The Bill Bass Foundation directs its charitable giving exclusively to Jewish communal life in the Chicago area, providing unrestricted/general support to the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago. The foundation appears focused on strengthening local Jewish infrastructure and services by routing funds through the regional federation rather than funding individual programs or organizations directly.
Highly concentrated: very few grants (two) all to a single recipient; provides unrestricted/general funding to a regional federation rather than multiple, program-specific grantees.
The Bill Bass Foundation C/o Marc Schwartz Harrison & Held LLP channels its giving through the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, with the largest recent grant at $118,000 in 2025 and prior awards of $105,000 in 2024 and $100,000 in 2023. That three-year pattern shows a steady relationship with a single Chicago federation rather than a wide portfolio of named program grants. The foundation’s recent records also show support for Chicago-area institutions across health, education, and civic life, including Chicago Kent College of Law at $75,000 in 2024 and Lurie Childrens Foundation at $50,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025. Its grantmaking is predominantly local, with most recipients in Illinois, and the recent file shows no grantmaking outside the United States. Across the list, the foundation uses general-fund or general-purpose support, which points to flexible backing for core operations and institutional continuity.
A central thread in the foundation’s work is Jewish communal support in metropolitan Chicago. The Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago received the largest awards in the file, each marked for general funds. Beyond that core commitment, the foundation also supports health-related organizations in Chicago, such as Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, which received $50,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for general fund support. Medical institutions appear elsewhere in the record as well, including Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, which received $25,000 in 2024 for general purpose support. Civic and community institutions are also part of the pattern: Chicago Police Memorial Foundation received $35,000 in 2024 and $25,000 in 2025, both for general funds.
Typical grant size sits in a narrow band: p25 is $5,000, median is $7,500, and p75 is $11,125. The recent record also includes repeated awards to the same recipients across multiple years, especially the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, and Lurie Childrens Foundation, which points to recurring support rather than isolated one-time gifts. The foundation appears to operate as a grantmaker using general operating or general-purpose support. The available data do not show an application process or unsolicited-request pathway.
$836K
$12.3M
$926K
$1.2M
Most grants fall between $5K and $11K, with a median of $8K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$8K
75th Percentile
$11K
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Notable grantees: Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago
Grant recipients are overwhelmingly local and concentrated in Illinois: 74% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and Illinois is also the top state by grant count. Chicago is the most visible recipient city, joined by Urbana, Champaign, Northbrook, and Maywood. Outside Illinois, the file includes New York and Bethesda as recipient locations, but the overall country distribution remains entirely U.S.-based.
The recent grants show support for Jewish communal infrastructure, health care, education, and civic organizations. Examples in the file include Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago for general funds, Chicago Kent College of Law for general funds, and Chicago Police Memorial Foundation for general funds.
Yes. The same recipients appear across multiple years in the recent-grants list. Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Shirley Ryan Ability Lab and Lurie Childrens Foundation also appear in more than one year.
The typical award is modest and tightly clustered: p25 is $5,000, median grant size is $7,500, and p75 is $11,125. The recent list also includes larger awards, such as $118,000 and $105,000, showing that the foundation makes both smaller and larger general-support grants.
