681,741 | $170,123 | $193,030 | $153,937 | 12 | $3,284 | $1,610 | $170,981 |
| 2023 | $2,668,332 | $621,684 | $167,516 | $130,650 | 6 | $130,650 | $48,972 | $148,497 |
| 2022 | $2,263,374 | $54,868 | $216,436 | $186,250 | 7 | $186,250 | $30,033 | $130,403 |
| 2021 | $2,424,272 | $49,959 | $126,487 | $100,250 | 5 | $100,250 | $144,622 | $145,886 |
| 2020 | $2,379,903 | $30,911 | $166,368 | $140,000 | 8 | — | $19,632 | $133,314 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $171K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants went to organizations whose stated missions include supporting young people facing opportunity and achievement gaps (THREAD), reproductive justice (Yellowhammer Fund), free or low-cost legal assistance for Latino asylum-seekers (Central American Legal Assistance), and affordable creative space and public arts programming (Chashama). Other grantees described their work as securing community-held land for housing, farming, and local industry (Berkshire Community Land Trust) and providing healthy living situations and productive programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (Life Needs Coop).
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $153,937. Grant amounts ranged from $203 to $45,000, with a median grant of $10,000. All itemized grants listed a purpose of “general purposes.”
The largest 2024 grants included $45,000 to THREAD in Baltimore, $25,000 to Ravinia Reach Teach Play in Highland Park, Illinois, $21,400 to Careers Through Culinary Arts (C-CAP) in New York, and $16,000 to Yellowhammer Fund in Birmingham. Other listed grants included $15,000 to Brownpreneurs, $10,000 each to Central American Legal Assistance and Inside Circle, and $5,000 to Books Beyond Bars.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Allison Hoffman as president, Jonathan Fertel as treasurer, and Sarah Siegel as secretary.
The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation is led by Allison Hoffman, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Allison Hoffman
President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Fertel
Treasurer
Secretary → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Siegel
Secretary
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Barbara Ames (2020–2023) — Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Ralph S Hoffman Foundation
How much does The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation give each year?
The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation gave $154K across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $131K across 6 grants.
What is The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation's typical grant size?
The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $12,828, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation give grants?
The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation's top state is Maryland, with 29% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (26%) and Illinois (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (2 grants) and Brooklyn, NY (2 grants).
Does The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation's largest grantees?
The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Thread ($45,000), Ravinia Reach Teach Play ($25,000) and Careers Through Culinary Arts (C-Cap) ($21,400), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 59% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation?
The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation reported $2.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $171K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Ralph S Hoffman Foundation's EIN?
The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1337530. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Ralph S Hoffman 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ralph-s-hoffman-foundation-morg_e650bb9fbe7d47b8be739587f5e8f28a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201337530_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ralph S Hoffman Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ralph-s-hoffman-foundation-morg_e650bb9fbe7d47b8be739587f5e8f28a},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-02. 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 Ralph S Hoffman 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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