The Ralla Klepak Performing Arts Foundation concentrates its support on Chicago-area performing arts and related Jewish community programs, favoring large, targeted gifts to established institutions. Its major grants fund music performance and education (both professional festivals and youth music schools) alongside substantial support for Jewish youth services, indicating an intersection of arts philanthropy and Jewish communal priorities. The foundation makes relatively few grants but at high dollar amounts, often repeating support to the same organizations.
Concentrated, high-dollar giving with a small number of large grants; repeat funding to core grantees; primarily local (Chicago/greater Midwest) focus blending performing arts and Jewish communal causes.
A defining feature of the Ralla Klepak Performing Arts Foundation is its concentration of large, repeated program-support grants to Chicago-area arts institutions and Jewish communal organizations. The foundation’s giving shows a clear preference for established recipients rather than broad, one-time support, with multiple organizations appearing in more than one year. In the arts, it has backed organizations such as Ravinia Festival, Merit School of Music, Northlight Theater, Steppenwolf Theater, and Wfmt. On the community side, it has made substantial grants to groups including Chai Lifeline Midwest, Yachad Chicago, The Ark, Agudath Israel of Chicago, and Chicago Chesed Fund. The pattern is not limited to one subsector of performing arts; it includes music performance, music education, theater, and cultural institutions alongside Jewish youth and social-service programs. Recent grants also show support for organizations tied to education and health services, suggesting that the foundation’s arts philanthropy sits alongside a broader interest in Jewish community life in Chicago.
In music performance and presentation, the foundation gave $415,000 to Ravinia Festival for program support in 2025 and $250,000 to the same organization in 2024. Music education also appears prominently: Merit School of Music received $500,000 in 2025 and $250,000 in 2023, both for program support. Theater and performing-arts presentation are part of the same pattern, with $315,000 to Northlight Theater in 2023 and $250,000 in 2025. The foundation also supports Jewish educational and community institutions connected to Chicago’s Jewish life, including $500,000 to Sarah Hartman Institute in 2025 and $225,000 to Agudath Israel of Chicago in 2025. Health and direct-service programs are another thread, reflected in grants such as $500,000 to Chai Lifeline Midwest and $200,000 to Tapestry 360 Health.
Typical grants are large: the 25th percentile is $100,000, the median is $130,000, and the 75th percentile is $200,000. Many awards cluster above that range, and several organizations receive support in multiple years, pointing to recurring relationships rather than isolated gifts. The foundation’s recent grants are mostly listed as program support, with a strong emphasis on restricted, targeted funding. Its filings also show that it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
$4.9M
$5.4M
$1.2M
$5.5M
Most grants fall between $100K and $200K, with a median of $130K.
25th Percentile
$100K
Median
$130K
75th Percentile
$200K
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Notable grantees: Chai Lifeline Midwest, Merit School of Music, Sarah Hartman Institute, Ravinia Festival
Grantmaking is highly local. Ninety-nine percent of grants go to recipients in Illinois, and the recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based. The Chicago area dominates, with repeated awards to organizations in Chicago, Lincolnwood, Skokie, and Highland Park. Bloomington also appears through Wesleyan University of Illinois. The pattern shows a tight geographic circle around the foundation’s Illinois-based grantmaking rather than a national portfolio.
Its recent grants go to performing arts institutions, music education groups, Jewish communal organizations, and direct-service nonprofits. Named recipients include Ravinia Festival, Merit School of Music, Chai Lifeline Midwest, Yachad Chicago, The Ark, and Agudath Israel of Chicago.
Recurring support is common. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Chai Lifeline Midwest, Merit School of Music, Ravinia Festival, Northlight Theater, Yachad Chicago, The Ark, and Wesleyan University of Illinois.
The grant-size distribution is large: p25 is $100,000, median is $130,000, and p75 is $200,000. Recent awards also include several grants at $250,000, $300,000, $415,000, and $500,000.
Giving is overwhelmingly in Illinois. The data shows 99% of grants to recipients in the HQ state, and the top state by grant count is Illinois. Recipient cities include Chicago, Lincolnwood, Skokie, Highland Park, and Bloomington.
