Foundations & Grantmakers in Illinois
8,549 grantmakers in Illinois reported grants on their latest 990s. The 3,368 that made at least 5 grants gave $7.0B. The largest by giving are The Chicago Community Trust, John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation and Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. The list below ranks grantmakers with at least 5 grants by annual giving, and each funder links to a profile with its grant history and financials.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse Illinois grants
Foundation giving in Illinois at a glance
Active grantmakers
8,549
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$7.0B
from the 3,368 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$21K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$83K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in Illinois by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Chicago Community Trust | Chicago | $1.2B | 4,316 |
| 2 | John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation | Chicago | $356.1M | 1,086 |
| 3 | Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago | $166.6M | 896 |
| 4 | Arie and Ida Crown Memorial | Chicago | $115.2M | 897 |
| 5 | Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago | $107.5M | 41 |
| 6 | Robert R McCormick Foundation | Chicago | $106.1M | 255 |
| 7 | Builders Vision Foundation | Chicago | $96.8M | 390 |
| 8 | Ronald McDonald House Global | Chicago | $85.5M | 125 |
| 9 | Alzheimer's Disease & Related Disorders Association Inc | Chicago | $73.3M | 79 |
| 10 | Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership | Chicago | $66.9M | 98 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 8 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 370 · 28%
- Human Services 168 · 13%
- Health 124 · 9%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 90 · 7%
- Religion Related 79 · 6%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 78 · 6%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (38% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in Illinois
- The Dupage Community Foundation $16.9M · 241 grants
- Community Foundation of Northern Illinois $8.6M · 248 grants
- The Community Foundation of Macon County $7.2M · 152 grants
- Peoria Area Community Foundation $7.0M · 84 grants
- Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley $6.2M · 123 grants
- Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation $4.7M · 59 grants
- Community Foundation of the Quincy Area $4.5M · 86 grants
- Dekalb County Community Foundation $4.0M · 119 grants
Showing the largest 8 of 23 with at least 10 grants.
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2025).
Most open to new grantees in Illinois
Foundations based in Illinois whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IFF | 91% (81) | 89 in 2025 | $47K |
| 2 | Infrastructure Engineering Inc | 90% (27) | 30 in 2024 | $2K |
| 3 | Baker Tilly Foundation | 90% (26) | 29 in 2025 | $8K |
| 4 | Flora School District Academic Foundation | 89% (32) | 36 in 2025 | $1K |
| 5 | Exelon Foundation | 85% (28) | 33 in 2024 | $69K |
| 6 | The Edward E Ford Foundation | 83% (20) | 24 in 2025 | $86K |
| 7 | Catholic Order of Foresters Welfare and Relief Fund | 83% (49) | 59 in 2024 | $3K |
| 8 | Flowers for Dreams Foundation | 83% (19) | 23 in 2025 | $9K |
| 9 | Pat Mac's Pack Inc | 82% (55) | 67 in 2025 | $4K |
| 10 | Horace Mann Educators Foundation | 81% (47) | 58 in 2024 | $8K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing all 9,551 foundations and grantmakers in Illinois
Feeding America
Chicago, IL
Assets
$572.5M
Grants
234
Total Given
$4.8B
The Big Ten Conference Inc
Rosemont, IL
Assets
$280.7M
Grants
18
Total Given
$1.4B
The Chicago Community Trust
Chicago, IL
Assets
$7.1B
Grants
4,316
Total Given
$1.2B
Howard G Buffett Foundation
Decatur, IL
Assets
$718.1M
Grants
1
Total Given
$698.7M
America for Bulgaria Foundation
Homer Glen, IL
Assets
—
Grants
1
Total Given
$456.1M
AbbVie Patient Assistance Foundation
North Chicago, IL
Assets
—
Grants
2
Total Given
$442.0M
John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation
Chicago, IL
Assets
$9.3B
Grants
1,086
Total Given
$356.1M
PERT Foundation
Chicago, IL
Assets
$127.6M
Grants
1
Total Given
$318.0M
University of Illinois Foundation
Champaign, IL
Assets
$3.7B
Grants
3
Total Given
$312.3M
Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Assets
$3.7B
Grants
24
Total Given
$211.5M
Greater Chicago Food Depository
Chicago, IL
Assets
$216.0M
Grants
677
Total Given
$191.2M
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
Chicago, IL
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
896
Total Given
$166.6M
Northern Illinois Food Bank
Geneva, IL
Assets
$76.0M
Grants
362
Total Given
$154.1M
Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies
Bloomington, IL
Assets
$15.7M
Grants
2
Total Given
$148.8M
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL
Assets
$20.8B
Grants
383
Total Given
$133.4M
Pritzker Traubert Foundation
Chicago, IL
Assets
$297.4M
Grants
1
Total Given
$120.5M
Arie and Ida Crown Memorial
Chicago, IL
Assets
$1.4B
Grants
897
Total Given
$115.2M
Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago
Chicago, IL
Assets
$261.5M
Grants
41
Total Given
$107.5M
Robert R McCormick Foundation
Chicago, IL
Assets
$1.8B
Grants
255
Total Given
$106.1M
Builders Vision Foundation
Chicago, IL
Assets
$1.7B
Grants
390
Total Given
$96.8M
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Assets
$15.8B
Grants
201
Total Given
$90.9M
Radiant Life Ministries Inc
Marion, IL
Assets
$103.2M
Grants
2
Total Given
$90.0M
Ronald McDonald House Global
Chicago, IL
Assets
$328.9M
Grants
125
Total Given
$85.5M
Alzheimer's Disease & Related Disorders Association Inc
Chicago, IL
Assets
$523.7M
Grants
79
Total Given
$73.3M
Here's the math on clicking through this list.
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at ~7 min per funder profile
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~1 min
every profile evaluated and scored, with reasoning
Questions about foundations in Illinois
What are the largest foundations in Illinois?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are The Chicago Community Trust ($1.2B across 4,316 grants), John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation ($356.1M) and Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago ($166.6M). Together the top 10 account for 34% of the $7.0B given by the 3,368 grantmakers in Illinois that made at least 5 grants. Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
How big is a typical foundation grant in Illinois?
The typical grant is about $21K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $83K in total in their latest filing year, so many are small foundations that give to a few organizations they already know. The largest funders make many more grants, but also get the most requests.
Are there community foundations in Illinois?
Yes. We found 23 community foundations in Illinois with grant activity. The largest by giving are The Dupage Community Foundation, Community Foundation of Northern Illinois and The Community Foundation of Macon County. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find Illinois foundations that accept unsolicited proposals?
Most private foundations don't run an open application. Their 990-PF says whether they only give to preselected charities, and their past grants show who they actually fund. Start with the funders above whose grant counts and typical grant size fit your budget, then check each profile's grant history for organizations like yours before you reach out. Read the grant prospecting guide.
Related guides
- Grant prospecting: how to find funders that fit
How to shortlist foundations in Illinois from their 990s and giving history.
- AI grant writing: draft proposals in your voice
Turn a shortlist into LOIs and proposals drafted from your own materials.