Morton S Abelson Foundation | Foundation Profile

GrantBay analyzes IRS Form 990-PF data to help grant seekers find fit funders like Morton S Abelson Foundation. Data shown is extracted from Form 990-PF filings.

EIN: 36-6149634

Foundation Overview

Based in Highland Park, IL, Morton S Abelson Foundation has awarded 139 grants totaling $309,705 to organizations in Illinois, New York and 11 other states across the US. Individual grants range from $75 to $25,000, with a median award of $1,000.

Latest Tax Year
2025
Total Giving (all years)
$309,705
Total Assets
$829,690
Median Grant (all grants)
$1,000

Latest Form 990-PF Snapshot

Total Grants
23
Median Grant
$1,000
% No Significant Change
0% (vs previous year)
Data extracted from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Last filing year: May 2026

Foundation Intelligence

Advanced analytics and strategic insights to help nonprofit organizations assess grant opportunities and optimize their application strategies

New Applicant Friendliness
Balanced Approach: 39%

9 of 23 recipients (39%) were new grantees. Foundation maintains loyal partnerships while remaining open to qualified new applicants with strong proposals.

Geographic Focus
Illinois

60% of grants are awarded in Illinois, with additional funding distributed across 12 other locations. The foundation balances regional focus with broader geographic diversity. Within Illinois, funding concentrates in Chicago (80%), Glencoe (4%), Northbrook (4%).

Funding Trajectory
+207%

Strong 207% growth in annual giving over 9 years indicates expanding philanthropic capacity and increasing opportunities for grant seekers. This upward trajectory suggests growing foundation resources and commitment.

Program Areas
General Purposes + Community Projects

Dual focus on general purposes (67%) and community projects, indicating strategic concentration in complementary program areas.

Where is The Money Going?

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Grants & Funding

Analyzing past grantees provides valuable insights into Morton S Abelson Foundation's funding preferences, organizational priorities, and grant making patterns. This historical data helps potential applicants understand the foundation's strategic focus and identify successful funding approaches.

