THE MISSION OF THE CHILDREN FIRST FUND IS TO PROMOTE THE GROWTH AND SUCCESS OF CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS THROUGH PHILANTHROPY AND PARTNERSHIPS. WE SERVE AS A KNOWLEDGE HUB AND LIAISON BETWEEN CPS AND ITS COMMUNITY OF PARTNERS, INCLUDING BUSINESSES, (SEE SCH O) FOUNDATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS. BY MATCHING RESOURCES PROVIDED BY EXTERNAL DONORS AND PARTNERS WITH THE STUDENTS, SCHOOLS, AND STAFF THAT NEED THEM MOST. CFF MAXIMIZES THE IMPACT OF CPS' PARTNERSHIPS AND ADVANCES THE CPS VISION.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$30.4M
-8.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$5.8M
+49.0% YoY
Grant Count
2
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2.9M
+49.0% YoY
About Children First Fund the Chicago Public
Based on IRS filings
Children First Fund the Chicago Public is a nonprofit organization focused on Education, based in CHICAGO, IL. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2024. As of 2024, the organization holds $30.4M in total assets. In 2024, it awarded 2 grants totaling $5.8M. Net investment income was $1.1M.
Focus Areas
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $30,400,508 | $33,280,492 | $31,844,677 |
| Revenue | $17,147,986 | $14,344,858 | $24,521,086 |
| Expenses | $21,889,955 | $12,694,309 | $19,382,582 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $1,067,161 | $500,631 | — |
| 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 2 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
4 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALAN KING | DIRECTOR, CHAIR | 1 | — |
| MARY CAHILLANE | DIRECTOR, TREASURER | 1 | — |
| ADAM LANGSAM | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LIZ DOZIER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MARTIN CABRERA | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PETER ELLIS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PEDRO MARTINEZ | EX OFFICIO DIRECT | 1 | — |
| OLUYEMISI ODEDINA | MANAGING DIRECTOR OF FINAN | 40 | $166,915 |
| JOHANNA WHEATON DUTT | DIRECTOR OF MAJOR GIFTS | 40 | $127,469 |
| RACHEL ORLOWSKI | DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL | 40 | $118,200 |
| KENYA MARTIN | DIRECTOR OF ROADMAP FUNDRA | 40 | $105,090 |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
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