Finnegan Family Foundation
The Finnegan Family Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) grantmaking foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1998, the foundation conducts its philanthropy through a lean operation and maintains a locally focused approach to charitable giving, with particular emphasis on the greater Chicago area.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$4.3M
+4.1% YoY
Grant Count
100
+2.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$43K
+2.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is giving primarily for education, health, and human services.
Primary funding areas include:
- Education & Youth: K-12 education, charter schools, youth development organizations, and educational leadership programs
- Health: Healthcare workforce development and community health initiatives
- Human Services: Community development and social services
- Arts and Culture: Support for cultural organizations
- Jewish Causes: Jewish community organizations
Grantmaking
The foundation does not appear to accept unsolicited proposals. Networking is noted as the most effective approach for potential grantees.
Grant Range
$1,000–$200,000
Average Grant
amount: Approximately $42,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is "laser-focused" on the greater Chicago area, with the majority of grants staying in the Chicago region. However, the foundation also makes grants in:
- Illinois (primary focus, particularly Chicago and Evanston)
- New York
- Massachusetts
- Limited grants in other locations including California, Washington DC, Minnesota, and Louisiana
Top grant locations:
- Chicago, IL: 60 grants
- Evanston, IL: 20 grants
- New York, NY: 5 grants
- Washington, DC: 3 grants
- Boston, MA: 3 grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue:
- Total assets (2024): $42,329,722
- Total assets (2023): $41.6 million
- Total revenues (2024): $5,689,571
- Total expenses (2024): $5,011,081
- Total expenses (2023): $4.74 million
- Total liabilities (2023): $0
Staffing:
- 1-3 employees
| 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 A Better Chicago ($200,000), Academy for Urban School Leadership ($100,000), Bottom Line ($100,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| A BETTER CHICAGO CHICAGO, IL | $100K TO GENERAL OPERATIONS AND $100K TO CATALYST FUND | $200,000 |
| ACADEMY FOR URBAN SCHOOL LEADERSHIP CHICAGO, IL | UNRESTRICTED | $100,000 |
| ADVANCE ILLINOIS CHICAGO, IL | UNRESTRICTED | $10,000 |
| ALLIANCE CHICAGO CHICAGO, IL | JUNO4ME | $20,000 |
| AMERICA NEEDS YOU NEW YORK, NY | CHICAGO PROGRAM | $15,000 |
| ASPIRITECH EVANSTON, IL | UNRESTRICTED | $5,000 |
| BETTER FUTURE FORWARD LAKEVILLE, MN | CHICAGO PROGRAM | $50,000 |
| BOOKS & BREAKFAST EVANSTON, IL | UNRESTRICTED | $30,000 |
| BOTTOM LINE CHICAGO, IL | CHICAGO PROGRAM | $100,000 |
| BRAVEN CHICAGO, IL | CHICAGO PROGRAM | $50,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Paul Finnegan: Founder; Harvard graduate (A.B. and MBA); former executive at First Chicago Venture Capital; co-founder of Madison Dearborn Partners; board member of Teach For America (Chicago and national board)
- Mary Finnegan: Co-founder; board member of Youth & Opportunity United (YOU) and Evanston Scholars
- Katherine Leventhal: President
- Woody McCally: Chairman
- Nathan Finnegan: Founder
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALBERT WARD MCCALLY III | CHAIRMAN | 8 | $30,000 |
| MARY FINNEGAN | SECRETARY/DIRECTOR | — | — |
| PAUL J FINNEGAN | TREASURER/DIRECTOR | — | — |
| KATHERINE F LEVENTHAL | PRESIDENT | 40 | $170,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Finnegan family committed to matching up to $1 million for an Evanston Community Rapid Response Fund (as of 2020).
First $2.6 Million In Community Investment Fund Grants RevealedThe foundation has demonstrated sustained commitment to education and youth organizations in the Chicago area, with particular focus on charter school networks (Noble, KIPP, Citizen Schools) and youth development organizations serving underserved populations.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Finnegan Family Foundation fund?
The foundation's mission is giving primarily for education, health, and human services. Primary funding areas include: • **Education & Youth**: K-12 education, charter schools, youth development organizations, and educational leadership programs • **Health**: Healthcare workforce development and community health initiatives • **Human Services**: Community development and social services • **Arts and Culture**: Support for cultural organizations • **Jewish Causes**: Jewish community organizations
How do I apply for a grant from Finnegan Family Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Total giving in 2024: $5,011,081 in expenses • Total giving in 2023: $4,094,154 across 98 grants • Typical grant range: $1,000–$200,000 • Average grant amount: Approximately $42,000 • Median grant amount varies by year **Recent Grantees (2024):** • A Better Chicago: $200,000 (General Operations and Catalyst Fund) • Endeavor Health Medical Group: $200,000 (Aspire Community Healthcare Workforce Development Program) • Noble Schools: $105,000 (Charter Schools and Summer of A L…
Where does Finnegan Family Foundation make grants?
The foundation is "laser-focused" on the greater Chicago area, with the majority of grants staying in the Chicago region. However, the foundation also makes grants in: • Illinois (primary focus, particularly Chicago and Evanston) • New York • Massachusetts • Limited grants in other locations including California, Washington DC, Minnesota, and Louisiana **Top grant locations:** • Chicago, IL: 60 grants • Evanston, IL: 20 grants • New York, NY: 5 grants • Washington, DC: 3 grants • Boston, MA: 3 …
What size grants does Finnegan Family Foundation award?
In 2024, Finnegan Family Foundation awarded 100 grants totaling $4.3M — an average of about $43K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Finnegan Family Foundation's EIN?
Finnegan Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4221334. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Finnegan 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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