John D and Alexandra Nichols Family
John D and Alexandra Nichols Family is a private foundation based in Winnetka, Illinois. In 2025, it reported 37 grants totaling $5,647,344, with 99% of grant dollars going to recipients in Illinois.
John D and Alexandra Nichols Family at a glance
In short: John D and Alexandra Nichols Family gave $5.6M across 37 grants in 2025 (avg $153K), mostly in Illinois. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $5,647,344
- +4.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 37
- -11.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $152,631
- +18.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $32,215,029
- -9.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (10 of 37, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to John D and Alexandra Nichols Family
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 900 Mount Pleasant, Winnetka, IL 60093
Phone: (847) 441-5823
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who John D and Alexandra Nichols Family funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Art Institute of Chicago ($3.3M). Together the top 10 received $5.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
230 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 191 grants of 230 (83%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois. The reported shares for Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, and New York were each 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is John D and Alexandra Nichols Family open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 37 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $208K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 54% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 47% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 123% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $3.7M (2020) to $6.4M (2023). In 2025 it made 37 grants totaling $5.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $3,275,000 |
| Music Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $912,750 |
| Writers Theatre Glencoe, IL | Unrestricted | $650,000 |
| Winnetka Community House Winnetka, IL | Unrestricted | $200,000 |
| WTTW Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $158,000 |
| Harris Theater Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| Joffrey Ballet Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $35,000 |
| Ucan Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $30,000 |
| Field Museum Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $32,215,029 | $2,545,739 | $6,076,088 | $5,647,344 | 37 | $5,650,869 | $2,185,520 | $4,576,760 |
| 2024 | $35,745,239 | $4,142,530 | $5,878,882 | $5,416,480 | 42 | $5,420,217 | $3,796,569 | $4,361,394 |
| 2023 | $37,477,969 | $3,640,987 | $6,715,124 | $6,393,925 | 44 | $6,397,489 | $2,484,920 | $3,761,666 |
| 2022 | $40,560,037 | $1,703,602 | $4,310,974 | $3,850,025 | 54 | $3,854,049 | $1,958,472 | $3,783,430 |
| 2021 | $43,167,409 | $5,548,661 | $5,826,866 | $5,551,825 | 53 | $5,555,321 | $5,226,626 | $3,904,404 |
| 2020 | $43,455,967 | $-795,396 | $3,975,460 | $3,731,171 | 58 | — | $1,590,131 | $3,767,206 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John D and Alexandra Nichols Family reported a distributable amount of $4.6M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for arts and cultural organizations: the Music Institute of Chicago says it leads people toward lifelong engagement with music, while Writers Theatre says its mission is to create intimate connections through performances and programs.
Other 2025 recipients describe their work as serving a range of community needs. UCAN says it builds strong youth and families through healing, education, and empowerment. Winnetka Community House says it provides a gathering place and activities intended to foster learning, personal growth, and community spirit. PAWS Chicago describes its work as animal welfare, including spay/neuter, medical, and adoption programs.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 37 grants totaling $5,647,344. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $3,275,000, with a median of $10,000.
The largest reported grants were $3,275,000 to the Art Institute of Chicago, $912,750 to the Music Institute of Chicago, $650,000 to Writers Theatre, $200,000 to Winnetka Community House, and $158,000 to WTTW. Each was listed as unrestricted. Other listed recipients included Harris Theater and Joffrey Ballet, each at $100,000; Lincoln Park Zoo at $35,000; and UCAN at $30,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Alexandra C. Nichols was listed as a trustee on the 2025 filing.
John D and Alexandra Nichols Family is led by Alexandra C. Nichols, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Alexandra C. Nichols
Trustee
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: John D. Nichols (2020–2023) — Trustee · Filing note: Until 6142023
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about John D and Alexandra Nichols Family
How much does John D and Alexandra Nichols Family give each year?
John D and Alexandra Nichols Family gave $5.6M across 37 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $5.4M across 42 grants.
What is John D and Alexandra Nichols Family's typical grant size?
John D and Alexandra Nichols Family's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $152,631, across 37 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from John D and Alexandra Nichols Family that year got $4K on average.
Where does John D and Alexandra Nichols Family give grants?
John D and Alexandra Nichols Family gives mostly in Illinois: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (19 grants), Glencoe, IL (3 grants) and Winnetka, IL (3 grants).
Does John D and Alexandra Nichols Family give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of John D and Alexandra Nichols Family's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (37 of 37) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are John D and Alexandra Nichols Family's largest grantees?
John D and Alexandra Nichols Family's largest 2025 grantees include Art Institute of Chicago ($3,275,000), Music Institute of Chicago ($912,750) and Writers Theatre ($650,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 86% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is John D and Alexandra Nichols Family?
John D and Alexandra Nichols Family reported $32.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.6M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does John D and Alexandra Nichols Family fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from John D and Alexandra Nichols Family?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is John D and Alexandra Nichols Family's EIN?
John D and Alexandra Nichols Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3858388. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does John D and Alexandra Nichols Family accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 26, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 8, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 6, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 23, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 27, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). John D and Alexandra Nichols Family funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/john-d-and-alexandra-nichols-family-morg_7f03c5f9da8e4725979186ab7b11ba98
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363858388_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{John D and Alexandra Nichols Family funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/john-d-and-alexandra-nichols-family-morg_7f03c5f9da8e4725979186ab7b11ba98},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from John D and Alexandra Nichols Family's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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