Northwestern University is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Evanston, Illinois. The institution has maintained tax-exempt status since May 1945. Northwestern operates as a comprehensive research university providing educational services, conducting research activities, and offering clinical services across multiple academic and professional disciplines.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$19.2B
+4.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$122.4M
+8.6% YoY
Grant Count
375
+18.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$326K
-8.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Northwestern is committed to excellent teaching, innovative research, and the personal and intellectual growth of its students in a diverse academic community.
The university's primary activities include:
Education of Students: For the 2024 academic year, Northwestern enrolled 8,961 undergraduates and 11,228 graduate and professional school students on a full-time basis. The institution provides superior undergraduate education across a comprehensive range of academic and professional fields, with graduate offerings closely related to research, creative activities, and clinical services.
Research Activities: Research represents a major component of university efforts, assuring institutional advancement and contributing to knowledge across multiple disciplines.
Grantmaking
Northwestern University operates as both a grant recipient and a grantmaker. The institution maintains a donor-advised fund through which donors can direct the distribution or investment of funds.
Ready to take the next step with Northwestern University?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Northwestern's grantmaking priorities focus primarily on Illinois, California, and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
- Total Assets: $19.2 billion
- Annual Income: $6.5 billion
- Annual Revenue: $4.2 billion
Federal Awards Received
Northwestern has received substantial federal funding from multiple agencies (2025 data):
- Department of Health and Human Services: $51.9 billion (14,358 awards)
- Department of Defense: $2.5 billion (1,554 awards)
- Department of Energy: $2.2 billion (564 awards)
- National Science Foundation: $2.2 billion (2,083 awards)
- Department of Commerce: $306.4 million (36 awards)
Total Federal Awards: $59.1 billion from 5 agencies
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $19,217,819,256 | $18,481,250,303 | $18,624,987,614 |
| Revenue | $4,177,750,770 | $3,319,115,351 | $4,010,424,246 |
| Expenses | $3,933,998,499 | $3,655,717,485 | $3,344,228,756 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $839,983,033 | $192,368,372 | $1,084,927,010 |
| 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
Open Grants
7 open opportunities from Northwestern University
ANCHOR Grants – (Advancing Neighborhood & Community Health, Opportunity & Resilience)
Northwestern University
Amount
US $25,000 - US $65,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Data-Driven Reporting Project
Northwestern University
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
John Cage Research Grant
Northwestern University
Amount
Up to US $3,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam L Hoeflich | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Adam R Karr | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Brian S Posner | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Charles A Tribbett III | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Christine E Brennan | Trustee | 1 | — |
| D Cameron Findlay | Trustee | 1 | — |
| David A Sachs | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Deborah L DeHaas | Trustee | 1 | — |
| E Scott Santi | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Ellen Kullman | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Emily Heisley Stoeckel | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Frederick H Waddell | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Gordon I Segal | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Gwynne E Shotwell | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Harreld N Kirkpatrick III | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Heather B Baker | Trustee | 1 | — |
| James A DeNaut | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jane DiRenzo Pigott | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jane S Hoffman | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jay C Hoag | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jennifer Leischner Litowitz | Trustee | 1 | — |
| John Z Kukral | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Kimberly Querrey | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Lynn Hopton Davis | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Michael S Shannon | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Milton M Morris | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Muneer A Satter | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Nancy Trienens Kaehler | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Patrick G Ryan Jr | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Paul J Schneider | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Paula Pretlow | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Peter J Barris | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Purnima Puri | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Steven A Cahillane | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Tarek Elmasry | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Timothy P Sullivan | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Virginia Rometty | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Wendy M Nelson | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Yie-Hsin Hung | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Amanda J Distel | VP & Chief Financial Officer | 40 | $596,647 |
| Amy Falls | VP & Chief Investment Officer | 40 | $2,214,318 |
| David A Lively | Interim VP Alumni Relations Development | 40 | $451,981 |
| Derrick L Gragg | VP Athletics Rec | 40 | $1,394,940 |
| Devora Grynspan | VP of International Relations | 40 | $271,343 |
| Eric G Neilson | VP Medical Affairs | 40 | $666,253 |
| Eric J Perreault | Vice President for Research | 40 | $359,716 |
| Jon Yates | VP Global Mkt & Comm | 40 | $320,293 |
| Kathleen M Hagerty | Provost | 40 | $1,028,669 |
| Lorraine A Goffe | VP & Chief HR Officer | 40 | $515,531 |
| Luke Figora | VP and Chief Operations Officer | 40 | $578,885 |
| Michael H Schill | President | 40 | $1,367,881 |
| Robert E McQuinn | VP of Alumni Rel & Development | 40 | $1,476,660 |
| Robin Renee Means Coleman | VP Assoc Prov Div and Inc | 40 | $380,738 |
| Sean Brian Reynolds | VP & Chief Information Officer | 40 | $605,022 |
| Stacey Kostell | VP and Dean of Enrollment | 40 | $180,067 |
| Stephanie Mills Graham | VP & General Counsel | 40 | $1,089,093 |
| Susan Davis | VP Student Affairs | 40 | $362,628 |
| Daniel Lee Durack | Assoc VP Budget & Planning | 40 | $345,253 |
| Julie Allen | Board Secretary and Advisor to President | 40 | $516,857 |
| Chad A Mirkin | Professor-Chemistry | 40 | $1,305,577 |
| Christopher Ryan Collins | Head Coach | 40 | $3,725,659 |
| Mohanbir S Sawhney | Professor-Kellogg | 40 | $2,278,357 |
| Patrick William Fitzgerald II | Head Coach | 40 | $4,101,287 |
| Peter A Belytschko | Managing Dir Absolute Return | 40 | $1,326,183 |
| Alexander J Darragh | VP of Facilities Management | 40 | $495,968 |
| Andy Madorsky | Co-interim VP Global Mkt & Comm | 40 | $303,338 |
| Craig A Johnson | Executive Vice President | 40 | $1,062,156 |
| Harisha Koneru Haigh | Mng Dir Priv Inv & Real Assets | 40 | $1,247,609 |
| Janna V Blais | Assoc Ad Intercollegiate Srvcs Athletics & Former Interim VP Athletics | 40 | $283,597 |
| Jeri Beth Ward | VP Global Mkt & Comm | 40 | $264,402 |
| Marilyn McCoy | VP of Admin & Planning | 40 | $709,764 |
| Mike Polisky | Former VP Athletics | 1 | $306,980 |
| Milan Mrksich | VP of Research | 40 | $668,540 |
| Morton O Schapiro | President Emeritus | 40 | $1,802,546 |
| Patricia Lampkin | Interim VP Student Affairs | 40 | $262,982 |
| Priya Jenveja Harjani | Assoc VP & Dep General Counsel & Former Interim VP HR | 40 | $508,510 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Northwestern awarded $2 million through the Ryan Family Research Acceleration Fund to support research project funding
Northwestern awards $2 million in research project fundingThe ANCHOR Grant Program awarded over $2 million to support community projects in Evanston and Chicago
ANCHOR Grant Program supports community projects in Evanston, ChicagoFaculty received a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation
Faculty Awarded $20 Million Grant from National Science Foundation | NewsNorthwestern received $55 million to advance health research
Northwestern awards $2 million in research project fundingSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with Northwestern University on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities