Conant Family Foundation
The Conant Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois, established in 1992 and transitioned to multi-generational leadership in 2015. The foundation provides general operating support to nonprofit organizations that promote racial, economic, and gender justice, with a particular focus on grassroots social justice work in the Chicago area.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$1.3M
-7.0% YoY
Grant Count
51
-10.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$25K
+4.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is rooted in the ideals of freedom and equality championed by its founders, Doris and Howard Conant Sr., who worked in and supported movements for peace, gender equity, and racial justice.
The foundation operates across three primary focus areas:
- Abortion Access — Supporting organizations working to secure abortion access
- Urban Environmental Justice — Supporting organizations working toward environmental safety in Chicago's low-income and minority communities
- Community Organizing for Racial Justice — Supporting grassroots organizing efforts
The foundation also provides legacy grants to organizations with which its founder worked during her lifetime.
Grantmaking
The foundation has instituted participatory grantmaking for the Community Organizing focus area, with grant decisions made by a committee of individuals with lived experience of racial injustice who live and work in Chicago and understand how community organizing works. The foundation is continually experimenting with ways to shift power dynamics in grantmaking.
Grant Range
s and Activity:**
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grantmaking is generally limited to the Chicago area, though the foundation also funds work in Illinois, the District of Columbia, and West Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets and Giving (2023):
- Total assets: $1,758
- Total revenues: $1,583,308
- Total expenses: $1,615,025
- Total giving: $1,257,500
Note: The foundation's asset figures appear to reflect a recent distribution or restructuring, with most resources deployed through active grantmaking rather than held in reserves.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| 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
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Chicago Frontlines Funding Initiative ($150,000), Chicago Abortion Fund ($60,000), Chicago Public Media Inc ($50,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN NEAR EAST REFUGEE AID WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL SUPPORT | $15,000 |
| CHRISTIANAIRE CHICAGO, IL | GENERAL SUPPORT | $3,000 |
| FETZER INSTITUTE FOR FAITH & PHILANTHROPY POOLED FUND KALAMAZOO, MI | GENERAL SUPPORT | $20,000 |
| INTERNATIONAL CHILDRENS MEDIA CENTER CHICAGO, IL | GENERAL SUPPORT | $25,000 |
| PALESTINE LEGAL CHICAGO, IL | GENERAL SUPPORT | $5,000 |
| WOMENS HEALTH CENTER WEST VIRGINIA CHARLESTON, WV | GENERAL SUPPORT | $5,000 |
| ABORTION CARE NETWORK WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| ACCESS REPRODUCTIVE CARESOUTHEAST ATLANTA, GA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| ALIANZA LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE DBA ALLIANCE OF THE SOUTHEAST CHICAGO, IL | GENERAL SUPPORT | $25,000 |
| ALLIANCE OF FILIPINOS AFIRE CHICAGO, IL | GENERAL SUPPORT | $15,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Founder: Doris Conant (1925–) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was a feminist, sculptor, civic worker, real estate developer, philanthropist, mother, and grandmother. She was a civil rights organizer in Chicago in the 1960s, worked with women and families in public housing, and participated in the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965. She marched with Martin Luther King in Chicago and founded Urban Innovations, a Chicago-based real estate investment company.
Current Leadership: Doris Conant's grandchildren, all millennials, now lead the foundation. Her granddaughter Rachel Conant serves as president. The younger generation has participated in Resource Generation and Solidaire and strives for an equitable redistribution of wealth and power.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MASON GEORGE | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| MONICA GEORGE | VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| ANDREW FRANK | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| MEREDITH GEORGE | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| LESLIE RAMYK | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $173,628 |
| SARAH FRANK | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KYLE JOHNSON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MADELYN GEORGE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RACHEL CONANT | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PAM CONANT | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Conant Family Foundation fund?
The foundation's mission is rooted in the ideals of freedom and equality championed by its founders, Doris and Howard Conant Sr., who worked in and supported movements for peace, gender equity, and racial justice. The foundation operates across three primary focus areas: • **Abortion Access** — Supporting organizations working to secure abortion access • **Urban Environmental Justice** — Supporting organizations working toward environmental safety in Chicago's low-income and minority communities
How do I apply for a grant from Conant Family Foundation?
**Grant Sizes and Activity:** • Typical grant awards range from $300 to $150,000 • The foundation made 68 grants in 2023 • Total giving in 2023 was $1,257,500 **Recent Grantees (2023):** • Midwest Access Coalition — $50,000 (unrestricted) • Midwest Family Planning Clinic NFP — $50,000 (unrestricted) • Planned Parenthood of Illinois — $50,000 (unrestricted) **Grantmaking Approach:** The foundation has instituted participatory grantmaking for the Community Organizing focus area, with grant decisi…
Where does Conant Family Foundation make grants?
Grantmaking is generally limited to the Chicago area, though the foundation also funds work in Illinois, the District of Columbia, and West Virginia.
What size grants does Conant Family Foundation award?
In 2024, Conant Family Foundation awarded 51 grants totaling $1.3M — an average of about $25K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Conant Family Foundation's EIN?
Conant Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3820887. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Conant Family Foundation'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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