Bramsen Charitable Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $6,020,000 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation-only grantmaking)
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: $1,000 - $2,000,000
• Geographic Focus: Illinois, Hawaii, and Colorado
• Total Assets: $23,595,272 (2024)

Contact Details

Address: 26 Ridge Road, Barrington, IL 60010

Note: No public phone number, email, or website available. This is a private foundation that does not maintain a public-facing application process.

Overview

The Bramsen Charitable Foundation was granted tax-exempt status in March 2021 and operates as a private grantmaking foundation based in Barrington, Illinois. With total assets of approximately $23.6 million and annual giving of $6 million in 2024, the foundation makes selective grants to organizations across Illinois, Hawaii, and Colorado. The foundation is led by trustees James E. Bramsen and successor trustees Elizabeth C. Bramsen and Eliza L. Kerr. Elizabeth Bramsen is a prominent conservation advocate who was inducted into the Illinois Outdoors Hall of Fame in 2015 for her life-long advocacy of conservation education. She is also a founding board member of the Barrington Area Conservation Trust and a director of the Hamill Family Foundation, reflecting the family's strong commitment to environmental conservation, education, healthcare, and human services.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Bramsen Charitable Foundation operates as a private foundation with discretionary grantmaking. The foundation made 7 grants in 2024, averaging approximately $860,000 per grant, though individual grant sizes vary considerably from $1,000 to $2,000,000.

Recent Grantmaking Activity:

• 2024: 7 awards totaling $6,020,000
• 2023: 4 awards
• 2022: 5 awards
• 2021: 6 awards
• 2020: 2 awards

The foundation primarily funds operating needs of recipient organizations rather than capital campaigns or endowments.

Priority Areas

Based on the trustees' documented philanthropic interests, the foundation's priority areas include:

Conservation and Environment: Strong alignment with land conservation, wildlife protection, environmental education, and policy advocacy. Elizabeth Bramsen has supported organizations including:

• Chicago Zoological Society (Brookfield Zoo)
• John G. Shedd Aquarium
• Openlands
• Land Conservancy of McHenry County
• Illinois Prairie Path
• Forest Preserves
• Environmental Law and Policy Center
• Barrington Area Conservation Trust

Education: Particularly conservation education and youth leadership development in environmental stewardship.

Healthcare and Human Services: General support for health and human services organizations.

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, effectively limiting grants to organizations already known to the trustees. There is no public information about specific exclusions, but the foundation's giving patterns suggest a focus on established institutions rather than startup organizations or individual projects.

Governance and Leadership

James E. Bramsen - Trustee

Elizabeth C. Bramsen - Successor Trustee Elizabeth "Betsy" Bramsen is a prominent figure in Illinois conservation circles. She was inducted into the Illinois Outdoors Hall of Fame in September 2015 at the Illinois Conservation Foundation Gala for her life-long advocacy of conservation education. She is a founding board member of the Barrington Area Conservation Trust, where she helped develop the Barrington High School Conservation Leadership Project. She also serves as a director of the Hamill Family Foundation and as Vice Chair of the Chicago Zoological Society. Her philanthropic work includes support for the Hamill Family Play Zoo (opened 2001) and Hamill Wild Encounters at Brookfield Zoo.

Eliza L. Kerr - Successor Trustee Eliza Lowry Kerr is the granddaughter of James and Elizabeth Bramsen, representing the next generation of family leadership.

The foundation operates with no paid staff and relies on the trustees' expertise and networks to identify grantees. No officer compensation is reported.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation operates on a trustee-discretion model, making contributions exclusively to preselected charitable organizations. They do not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Grants are awarded based on the trustees' knowledge of organizations and their strategic priorities, typically to organizations with which the family has existing relationships or personal connections.

Getting on Their Radar

Board Connections: Elizabeth Bramsen's deep involvement in Illinois conservation organizations suggests that strong work in environmental conservation, particularly in the Chicagoland area, may come to the foundation's attention through her network. She is actively involved with:

• Barrington Area Conservation Trust (founding board member)
• Chicago Zoological Society (Vice Chair)
• Hamill Family Foundation (Director)

Conservation Leadership: Organizations demonstrating excellence in conservation education and youth leadership development align with Elizabeth Bramsen's documented interests, particularly those she has recognized through her work with the Barrington High School Conservation Leadership Project.

Geographic Focus: The foundation makes grants in three states where the family has connections: Illinois (primary), Hawaii, and Colorado. Organizations working in these regions may have a better chance of coming to the foundation's attention.

Sector Events: Given Elizabeth Bramsen's 2015 induction into the Illinois Outdoors Hall of Fame and her involvement with the Illinois Conservation Foundation, organizations that participate in or are recognized by Illinois conservation networks may have opportunities for visibility.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As a trustee-directed private foundation, decisions are made at the discretion of the board rather than on a fixed schedule.

Success Rates

Not applicable. The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, so there is no public success rate data. All grants are made to preselected organizations.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as there is no public application process.

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation does not accept applications, the factors that lead to grants are relationship-based rather than application-based:

Alignment with Family Values: Organizations working in conservation education, environmental protection, and community-based conservation efforts align strongly with the documented interests of the Bramsen family, particularly Elizabeth Bramsen's life-long commitment to these causes.

Established Track Record: The foundation appears to support well-established institutions (Chicago Zoological Society, Shedd Aquarium, Openlands) rather than emerging organizations, suggesting a preference for proven organizations with strong governance and impact.

Geographic Connection: Organizations operating in Illinois (particularly the Barrington and greater Chicago area), Hawaii, or Colorado are within the foundation's geographic scope.

Conservation Education Focus: Elizabeth Bramsen's specific work developing conservation leadership programs for youth suggests that organizations with strong educational components, particularly those that engage young people in environmental stewardship, align with foundation priorities.

Operating Support: The foundation is characterized as primarily funding "operating needs," suggesting preference for general operating support rather than restricted project grants or capital campaigns.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Application: This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. Traditional grant applications will not be successful.

• Relationship-Driven: Funding decisions are made through trustee discretion based on existing relationships and knowledge of organizations.

• Conservation Leadership: Elizabeth Bramsen's demonstrated commitment to conservation education and her leadership roles in major conservation organizations indicate that excellence in this field may lead to foundation awareness.

• Large Grant Capacity: With an average grant size of approximately $860,000 in 2024, this foundation has the capacity for substantial awards to organizations within their network.

• Multi-Generational: The inclusion of granddaughter Eliza L. Kerr as a successor trustee suggests long-term family commitment to philanthropy.

• Network Strategy: Organizations seeking to build awareness should focus on excellence in their work, particularly in conservation and environmental education, and participation in networks where the trustees are active (Illinois conservation community, Chicago Zoological Society, Barrington area).

• Geographic Scope: While based in Illinois, the foundation's giving extends to Hawaii and Colorado, reflecting personal or family connections to these states.

References

• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Bramsen Charitable Foundation (EIN 83-2704828), accessed January 16, 2026: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/832704828
• Instrumentl 990 Report - Bramsen Charitable Foundation, accessed January 16, 2026: https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/bramsen-charitable-foundation
• Cause IQ - Bramsen Charitable Foundation dated November 30 2018, accessed January 16, 2026: https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/bramsen-charitable-foundation-dated-november-30-20,832704828/
• Chicago Tribune, "Barrington's Elizabeth Hamill Bramsen wins state conservation award," August 20, 2015
• Grantmakers.io - S & E Bramsen Foundation profile, accessed January 16, 2026: https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/362546470-s-and-e-bramsen-foundation/