Bright Promises Foundation
Bright Promises Foundation is a Chicago, Illinois-based public charity that supports children and youth, with a stated mission to identify, fund, and share solutions to underrecognized needs affecting young people most adversely impacted by inequity. Its website describes its work as focused on Chicagoland and emphasizes community partnerships, multi-year support, capacity-building, and sharing learning.
Bright Promises Foundation at a glance
In short: Bright Promises Foundation gave $367K across 14 grants in 2024 (avg $26K), mostly in Illinois. 43% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $367,000
- -30.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 14
- -39.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $26,214
- +13.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $5,963,846
- -4.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 43% first-time grantees (6 of 14, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Bright Promises Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts letters of intent, proposals, and reports through its online system. Applicants should review the relevant initiative guidelines for eligibility and application details. For Focused Funding, applicants must first submit a letter of intent and may proceed to a proposal only if selected.
- Contact
Mailing address: 200 W Madison St 300, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 704-8260
Website: https://brightpromises.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
4 open opportunities from Bright Promises Foundation
EQUIP Grants Program
Bright Promises Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Healing Youth Racial Trauma
Bright Promises Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Iris Krieg F.A.I.R. Fund Grant
Bright Promises Foundation
Amount
Up to $20,000 each (2 organizations/year)
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Bright Promises Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Palenque LSNA ($45K). Together the top 10 received $335K.
Grant Size Distribution
97 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 96 grants of 97 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its work as serving Chicagoland. In filing year 2024, all reported grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois. The listed 2024 grantees include organizations in Chicago and Lake Zurich, as well as the Illinois Afterschool Network in Springfield.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Bright Promises Foundation open to new grantees?
43%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 14 grantees (43%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $33K; repeat grants $21K. How we count
Medians: $40K first-time, $9K repeat.
- 43% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−19%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $316K (2020) to $531K (2023). In 2024 it made 14 grants totaling $367K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Palenque LSNA Chicago, IL | General Operating | $45,000 |
| Ucan Chicago, IL | General Operating | $40,000 |
| Chicago Youth Programs Chicago, IL | General Operating | $40,000 |
| Alliance of the Southeast Chicago, IL | General Operating | $40,000 |
| New Community Outreach Chicago, IL | General Operating | $40,000 |
| Alternatives Inc Chicago, IL | General Operating | $40,000 |
| Kuumba Lynx Chicago, IL | General Operating | $40,000 |
| The Roots Initiative Chicago, IL | General Operating | $20,000 |
| Humanity Rising Lake Zurich, IL | General Operating | $20,000 |
| Illinois Afterschool Network Springfield, IL | General Operating | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Bright Promises Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $5,963,846 | $461,402 | $895,612 | $367,000 | 14 | $204,775 |
| 2023 | $6,252,199 | $1,465,878 | $980,501 | $531,000 | 23 | $252,600 |
| 2022 | $4,785,425 | $1,137,076 | $768,019 | $382,100 | 19 | $118,917 |
| 2021 | $5,719,046 | $675,896 | $766,507 | $453,000 | 17 | $381,667 |
| 2020 | $5,349,577 | $576,330 | $558,095 | $316,000 | 24 | $339,910 |
| 2019 | $4,651,989 | $681,897 | $764,846 | $511,890 | 23 | $417,261 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to identify, fund, and share solutions to underrecognized needs of children and youth most adversely impacted by inequity. Its stated strategy includes identifying emerging needs, supporting organizations developing responses, and sharing knowledge to encourage broader change.
Its website describes work in early childhood development, youth leadership and engagement, and youth healing from racial trauma. The 2024 filing says the foundation awarded grants to improve early childhood centers, build parent and caregiver capacity to support children’s social and emotional learning, and respond to childhood trauma.
