Builders Vision Foundation
Builders Vision Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Lukas Walton in 2018, Builders Vision brings philanthropy and investing together to shift capital markets toward sustainable solutions in food and agriculture, energy, and oceans.
Builders Vision Foundation at a glance
In short: Builders Vision Foundation gave $96.8M across 390 grants in 2024 (avg $248K), top state Illinois. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $96,806,070
- +18.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 390
- +13.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $248,221
- +4.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $150,000
- Total assets
- $1,654,082,903
- +8.3% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Illinois (33% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Builders Vision Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 167 N Green Street Suite 1600, Chicago, IL 60607
Phone: (479) 464-1570
Website: https://buildersvision.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Builders Vision Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Chicago Community Foundation ($4.5M across 4 grants). Together the top 10 received $25.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
1,277 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 506 grants of 1,277 (40%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, recipients in Illinois received 33% of grant dollars, followed by California at 10%, the District of Columbia at 9%, and New York and Minnesota at 6% each. The foundation’s website also describes a Chicago Good Neighbor program supporting entrepreneurs, community-led projects, and local financial organizations. It reports that the foundation has awarded $144 million in grants to Chicago-based organizations since 2019.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 390 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Builders Vision Foundation gives
- 58% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 241% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 115% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $15.2M (2020) to $96.8M (2024). In 2024 it made 390 grants totaling $96.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Community Foundation Chicago, IL | to support a program focused on reducing, mitigating and preventing street violence | $4,000,000 |
| CREO Family Office Syndicate New York, NY | to support growth and sustainability planning | $3,000,000 |
| ForeFront Chicago, IL | to support a food resilience program in Chicago | $3,000,000 |
| Rewiring America Inc Washington, DC | to support the decarbonization of low-income homes in Indiana | $2,000,000 |
| Walton Family Foundation Bentonville, AR | to support its grantmaking program focused on advancing sustainability efforts in the Midwest | $1,862,500 |
| Best Friends Animal Society Kanab, UT | to support the operating costs of a pet resource center and shelter in Bentonville, Arkansas | $1,000,000 |
| Common Market Philadelphia Inc Philadelphia, PA | to support its work in the Great Lakes region | $1,000,000 |
| Elevate Chicago, IL | To provide general operating support | $1,000,000 |
| Everyday People for Change Inc San Leandro, CA | to support an entrepreneurship project | $1,000,000 |
| Little Village Environmental Justice Organization Chicago, IL | to support organizations working in support of environmental and climate efforts in Chicago | $1,000,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Builders Vision Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,654,082,903 | $245,156,232 | $117,928,006 | $96,806,070 | 390 | $98,952,622 | $218,604,910 | $86,403,210 |
| 2023 | $1,526,854,677 | $519,855,780 | $110,762,871 | $81,706,966 | 344 | $83,985,645 | $454,846,115 | $68,697,232 |
| 2022 | $1,117,727,346 | $189,732,780 | $104,642,867 | $87,986,780 | 316 | $92,895,237 | $175,926,211 | $51,507,221 |
| 2021 | $1,032,637,433 | $86,761,797 | $46,906,162 | $28,391,344 | 145 | $31,593,103 | $74,804,086 | $57,144,892 |
| 2020 | $992,945,696 | $530,265,880 | $22,050,220 | $15,240,433 | 82 | — | $513,491,494 | $23,267,518 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Builders Vision Foundation reported a distributable amount of $86.4M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing describes Builders Vision’s purpose as combining philanthropy and investing to shift capital markets toward sustainable solutions across food and agriculture, energy, and oceans. Its website describes these as interconnected sectors: food and agriculture for a resilient, diversified, healthy food system; energy for a clean energy future; and oceans for environmental resilience and economic prosperity.
Its grantmaking includes project-specific and general operating support, and its broader capital deployment also includes investments in entrepreneurs and funds. Examples of grantees’ work include CREO Family Office Syndicate’s efforts to mobilize private capital for low-carbon and resource-efficient solutions; ForeFront’s work to strengthen nonprofit organizations in Illinois; and Rewiring America’s work on household energy efficiency and clean technologies. These are descriptions of the grantees, not the foundation’s own missions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 390 grants totaling $96,806,070. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $4,000,000, with a median of $150,000.
Notable grants included $4,000,000 to Chicago Community Foundation for a program focused on reducing, mitigating, and preventing street violence; $3,000,000 to CREO Family Office Syndicate for growth and sustainability planning; and $3,000,000 to ForeFront for a food resilience program in Chicago. Other examples include $2,000,000 to Rewiring America to support decarbonization of low-income homes in Indiana and $1,000,000 to Maine Community Foundation to support research on blue carbon in Maine.
The 2024 filing also describes loans and direct charitable activities supporting local small businesses contributing to the creative economy in the greater Chicago region. These activities are distinct from grants to outside organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Lukas Walton as director, CEO, and chair; Bruce McNamer as director and president; and Lisa Forbes as director and secretary. Robert Smith served as treasurer until June 30, 2024, and Karishma Desouza served as treasurer beginning July 1, 2024.
Builders Vision Foundation is led by Lukas T Walton, Director, CEO & Chair since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Lukas T Walton
Director, CEO & Chair
Director & Co-Ceo → Director, Co-Chief Officer & Chairman, 2021
Director, Co-Chief Officer & Chairman → Director, CEO & Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bruce McNamer
Director & President
President → Director & President, 2023
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lisa J. Forbes
Director & Secretary
Secretary → Director & Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert A. Smith
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Karishma Desouza
Treasurer
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Matt Knott (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Samantha B. Walton (2020–2022) — Director, Co-Chief Officer & Chairman
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Builders Vision Foundation
How much does Builders Vision Foundation give each year?
Builders Vision Foundation gave $96.8M across 390 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $81.7M across 344 grants.
What is Builders Vision Foundation's typical grant size?
Builders Vision Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $150,000, and its average grant was $248,221, across 390 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Builders Vision Foundation give grants?
Builders Vision Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 33% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (10%) and District of Columbia (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (128 grants), Washington, DC (23 grants), New York, NY (12 grants) and Minneapolis, MN (12 grants).
Does Builders Vision Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 32% of Builders Vision Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (125 of 390) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "To Support Training and Learning Opportunities" (4 grants).
Who are Builders Vision Foundation's largest grantees?
Builders Vision Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Chicago Community Foundation ($4,500,000 across 4 grants), ForeFront ($3,800,000 across 3 grants) and CREO Family Office Syndicate ($3,000,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 12% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Builders Vision Foundation?
Builders Vision Foundation reported $1.7B in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $99.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $86.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Builders Vision Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing describes Builders Vision’s purpose as combining philanthropy and investing to shift capital markets toward sustainable solutions across food and agriculture, energy, and oceans. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Builders Vision Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Builders Vision Foundation's EIN?
Builders Vision Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-1503941. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Builders Vision Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Builders Vision Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Builders Vision Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/builders-vision-foundation-morg_d30c2ab1ad504009851cb210c8963a01
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_821503941_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Builders Vision Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/builders-vision-foundation-morg_d30c2ab1ad504009851cb210c8963a01},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Builders Vision 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.
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