Metropolitan Mayors Caucus
The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus is a Chicago, Illinois-based public charity and membership organization for the Chicago region’s 275 cities, towns, and villages. It provides a forum for elected officials to collaborate on regional public policy issues and shared challenges. Its website says it was founded in 1997; the organization’s 2024 filing lists 2001 as its year formed.
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus at a glance
In short: Metropolitan Mayors Caucus gave $8.6M across 29 grants in 2025 (avg $295K), mostly in Illinois. 76% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $8,568,854
- -74.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 29
- +7.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $295,478
- -76.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $1,148,494
- -2.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 76% first-time grantees (22 of 29, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (96% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Metropolitan Mayors Caucus
- Review Cycle
- The 2026 Powering Safe Communities application deadline was March 13, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Central Time; this cycle is past.
- Deadline
- The 2026 Powering Safe Communities application deadline was March 13, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.
- Contact
Mailing address: 433 W Van Buren St 450, Chicago, IL 60607
Phone: (312) 201-4505
Website: https://mayorscaucus.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Metropolitan Mayors Caucus funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Rincon Family Services ($1.2M). Together the top 10 received $7.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
113 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 92 grants of 113 (81%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Caucus serves the Chicago region. Its 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois (96%) and the District of Columbia (4%). The Powering Safe Communities program is for applicants in its specified ComEd service territory.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Metropolitan Mayors Caucus open to new grantees?
76%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 22 of 29 grantees (76%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $260K; repeat grants $408K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $288K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $135K (2023) to $33.8M (2024). In 2025 it made 29 grants totaling $8.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rincon Family Services Chicago, IL | Support for Asylum Seeker Services | $1,234,831 |
| Centro De Informacion Elgin, IL | Support for Asylum Seeker Services | $1,223,250 |
| Lake County Libertyville, IL | Support for Asylum Seeker Services | $1,158,750 |
| Village of Ford Heights Ford Heights, IL | Support for Asylum Seeker Services | $995,154 |
| Respond Now Chicago Heights, IL | Support for Asylum Seeker Services | $706,462 |
| Beds Plus Inc La Grange, IL | Support for Asylum Seeker Services | $662,375 |
| City of Champaign Champaign, IL | Support for Asylum Seeker Services | $662,305 |
| The Immigration Project Normal, IL | Support for Asylum Seeker Services | $537,499 |
| Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Chicago, IL | Climate Pollution Reduction | $385,785 |
| World Relief Washington, DC | Support for Asylum Seeker Services | $324,523 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,148,494 | $10,028,009 | $10,175,730 | $8,568,854 | 29 | — |
| 2024 | $1,179,321 | $35,612,551 | $35,287,148 | $33,830,661 | 27 | — |
| 2023 | $767,725 | $1,186,813 | $1,262,757 | $135,115 | 15 | — |
| 2022 | $763,496 | $1,212,220 | $1,227,319 | $220,239 | 16 | — |
| 2021 | $783,756 | $1,433,740 | $1,571,101 | $296,065 | 26 | $197 |
| 2020 | $1,630,225 | $1,770,389 | $1,497,509 | $177,768 | 20 | $3,239 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization states that its mission is to provide a forum for the region’s chief elected officials to develop consensus on common public policy issues and multi-jurisdictional challenges. Its stated work includes technical and grant assistance for local-government energy-efficiency upgrades, housing-planning assistance, and public-safety projects.
Its 2025 grants show support for asylum seeker services and climate pollution reduction. The grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the kinds of organizations receiving support: Rincon Family Services says it provides programs to improve quality of life and serve individuals and families; Respond Now connects people in need with health, hunger, and housing services; BEDS Plus helps vulnerable individuals stabilize their lives through housing and supportive services; and Western Illinois Dreamers works to empower immigrant and refugee communities.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Caucus reported 29 grants totaling $8,568,854. Grant amounts ranged from $5,200 to $1,234,831, with a median of $10,000. The largest awards included:
The Caucus also administers the Powering Safe Communities program with ComEd. The program offers grants of up to $10,000 for local public-safety and clean-transportation projects. Eligible applicants include local governments in the listed ComEd service-area counties; nonprofits may apply if they partner with at least one municipality. Applicants must be in good standing with ComEd regarding utility provision, and recipients from the 2024 and 2025 program cycles are ineligible for the 2026 cycle. Applications are submitted through the program, with guidelines provided by the Caucus. The organization’s 2024 filing says grant requests are submitted to the Caucus for review and approval, including a review for consistency with its mission.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Nancy Rotering as Executive Board Chairman; Brandon Johnson as Executive First Vice Chair; John Noak as Executive Second Vice Chair; Donald Schmit Jr. as Executive Board Secretary; and Mark Kownick as Executive Treasurer. It also lists Joseph Marchese, Jeffery Schielke, Richard Reinbold, Gerald Bennet, and Joseph Tamburino as directors.