No. The foundation funds organizations rather than individuals, and it does not make program-related investments.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merit School of Music | Chicago, IL | $1,050,000 | 2026 | Program Support |
| Midwest Refuah | Chicago, IL | $550,000 | 2026 | Program Support |
| Chai Lifeline Midwest | Lincolnwood, IL | $536,000 | 2026 | Program Support |
| The Ark | Chicago, IL | $500,000 | 2026 | Program Support |
| The Chicago Center for Music Educat | Lincolnwood, IL | $500,000 | 2026 | Program Support |
| NCSY Mid | Skokie, IL | $450,000 | 2026 | Program Support |
| Arie Crown Hebrew Day School | Skokie, IL | $250,000 | 2026 | Program Support |
| Agudath Israel of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $250,000 | 2026 | Program Support |
| Torah Mitzion Kolel | Skokie, IL | $225,000 | 2026 | Program Support |
| The People's Music School | Chicago, IL | $150,000 | 2026 | Program Support |
| Yeshiva Ohr Eliyahu | Chicago, IL | $138,600 | 2026 | Program Support |
| Harold and Rosemarie Marx Memorial | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2026 | Program Support |
| Playthinks | Chicago, IL | $75,000 | 2026 | Program Support |
| Joy Christian Fellowship Church | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2026 | Program Support |
| Mesameach | Lakewood, NJ | $40,000 | 2026 | Program Support |
| Sarah Hartman Institute | Chicago, IL | $500,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Chai Lifeline Midwest | Lincolnwood, IL | $500,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Merit School of Music | Chicago, IL | $500,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Ravinia Festival | Highland Park, IL | $415,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| JDBY | CHICAGO, IL | $400,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| The Ark | Chicago, IL | $350,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Yachad Chicago | Skokie, IL | $280,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Northlight Theater | Skokie, IL | $250,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Agudath Israel of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $225,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Chicago Childrens Theater | CHICAGO, IL | $200,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Search Inc | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Tapestry 360 Health | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Chicago Poetry Center | CHICAGO, IL | $150,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Center on Halsted | CHICAGO, IL | $150,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Soulu SB Upward Community | Chicago, IL | $150,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Bais Yaakov High School | Chicago, IL | $150,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Harold and Rosemarie Marx Memorial | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Mesifta Shaarei Adirim | Skokie, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| The Chicago Center for Music Educat | Lincolnwood, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Yeshiva Ohr Eliyahu | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Tizmoret Inc | Brooklin, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Cavelier Arts | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Lubavich Girls High School | Chicago, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Chai Lifeline Midwest | Lincolnwood, IL | $480,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| Chai Lifeline Midwest | Lincolnwood, IL | $410,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| Yachad Chicago | Skokie, IL | $370,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| Blitstein Institute | Chicago, IL | $347,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| Chicago Chesed Fund | LINCOLNWOOD, IL | $339,500 | 2024 | Program Support |
| Chicago Chesed Fund | LINCOLNWOOD, IL | $335,925 | 2024 | Program Support |
| JDBY | CHICAGO, IL | $300,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| Northlight Theater | Skokie, IL | $300,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| Wesleyan University of Illinois | Bloomington, IL | $300,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| Yachad Chicago | Skokie, IL | $280,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| Steppenwolf Theater | Chicago, IL | $250,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| Ravinia Festival | Highland Park, IL | $250,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
Midwest Refuah
$550,000Program Support
Chai Lifeline Midwest
$536,000Program Support
The Chicago Center for Music Educat
$500,000Program Support
NCSY Mid
$450,000Program Support
Arie Crown Hebrew Day School
$250,000Program Support
Agudath Israel of Chicago
$250,000Program Support
Torah Mitzion Kolel
$225,000Program Support
The People's Music School
$150,000Program Support
Yeshiva Ohr Eliyahu
$138,600Program Support
Harold and Rosemarie Marx Memorial
$100,000Program Support
Playthinks
$75,000Program Support
Joy Christian Fellowship Church
$50,000Program Support
Mesameach
$40,000Program Support
Sarah Hartman Institute
$500,000Program Support
Chai Lifeline Midwest
$500,000Program Support
Ravinia Festival
$415,000Program Support
JDBY
$400,000Program Support
Yachad Chicago
$280,000Program Support
Agudath Israel of Chicago
$225,000Program Support
Chicago Childrens Theater
$200,000Program Support
Search Inc
$200,000Program Support
Chicago Poetry Center
$150,000Program Support
Soulu SB Upward Community
$150,000Program Support
Bais Yaakov High School
$150,000Program Support
Harold and Rosemarie Marx Memorial
$100,000Program Support
Mesifta Shaarei Adirim
$100,000Program Support
The Chicago Center for Music Educat
$100,000Program Support
Yeshiva Ohr Eliyahu
$50,000Program Support
Tizmoret Inc
$50,000Program Support
Cavelier Arts
$25,000Program Support
Chai Lifeline Midwest
$480,000Program Support
Chai Lifeline Midwest
$410,000Program Support
Yachad Chicago
$370,000Program Support
Blitstein Institute
$347,000Program Support
JDBY
$300,000Program Support
Northlight Theater
$300,000Program Support
Wesleyan University of Illinois
$300,000Program Support
Yachad Chicago
$280,000Program Support
Ravinia Festival
$250,000Program Support