Examples of 2024 grantees’ own stated missions illustrate the range of organizations supported. UCAN says it builds strong youth and families through healing, education, and empowerment; Kuumba Lynx says it guides economically disadvantaged youth and their families through artistic educational performances; and Chicago Commons Association says it provides early childhood education and family-centered adult education, among other services.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $367,000. Grant amounts ranged from $8,000 to $45,000, with a median of $30,000. Its largest listed awards included $45,000 to Palenque LSNA and $40,000 each to UCAN, Chicago Youth Programs, New Community Outreach, Alternatives Inc, Alliance of the Southeast, and Kuumba Lynx. All were reported for general operating purposes.
The Iris Krieg F.A.I.R. Fund supports youth leadership and civic engagement. It selects two organizations each year for grants of up to $20,000. Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) organizations serving youth in Metropolitan Chicago whose youth are actively engaged in social-justice or equity work, with priority for youth-led advocacy or activism. The described process begins with an online letter of intent; invited finalists submit full proposals, and grants are made in the fall. The fund’s program information describes the letter-of-intent window as opening each spring.
The Healing, Leading, Changing initiative offers two-year grants of $20,000 per year to support organizations addressing youth trauma caused by racism. The foundation’s website states that no new letters of intent or proposals will be accepted for this initiative in 2026. It also states that no new applications will be accepted in 2026 for its early childhood development initiative. For Focused Funding initiatives, the foundation requires a letter of intent and issues requests for proposals to selected organizations; it does not accept unsolicited requests for Focused Funding support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2024 filing are Nancy Snyder, president; Andreason Brown, vice president; Scott Bishop, treasurer; Nannette Zander, secretary; and directors Dean Benson, Ryan Biller, Nick Bruce, Christine M. Calderon, Neelamjit Kaur Dhaliwal, and Maricela Garcia.
Bright Promises Foundation is led by Katherine Korey, Executive Director on the 2024 filing; 1 of 21 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Katherine Korey
Executive Director
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$105K (2024)
Nancy Snyder
President
Director → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → President, 2023
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jay Rosenbloom
Director
Treasurer → Director, 2022
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sendhil Revuluri
Director
Secretary → Director, 2021
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amanda Vallejo
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Baronica Roberson
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maricela Garcia
Director
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Neelamjit Kaur Dhaliwal
Director
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dean Benson
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jason Nierman
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nick Bruce
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Randall Hardy
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ryan Biller
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Aimee Hilado
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christine M. Calderon
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Craig Gutierrez
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Deepak Gaur
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tara Leja
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nannette Zander
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Scott Bishop
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andreason Brown
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (12)
- Former: Kenneth Jennings (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Deepak Guar (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: James Hirsch (2023) — Executive Director
- Former: Caroline Gibbons (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Gaylord Gieseke (2019–2022) — President
- Former: Marilyn Eisenberg (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Shari Runner (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Ed Davies (2019–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Jon Will (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Richard Excell (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Tim Walker (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Elizabeth Foster (2019–2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $105K, to Katherine Korey (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Bright Promises Foundation
How much does Bright Promises Foundation give each year?
Bright Promises Foundation gave $367K across 14 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $531K across 23 grants.
What is Bright Promises Foundation's typical grant size?
Bright Promises Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $30,000, and its average grant was $26,214, across 14 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bright Promises Foundation that year got $33K on average.
Where does Bright Promises Foundation give grants?
Bright Promises Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (12 grants).
Does Bright Promises Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Bright Promises Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Who are Bright Promises Foundation's largest grantees?
Bright Promises Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Palenque LSNA ($45,000), Ucan ($40,000) and Chicago Youth Programs ($40,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Bright Promises Foundation?
Bright Promises Foundation reported $6.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $461K.
What does Bright Promises Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to identify, fund, and share solutions to underrecognized needs of children and youth most adversely impacted by inequity. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bright Promises Foundation?
The foundation accepts letters of intent, proposals, and reports through its online system. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bright Promises Foundation's EIN?
Bright Promises Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-2182047. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Does Bright Promises Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS November 16, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 26, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 13, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Bright Promises Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bright Promises Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bright-promises-foundation-morg_7f487e66e6c14c80b723698b6af8c986
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_362182047_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bright Promises Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bright-promises-foundation-morg_7f487e66e6c14c80b723698b6af8c986},
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 Bright Promises 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.
Bright Promises Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?