Name Amount Location Purpose Year
Aclu $1,000 Chicago, IL, US General Support 2025
American Jewish Committee $1,000 New York, NY, US General Support 2025
Anti Defamation League $5,000 Chicago, IL, US General Support 2025
Art Institute Of Chicago $160 Chicago, IL, US General Support 2025
Back Bay Ringers $5,000 Boston, MA, US General Support 2025
Everytown For Gun Safety $500 New York, NY, US General Support 2025
Fistula Foundation $7,500 San Jose, CA, US General Support 2025
Genesys Works Chicago $1,000 Chicago, IL, US General Support 2025
Greater Chicago Food Depository $250 Chicago, IL, US General Support 2025
Jewish United Fund $5,000 Chicago, IL, US General Support 2025
Josselyn Clinic $250 Northbrook, IL, US General Support 2025
Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital Of Chicago Foundation $25,000 Chicago, IL, US General Support 2025
Northern Illinois Food Bank $3,250 Geneva, IL, US General Support 2025
Northwest Memorial Foundation $20,000 Chicago, IL, US General Support 2025
Project K-9 Hero $200 Whitwell, TN, US General Support 2025
Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School $1,000 Chicago, IL, US General Support 2025
Southern Poverty Law Center $5,000 Montgomery, AL, US General Support 2025
Sparky Productions $7,500 Telluride, CO, US General Support 2025
St Jude's Children's Research Hospital $1,000 Memphis, TN, US General Support 2025
St Labre Indian School $200 Ashland, MT, US General Support 2025
Telluride Medical Center Foundation $1,000 Telluride, CO, US General Support 2025
World Central Kitchen $2,000 Washington, DC, US General Support 2025
Wttw $200 Chicago, IL, US General Support 2025
Aclu $1,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2024
American Jewish Committee $1,000 New York, NY, US General 2024
Anti Defamation League $5,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2024
Art Institute Of Chicago $160 Chicago, IL, US General 2024
Everytown For Gun Safety $1,000 New York, NY, US General 2024
Fistula Foundation $7,500 San Jose, CA, US General 2024
Genesys Works Chicago $500 Chicago, IL, US General 2024
Greater Chicago Food Depository $250 Chicago, IL, US General 2024
Jewish United Fund $5,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2024
Mountain Seed Foundation $1,000 Centreville, VA, US General 2024
Northern Illinios Food Bank $250 Geneva, IL, US General 2024
Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School $1,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2024
Southern Poverty Law Center $5,000 Montgomery, AL, US General 2024
Sparky $7,500 Telluride, CO, US General 2024
St Jude Children's Research Hospital $1,000 Memphis, TN, US General 2024
Telluride Medical Center Foundation $1,000 Telluride, CO, US General 2024
The Josselyn Center $250 Northfield, IL, US General 2024
World Central Kitchen $1,000 Washington, DC, US General 2024
Aclu $1,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2023
American Jewish Committee $1,000 Philadelphia, PA, US General 2023
Anti Defamation League $10,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2023
Art Institute Of Chicago $160 Chicago, IL, US General 2023
Everytown For Gun Safety $500 New York, NY, US General 2023
Fistula Foundation $5,000 San Jose, CA, US General 2023
Genesys Works Chicago $500 Chicago, IL, US General 2023
Greater Chicago Food Depository $500 Chicago, IL, US General 2023
Hands Of Peace $500 Glenview, IL, US General 2023
Jewish United Fund $5,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2023
Lurie Children's Hospital Of Chicago $15,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2023
North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic $500 Highland Park, IL, US General 2023
Northern Illinios Food Bank $500 Geneva, IL, US General 2023
Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation $500 Washington, DC, US General 2023
Sandy Hook Promise Foundation $500 Newtown, CT, US General 2023
Sierra Club $250 Chicago, IL, US General 2023
Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School $1,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2023
Southern Poverty Law Center $12,000 Montgomery, AL, US General 2023
St Jude Children's Research Hospital $1,000 Memphis, TN, US General 2023
Telluride Medical Center Foundation $1,000 Telluride, CO, US General 2023
University Of Chicago Law School $500 Chicago, IL, US General 2023
Urban Gateways $250 Chicago, IL, US General 2023
World Central Kitchen $1,000 Washington, DC, US General 2023
Writers Theatre $500 Glencoe, IL, US General 2023
Aclu $1,250 Chicago, IL, US General 2022
Anti Defamation League $2,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2022
Everytown For Gun Safety $250 New York, NY, US General 2022
Fistula Foundation $5,000 San Jose, CA, US General 2022
Genesys Works Chicago $500 Chicago, IL, US General 2022
Jewish United Fund $5,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2022
Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School $1,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2022
Southern Poverty Law Center $2,000 Montgomery, AL, US General 2022
World Central Kitchen $1,000 Washington, DC, US General 2022
Aclu $1,250 Chicago, IL, US General 2022
Anti Defamation League $2,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2022
Everytown For Gun Safety $250 New York, NY, US General 2022
Fistula Foundation $5,000 San Jose, CA, US General 2022
Genesys Works Chicago $500 Chicago, IL, US General 2022
Jewish United Fund $5,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2022
Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School $1,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2022
Southern Poverty Law Center $2,000 Montgomery, AL, US General 2022
World Central Kitchen $1,000 Washington, DC, US General 2022
Aclu $1,250 Chicago, IL, US General 2022
Anti Defamation League $2,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2022
Everytown For Gun Safety $250 New York, NY, US General 2022
Fistula Foundation $5,000 San Jose, CA, US General 2022
Genesys Works Chicago $500 Chicago, IL, US General 2022
Jewish United Fund $5,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2022
Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School $1,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2022
Southern Poverty Law Center $2,000 Montgomery, AL, US General 2022
World Central Kitchen $1,000 Washington, DC, US General 2022
Aclu $1,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2021
Fistula Foundation $10,000 San Jose, CA, US General 2021
Hands Of Peace $250 Glenview, IL, US General 2021
Jewish United Fund $5,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2021
North Shore University Health Fdn $1,000 Evanston, IL, US General 2021
Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School $1,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2021
Aclu $250 Chicago, IL, US General 2020
Chicago Botanic Garden $300 Glencoe, IL, US General 2020
Everytown For Gun Safety $250 New York, NY, US General 2020
Fistula Foundation $5,000 San Jose, CA, US General 2020
Greater Chicago Food Depository $1,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2020
Jewish United Fund $5,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2020
North Shore University Health Fdn $1,000 Evanston, IL, US General 2020
Sierra Club $250 Chicago, IL, US General 2020
Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School $500 Chicago, IL, US General 2020
Southern Poverty Law Center $2,000 Montgomery, AL, US General 2020
Urban Gateways $250 Chicago, IL, US General 2020
Wttw $250 Chicago, IL, US General 2020
Aclu $250 New York, NY, US General 2016
American Indian College Fund $100 Denver, CO, US General 2016
Build Inc $1,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2016
Chimphaven $150 Keithville, LA, US General 2016
Dig Deep $250 Los Angeles, CA, US General 2016
Everytown For Gun Safety $250 New York, NY, US General 2016
Fistula Foundation $5,000 San Jose, CA, US General 2016
Friends For Health $250 Highland Park, IL, US General 2016
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society $10,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2016
Jewish Child & Family Services $250 Northbrook, IL, US General 2016
Jewish Federation $250 Chicago, IL, US General 2016
Jewish United Fund $5,000 Chicago, IL, US General 2016
Keshet $250 Northbrook, IL, US General 2016
Metropolitan Family Services $200 Chicago, IL, US General 2016
Museum Of Contemporary Art $75 Chicago, IL, US General 2016
Planned Parenthood $250 New York, NY, US General 2016
Ragdale Foundation $100 Lake Forest, IL, US General 2016
Reading In Motion $250 Chicago, IL, US General 2016
Shankman Orthopedic $2,500 Chicago, IL, US General 2016
Sierra Club $250 Chicago, IL, US General 2016
Streetwise Inc $100 Chicago, IL, US General 2016
Telluride Medical Care Foundation $250 Telluride, CO, US General 2016
Tupelo Press $1,500 North Adams, MA, US General 2016
University Of Chicago Law School $500 Chicago, IL, US General 2016
Wbez $250 Chicago, IL, US General 2016
Women For Women International $250 Washington, DC, US General 2016
Wounded Warrior Project $100 Chicago, IL, US General 2016
Writers Theater $500 Glencoe, IL, US General 2016
Wttw11 $250 Chicago, IL, US General 2016

