Northwestern Memorial HealthCare (NMHC) is a public charity based in Chicago, Illinois. Formed in 1982, it is the corporate parent of Northwestern Medicine and provides governance and centralized services to its health system. NMHC describes its work as combining patient care, education and research with efforts to improve community health.
Key facts about Northwestern Memorial HealthCare
In short: Northwestern Memorial HealthCare gave $39.3M across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $1.7M), mostly in Illinois. 26% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 36-3152959
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $39,273,069
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- Average grant
- $1,707,525
- Median grant
- $25,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (6 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Total assets
- $16,786,135,308
- Primary geography
- Illinois (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- Submit a donation request describing the organization’s mission and vision as they relate to community health and how the funds would support its work. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$16.8B
+10.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$39.3M
+9.1% YoY
Grant Count
23
-46.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$1.7M
+104.0% YoY
Is Northwestern Memorial HealthCare open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 23 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $2.3M. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 52% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−17%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
NMHC’s stated mission is to improve the health of the communities it serves by delivering a broad range of services with sensitivity to patients’ and families’ needs. It also describes an academic relationship with Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, linking clinical services with education and research.
For community work, Northwestern Medicine identifies access to care, economic and workforce development, and community essentials as areas of activity. Its website describes support for efforts addressing barriers to health, including food insecurity, housing needs, access to care, violence and trauma.
The 2025 grants include academic, community, research and education support. Grantee missions illustrate the range of organizations receiving awards: the Facial Pain Research Foundation says it is committed to research to cure trigeminal neuralgia and other neuropathic pain; Big Shoulders Fund says it supports underserved schools providing quality, values-based education for Chicago children; and World Business Chicago describes its mission as driving inclusive economic growth and job creation. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not NMHC’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, NMHC reported 23 grants totaling $39,273,069. Grant amounts ranged from $7,500 to $38,734,681, with a median of $25,000. The largest award was $38,734,681 to Northwestern University for academic support. Other listed awards included $50,000 each to Naples Children Education Foundation for community support and the Facial Pain Research Foundation for research support; $45,000 to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for research and education; and $35,000 to Big Shoulders Fund for community wellness.
NMHC’s website also describes a community donations program. Requests are considered on a rolling basis for awards up to $20,000. Eligible applicants include community-based 501(c)(3) organizations, organizations with a qualifying fiscal agent, and schools or government agencies. Applicants are asked to describe their mission and vision as they relate to community health and how funding would help. Awards are one-time support for projects to be completed within a year; organizations may receive only one donation per Northwestern Medicine fiscal year, and event sponsorships such as galas and athletic activities are not funded. The stated service area includes all or part of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, McHenry and Will counties. The review process can take up to 45 days. Recipients of awards over $250 must submit a stewardship report after spending the funds or by August 31, whichever comes first.
How to Apply
Submit a donation request describing the organization’s mission and vision as they relate to community health and how the funds would support its work. Requests are considered throughout the year.
Ready to take the next step with Northwestern Memorial HealthCare?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The community donations program serves organizations located in and primarily serving residents of all or part of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, McHenry and Will counties. In the 2025 filing, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois; the listed recipient states also included Florida, New York and Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $29.2M (2019) to $50.3M (2020). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $39.3M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Northwestern University ($38.7M). Together the top 10 received $39.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
161 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 140 grants of 161 (87%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University Chicago, IL | Academic Support | $38,734,681 |
| Naples Children Education Fnd Naples, FL | Community Support | $50,000 |
| The Facial Pain Research Foundation Gainesville, FL | Research Support | $50,000 |
| National Multiple Sclerosis Society New York, NY | Research and Education | $45,000 |
| The Executives Club of Chicago Chicago, IL | Community Support | $45,000 |
| American Heart Association Inc Dallas, TX | Research and Education | $35,000 |
| Big Shoulders Fund Chicago, IL | Community Wellness | $35,000 |
| World Business Chicago Chicago, IL | Community Support | $35,000 |
| National Parkinson Foundation Miami, FL | Research and Education | $30,000 |
| Commercial Club Foundation Chicago, IL | Community Support | $29,268 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $16,786,135,308 | $2,773,030,061 | $1,945,972,760 | $39,273,069 |
| 2024 | $15,237,001,285 | $2,259,070,785 | $1,801,649,652 | $35,990,607 |
| 2023 | $13,848,071,678 | $2,057,415,454 | $1,684,720,180 | $45,111,938 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $16,786,135,308 | $15,237,001,285 | $13,848,071,678 |
| Revenue | $2,773,030,061 | $2,259,070,785 | $2,057,415,454 |
| Expenses | $1,945,972,760 | $1,801,649,652 | $1,684,720,180 |
| Net Investment Income | $899,592,829 | $553,867,658 | $298,826,314 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 9, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 15, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 11, 2024)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Northwestern Memorial HealthCare's only listed officer is Group Number, Per Regulation & This Data Is Found on the Group Return on every filing since 2019 (uncompensated).
Officers on the 2025 filing
Group Number
Per Regulation & This Data Is Found on the Group Return
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 541 N Fairbanks Ct 1630, Chicago, IL 60611-3319
Phone: (312) 926-4237
Website: https://nm.org
Frequently asked questions about Northwestern Memorial HealthCare
How much does Northwestern Memorial HealthCare give each year?
Northwestern Memorial HealthCare gave $39.3M across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $36.0M across 43 grants.
What is Northwestern Memorial HealthCare's typical grant size?
Northwestern Memorial HealthCare's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $1,707,525, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Northwestern Memorial HealthCare that year got $23K on average.
Where does Northwestern Memorial HealthCare give grants?
Northwestern Memorial HealthCare gives mostly in Illinois: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (13 grants).
Does Northwestern Memorial HealthCare give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on Northwestern Memorial HealthCare's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community Support" (10 grants) and "Research and Education" (4 grants).
Who are Northwestern Memorial HealthCare's largest grantees?
Northwestern Memorial HealthCare's largest 2025 grantees include Northwestern University ($38,734,681), Naples Children Education Fnd ($50,000) and The Facial Pain Research Foundation ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 99% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Northwestern Memorial HealthCare?
Northwestern Memorial HealthCare reported $16.8B in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.8B.
What does Northwestern Memorial HealthCare fund?
NMHC’s stated mission is to improve the health of the communities it serves by delivering a broad range of services with sensitivity to patients’ and families’ needs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Northwestern Memorial HealthCare?
Submit a donation request describing the organization’s mission and vision as they relate to community health and how the funds would support its work. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Northwestern Memorial HealthCare's EIN?
Northwestern Memorial HealthCare's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3152959. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
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