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus is led by Neil James, Executive Director on every filing since 2023; 1 of 21 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Neil James
Executive Director
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$39K (2023) → $165K (2025)
Nancy Rotering
Executive Board Chairman
Alternate Director → Executive 2nd Vice Chairman, 2023
Executive 2nd Vice Chairman → Executive Board Chairman, 2025
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gerald Bennet
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffery D. Schielke
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joseph A. Marchese
Director
Alternate Director → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joseph T. Tamburino
Director
Executive Board Chairman → Alternate Director, 2021
Alternate Director → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard E. Mack
Alternate Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Burns
Alternate Director
Executive Secretary → Executive Board Chairman & Alternate Director, 2023
Executive Board Chairman & Alternate Director → Alternate Director, 2025
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard Reinbold
Director
Alternate Director → Director, 2025
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gary Grasso
Alternate Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joseph Roudez III
Alternate Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Straz
Alternate Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andre Harvey
Alternate Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dominic Marturano
Alternate Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Arena
Alternate Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joseph Woods
Alternate Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tom Dailly
Alternate Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John D. Noak
Executive 2nd Vice Chairman
Alternate Director → Executive Board Secretary, 2023
Executive Board Secretary → Executive 2nd Vice Chairman, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Kownick
Executive Treasurer
Executive Secretary → Executive 2nd Vice Chairman, 2022
Executive 2nd Vice Chairman → Executive Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Donald J. Schmit Jr.
Executive Board Secretary
Director → Executive Board Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brandon Johnson
Executive 1st Vice Chairman
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (18)
- Former: Jeffrey T. Sherwin (2020–2024) — Executive Treasurer
- Former: Karen Y. Darch (2020–2024) — Alternate Director
- Former: Vernard L. Alsberry Jr. (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Daniel Shapiro (2023–2024) — Alternate Director
- Former: Sydney Holman (2023–2024) — Alternate Director
- Former: David E. Bennett (2020–2023) — Former Executive Director
- Former: John Mahoney (2020–2022) — Executive Board Chairman
- Former: Kevin Wallace (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Lori Lightfoot (2020–2022) — Executive 1st Vice Chairman
- Former: Kelsey Nulph (2021–2022) — Staff Liaison
- Former: Daniel P. Dimaria (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Kathleen O'Hara (2020–2021) — Alternate Director
- Former: Dale Berman (2020) — Alternate Director
- Former: Jim Holland (2020) — Director
- Former: Lincoln F. Knight (2020) — Director
- Former: Patrick Schweska (2020) — Alternate Director
- Former: Paul S. Braun (2020) — Director
- Former: Robert J. Nunamaker (2020) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $165K, to Neil James (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Metropolitan Mayors Caucus
How much does Metropolitan Mayors Caucus give each year?
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus gave $8.6M across 29 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $33.8M across 27 grants.
What is Metropolitan Mayors Caucus's typical grant size?
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $295,478, across 29 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Metropolitan Mayors Caucus that year got $260K on average.
Where does Metropolitan Mayors Caucus give grants?
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus gives mostly in Illinois: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (2 grants) and Chicago Heights, IL (2 grants).
Does Metropolitan Mayors Caucus give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 29 grants with a stated purpose on Metropolitan Mayors Caucus's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Powering Safe Communitites" (15 grants) and "Support for Asylum Seeker Services" (11 grants).
Who are Metropolitan Mayors Caucus's largest grantees?
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus's largest 2025 grantees include Rincon Family Services ($1,234,831), Centro De Informacion ($1,223,250) and Lake County ($1,158,750), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Metropolitan Mayors Caucus?
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $10.0M.
What does Metropolitan Mayors Caucus fund?
The organization states that its mission is to provide a forum for the region’s chief elected officials to develop consensus on common public policy issues and multi-jurisdictional challenges. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Metropolitan Mayors Caucus?
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check mayorscaucus.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Metropolitan Mayors Caucus's EIN?
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4469510. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 27, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Metropolitan Mayors Caucus's focus areas in our free grants database
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More similar funders
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Metropolitan Mayors Caucus funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/metropolitan-mayors-caucus-morg_f48cacead884467eba0676889dcc7296
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364469510_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Metropolitan Mayors Caucus funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/metropolitan-mayors-caucus-morg_f48cacead884467eba0676889dcc7296},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Metropolitan Mayors Caucus'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.
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus down — hundreds of funders to go?