Most grants go to Illinois recipients, and 74% of grants are paid to organizations in the HQ state. Chicago is the most frequent recipient city in the file, with additional Illinois recipients in Urbana, Champaign, Northbrook, and Maywood.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEWISH UNITED FUND OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $118,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| LURIE CHILDRENS FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| SHIRLEY RYAN ABILITY LAB | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS FOUNDATION | URBANA, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $46,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| MALNATI BRAIN TUMOR INSTITUTE | CHICAGO, IL | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| SPECIAL CHILDRENS CHARITIES | CHICAGO, IL | $28,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| NORTHWESTERN MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| CHICAGO POLICE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| GREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION | BEHESDA, MD | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| THE NORA PROJECT | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| NATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| AM SHALOM SYNAGOGUE | GLENCOE, IL | $18,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| HAROLD E EISENBERG FOUNDATION | NORTHFIELD, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| FIRST TEE OF CHICAGO FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $11,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| THE HELPING HAND NETWORK | NORTHBROOK, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| RAVINIA FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| TEACH FOR AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| NORTHWESTERN LAW | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| WE THE BEST FOUNDATION | LAKE SUCCESS, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| CONGREGATION BJBE | DEERFIELD, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER | LOS ANGELES, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| IMERMAN ANGELS | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| CROHN'S COLITIS FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| ST IGNATIUS COLLEGE PREP | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY | ATLANTA, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| PICKLES GROUP | WINNETKA, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| ANTHONY RIZZO FAMILY FOUNDATION | PARKLAND, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO STOP VIOLENCE | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| FEMALE STRONG | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| CHAMPAIGN URBANA BALLET | CHAMPAIGN, IL | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| HIGHLAND PARK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| ILLINOIS HOLOCAUST MUSEUM & EDUCATION CENTER | SKOKIE, IL | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| THE MICHAEL HULETT CHARITY | VERNON HILLS, IL | $6,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| LES TURNER ALS FOUNDATION | SKOKIE, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| FRIENDS OF OSCAR MAYER SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| TAP CANCER OUT | FORT MILL, SC | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| EVANS SCHOLAR FOUNDATION | GLENVIEW, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| THE BREAKTHROUGH BOARD | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| ROLFE PANCREATIC CANCER FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| GLASA | LAKE FOREST, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| CENTER FOR ENRICHED LIVING | RIVERSWOODS, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| INVEST FOR KIDS INC | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| MARKLUND | GENEVA, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| SECOND SENSE | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| COUNCIL FOR JEWISH ELDERLY | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| WOMEN EMPLOYED | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| CHICAGOLAND SPORTS HALL OF FAME | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| RICHARD SCHOENSTADT MEMORIAL FOUNDATION | SCARSDALE, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
LURIE CHILDRENS FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL FUNDS
MALNATI BRAIN TUMOR INSTITUTE
GENERAL FUNDS
NORTHWESTERN MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL FUNDS
CHICAGO POLICE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL FUNDS
AM SHALOM SYNAGOGUE
$18,000GENERAL FUNDS
HAROLD E EISENBERG FOUNDATION
$15,000GENERAL FUNDS
FIRST TEE OF CHICAGO FOUNDATION
$11,000GENERAL FUNDS
RAVINIA FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION
$10,000GENERAL FUNDS
NORTHWESTERN LAW
$10,000GENERAL FUNDS
WE THE BEST FOUNDATION
$10,000GENERAL FUNDS
CONGREGATION BJBE
$10,000GENERAL FUNDS
SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER
$10,000GENERAL FUNDS
ST IGNATIUS COLLEGE PREP
$10,000GENERAL FUNDS
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
$10,000GENERAL FUNDS
PICKLES GROUP
$10,000GENERAL FUNDS
NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO STOP VIOLENCE
$10,000GENERAL FUNDS
FEMALE STRONG
$10,000GENERAL FUNDS
CHAMPAIGN URBANA BALLET
$7,500GENERAL FUNDS
ILLINOIS HOLOCAUST MUSEUM & EDUCATION CENTER
$7,500GENERAL FUNDS
THE MICHAEL HULETT CHARITY
$6,000GENERAL FUNDS
FRIENDS OF OSCAR MAYER SCHOOL
$5,000GENERAL FUNDS
EVANS SCHOLAR FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL FUNDS
THE BREAKTHROUGH BOARD
$5,000GENERAL FUNDS
ROLFE PANCREATIC CANCER FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL FUNDS
GLASA
$5,000GENERAL FUNDS
MARKLUND
$5,000GENERAL FUNDS
CHICAGOLAND SPORTS HALL OF FAME
$5,000GENERAL FUNDS
RICHARD SCHOENSTADT MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL FUNDS