Patrick G and Shirley W Ryan
The Patrick G and Shirley W Ryan Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1984 and based in Chicago, Illinois. Located at 150 N Michigan Ave Ste 2100, the foundation is designated as a 501(c)(3) organization. The foundation was created by Patrick G. Ryan and Shirley W. Ryan, prominent Chicago philanthropists.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$108.8M
+38.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$12.9M
+87.6% YoY
Grant Count
89
-8.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$145K
+104.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation gives primarily for:
- Education
- The arts
- Roman Catholic churches and schools
- Children and youth services
- Health and medical research
- General charitable operations and program support
Grantmaking
The foundation does not maintain a website to guide grantseekers and does not appear to accept unsolicited applications. Networking is required to reach the foundation's attention.
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Illinois, Wisconsin, and New York, with significant focus on the Chicago region.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total assets: $78,384,236
- Total revenues: $2,520,307
- Total expenses: $7,118,072
- Total liabilities: $0
As of 2024:
- Total assets: $108,819,579
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $108,819,579 | $78,384,236 | $69,160,066 |
| Revenue | $33,921,054 | $2,520,307 | $-1,136,554 |
| Expenses | $13,097,930 | $7,118,072 | $10,301,945 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $12,937,021 | $6,944,893 | $10,142,174 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,315,766 | $974,081 | $370,969 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,182,605 | $2,709,370 | $3,041,631 |
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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SHIRLEY W RYAN | PRESIDENT/TREASURER/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PATRICK G RYAN | CHAIRMAN/VICE PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MARY IGNELL | SECRETARY/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PATRICK G RYAN JR | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ROBERT JW RYAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CORBETT MW RYAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Ryan family established the Ryan Family Research Acceleration Fund with $35 million in 2022 to support Northwestern University research. Inaugural recipients of awards from this fund were announced in 2024.
NU announces inaugural recipients of Ryan Family Research ...Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan were named 2022 NSF Patriot Award recipients by the Navy SEAL Foundation.
Inaugural recipients of Ryan Family Research Acceleration Fund awards announcedRelated Funders
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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