The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation
The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. In 2025, it reported 79 grants totaling $505,525, with 94% of grant dollars going to recipients in Illinois.
The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation at a glance
In short: The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation gave $506K across 79 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Illinois. 43% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $505,525
- -5.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 79
- -4.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,399
- -0.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $2,464,328
- -12.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 43% first-time grantees (34 of 79, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (94% 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 Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 209 E Lake Shore Dr 10E, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (877) 829-5500
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Erikson Institute ($75K). Together the top 10 received $344K.
Grant Size Distribution
430 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 419 grants of 430 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 94% of grant dollars went to Illinois recipients, 3% to New York, 1% to Washington, D.C., and 1% to Oregon. The filing also lists Wisconsin at 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 79 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation open to new grantees?
43%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 34 of 79 grantees (43%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 43% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+8%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 243% of 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 $367K (2021) to $700K (2019). In 2025 it made 79 grants totaling $506K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Erikson Institute Chicago, IL | General Support | $75,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago Chicago, IL | General Support | $60,200 |
| University of Chicago (University of Chicago Booth School of Business) Chicago, IL | General Support | $35,000 |
| Field Museum of Natural History Chicago, IL | General Support | $27,500 |
| Window to the World Communications Chicago, IL | General Support | $27,500 |
| Anti-Defamation League Chicago, IL | General Support | $25,000 |
| Brain Research Foundation Chicago, IL | General Support | $25,000 |
| Navy Pier Inc Chicago, IL | General Support | $25,000 |
| Anshe Emet Synagogue Chicago, IL | General Support | $23,750 |
| Kollel Torah Mitzion Inc (DBA - Yu Torah Mitzion Kollel) Skokie, IL | General Support | $20,000 |
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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 | $2,464,328 | $735,176 | $522,197 | $505,525 | 79 | $509,045 | $224,578 | $209,276 |
| 2024 | $2,818,402 | $393,099 | $568,658 | $534,800 | 83 | $542,329 | $272,737 | $194,943 |
| 2023 | $2,991,016 | $248,884 | $683,201 | $645,610 | 98 | $648,575 | $226,418 | $131,159 |
| 2022 | $3,388,266 | $614,150 | $500,818 | $467,762 | 89 | $471,075 | $588,179 | $164,857 |
| 2021 | $3,239,396 | $204,903 | $420,428 | $367,475 | 81 | $375,633 | $171,207 | $193,090 |
| 2020 | $3,422,148 | $693,911 | $694,088 | $659,800 | 118 | — | $519,476 | $159,386 |
| 2019 | $3,456,428 | $263,161 | $745,663 | $700,256 | 135 | — | $149,901 | $207,076 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation reported a distributable amount of $209K 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 working in education, the arts and culture, media, public learning, and neuroscience research. These examples describe grantees’ work, not stated foundation priorities.
Erikson Institute describes its work as preparing professionals to address challenges facing young children, families, and communities. The Field Museum describes itself as an educational institution linking research, collections, and public learning to build understanding of nature and cultures. WTTW and WFMT say they produce and present content intended to entertain, inspire, educate, and reflect diverse perspectives. The Brain Research Foundation says it supports neuroscience research on brain function and brain-related disorders.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 79 grants totaling $505,525. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $75,000, with a median grant of $1,000.
The largest reported grants included $75,000 to Erikson Institute; $60,200 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago; $35,000 to the University of Chicago Booth School of Business; $27,500 each to the Field Museum of Natural History and Window to the World Communications; and $25,000 each to the Anti-Defamation League, Brain Research Foundation, and Navy Pier Inc. The stated purpose for these grants was general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Norman Bobins and Virginia Bobins as trustees.
The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Norman Bobins
Trustee
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Virginia Bobins
Trustee
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation
How much does The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation give each year?
The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation gave $506K across 79 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $535K across 83 grants.
What is The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation's typical grant size?
The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $6,399, across 79 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation give grants?
The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (53 grants), New York, NY (5 grants), Skokie, IL (3 grants) and Northbrook, IL (2 grants).
Does The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (79 of 79) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation's largest grantees?
The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Erikson Institute ($75,000), Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago ($60,200) and University of Chicago (University of Chicago Booth School of Business) ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation?
The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation reported $2.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $509K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $209K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working in education, the arts and culture, media, public learning, and neuroscience research. These examples describe grantees’ work, not stated foundation priorities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation's EIN?
The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1569990. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Robert Thomas Bobins 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 17, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Browse active grant opportunities in The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-robert-thomas-bobins-foundation-morg_52ccfc31c7a14695b87dfe7bc7393263
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_261569990_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-robert-thomas-bobins-foundation-morg_52ccfc31c7a14695b87dfe7bc7393263},
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 Robert Thomas Bobins 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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