Chicago Foundation for Women
Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) is a 501(c)(3) public charity and community foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1985, CFW has spent four decades building a network of funders and frontline leaders to drive community-led change. The organization operates as both a funder and fundraiser, working to advance gender equity and improve the lives of women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals across the Chicago region.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$25.6M
+8.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.8M
-16.9% YoY
Grant Count
184
+32.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$15K
-37.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: Chicago Foundation for Women invests in women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals as catalysts, building strong communities for all.
CFW takes a comprehensive approach to addressing the challenges facing women and girls, with primary focus areas including:
- Economic security
- Freedom from violence
- Access to health care services and information
- Health advancement
- Safety
The organization identifies itself as the only organization in the region to take a comprehensive approach to understanding and addressing the issues impacting Chicago-area women and girls.
Grantmaking
CFW operates as a grantmaking foundation with the following characteristics:
Average Grant
s serve organizations working across the greater Chicago area
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
CFW supports organizations and their leaders throughout the greater Chicago area, including:
- Cook County
- Lake County
- DuPage County
- Will County
- McHenry County
- Kane County
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of Fiscal Year 2024:
- Total Assets: $25,617,006
- Total Revenues: $6,835,065
- Total Expenses: $5,889,259
- Total Giving: $2,787,515
Staff: 18 employees
Donor Base: Works with nearly 3,000 donors and local partners
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $25,617,006 | $23,723,909 | $20,116,109 |
| Revenue | $6,835,065 | $7,924,915 | $10,062,657 |
| Expenses | $5,889,259 | $6,397,441 | $6,384,476 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $789,730 | $1,014,229 | $1,063,207 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Chicago Foundation for Women
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Chicago Women in Trades ($55,000), Chicago Women in Trades ($32,500), Ba Nia Incorporated ($32,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| A HOUSE IN AUSTIN CHICAGO, IL | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $7,500 |
| A LONG WALK HOME CHICAGO, IL | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR BLACK GIRLHOOD ALTAR FOR MISSING AND MURDERED BLACK WOMEN AND GIRLS | $12,000 |
| AFFINITY COMMUNITY SERVICES CHICAGO, IL | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $8,000 |
| AFFINITY COMMUNITY SERVICES CHICAGO, IL | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $20,000 |
| ALAS-WINGS CHICAGO, IL | GENERAL OPERATING | $10,000 |
| ALIVIO MEDICAL CENTER CHICAGO, IL | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $1,000 |
| ALL CHICAGO MAKING HOMELESSNESS HISTORY CHICAGO, IL | ELEANOR NETWORK | $20,000 |
| ANEW BUILDING BEYOND VIOLENCE & ABUSE HOMEWOOD, IL | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $12,500 |
| APNA GHAR INC (OUR HOME) CHICAGO, IL | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $17,500 |
| ARAB AMERICAN FAMILY SERVICES WORTH, IL | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
CFW was founded in 1984 by four leaders of Chicago's philanthropic community:
- Marjorie Benton
- Sunny Fischer
- Iris Krieg
- Lucia Woods Lindley
These founders launched planning groups that laid the financial and programmatic groundwork for the organization, recognizing that only 3 percent of philanthropic dollars in 1984 were being spent to address women's specific needs.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JESSICA SOHL | BOARD CHAIR | 3 | — |
| TANYA G DAVIS | TREASURER | 3 | — |
| ANGELA L PUTNAM | SECRETARY | 3 | — |
| ANN MARIE WRIGHT | IMMED PAST CHAIR | 1 | — |
| NAILA ALEXANDER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOAN BACON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ALICIA C L BAILEY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| REBECCA BROKMEIER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DEBORAH B COLE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| REGINA CROSS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LAUREN DENSHAM | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ERICA DUNCAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GEORGINA E HEARD-LABONNE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| FRAYA LYNN HIRSCHBERG | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| NORMAN B JONES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SUSAN M KUROWSKI | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| EMILY LONIGRO | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JILL LYONS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ANITA MITAL | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GRETCHEN WOLF | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SUNNY FISCHER | INTERIM CEO (THRU MAY-24) | 40 | $32,333 |
| FELICIA BLAKLEY | PRESIDENT & CEO (THRU AUG 2023) | 40 | $151,431 |
| LORA YORK | SR. PROGRAM OFFICER | 40 | $118,959 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**40th Anniversary (2025):**
CFW celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2025
Held a 40th Anniversary Luncheon on September 25, 2025, at the Hilton Chicago with over 1,000 attendees
Raised over $1 million at the anniversary event to advance equity, opportunity, and safety for women, girls, and gender-expansive people
Featured speaker: Olympic icon Allyson Felix
**Upcoming:**
41st Annual Luncheon scheduled for October 20, 2026, at the Hilton Chicago
Sponsorship and host committee opportunities available
**Organizational Recognition:**
Designated as a 501(c)(3) organization with tax-exempt status since April 1985
Operates a donor-advised fund
Received a four-star rating based on accountability and finance metrics
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Chicago Foundation for Women fund?
**Mission:** Chicago Foundation for Women invests in women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals as catalysts, building strong communities for all. CFW takes a comprehensive approach to addressing the challenges facing women and girls, with primary focus areas including: • Economic security • Freedom from violence • Access to health care services and information • Health advancement • Safety The organization identifies itself as the only organization in the region to take a comprehensive app…
How do I apply for a grant from Chicago Foundation for Women?
CFW operates as a grantmaking foundation with the following characteristics: **Grant Activity:** • In fiscal year 2024, CFW invested $2,784,015 through 184 grants supporting 147 organizations • Typical grant awards range from $500 to $110,000 • Average grants serve organizations working across the greater Chicago area **Grant Impact:** • Over the past year, CFW grants served 315,115 people, of which 224,773 (84%) identified as women or girls • Since 1985, CFW has awarded more than 2,900 grants …
Where does Chicago Foundation for Women make grants?
CFW supports organizations and their leaders throughout the greater Chicago area, including: • Cook County • Lake County • DuPage County • Will County • McHenry County • Kane County
What size grants does Chicago Foundation for Women award?
In 2024, Chicago Foundation for Women awarded 184 grants totaling $2.8M — an average of about $15K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Chicago Foundation for Women's EIN?
Chicago Foundation for Women's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3348160. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Chicago Foundation for Women's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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