Foundations Similar to Morton S Abelson Foundation

Discover 5 foundations with comparable assets ($821,135-$834,979), similar grant patterns, and geographic focus in IL that may also align with your organization's funding needs and grant seeking strategy.

Foundation Name Total Assets Typical Grant Size Service Area Similarity Match

EIN: 52-1616064 | 81 grants awarded
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EIN: 36-7181333 | 225 grants awarded
$834,979
(≈ Similar)
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EIN: 35-2191133 | 105 grants awarded
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Contact Information

Official contact details for Morton S Abelson Foundation as registered with the IRS. These details are essential for grant applications, correspondence, and due diligence processes.

EIN 36-6149634
Website N/A
Address 1539 LINDEN AVE Highland Park, IL 60035-3440

Key People (3)

Board members, trustees, and key staff who oversee Morton S Abelson Foundation's grant making decisions and strategic direction. Understanding leadership composition can provide insights into foundation priorities and potential networking opportunities.

President, Treasurer, Secretary Susan A Star
Vice-president, Director Michael A Abelson
Director Robert Star

Forms 990-PF

IRS Form 990-PF filings provide comprehensive financial information, grant details, and operational data. These documents are essential resources for understanding foundation capacity, giving patterns, and strategic priorities.

Form 990-PF Research Tips
  • Review Part XV for detailed grant recipient information and funding purposes
  • Check Part I for total assets, annual giving amounts, and payout requirements
  • Examine Part VIII for key personnel compensation and board structure
  • Look for trends across multiple years to understand giving patterns

About This Foundation Profile

This comprehensive foundation profile for Morton S Abelson Foundation is powered by Grant Bay's advanced foundation research platform. Our system analyzes IRS Form 990-PF filings, grant histories, and philanthropic patterns to provide nonprofit organizations with actionable intelligence for grant seeking success.

Data Sources & Accuracy

All information is derived from official IRS filings and public records. Grant Bay processes thousands of Form 990-PF documents to extract grant details, financial data, and organizational information. Data accuracy depends on foundation reporting quality and IRS filing completeness.

Research Applications

Use this profile for prospect research, grant strategy development, application preparation, and relationship building. Combine this data with additional research on foundation priorities, application processes, and board member backgrounds for comprehensive grant seeking strategies.

Data Currency: Last updated May 2026 based on IRS Form 990-PF filings. Foundation information reflects most recent available tax year data.