Pillars Fund
Pillars Fund is a Chicago, Illinois-based public charity that amplifies the leadership, narratives, and talents of Muslims in the United States to advance opportunity and justice. The organization says it supports civic institutions and culture change, and is currently focused on narrative and cultural power.
Pillars Fund at a glance
In short: Pillars Fund gave $816K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $48K), top state California. 59% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $816,290
- -66.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- -62.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $48,017
- -10.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $70,000
- Total assets
- $20,878,379
- +157.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 59% first-time grantees (10 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (18% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Pillars Fund
- Contact
Mailing address: 200 W Madison Flr 3, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (708) 529-8774
Website: https://pillarsfund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
4 open opportunities from Pillars Fund
Catalyze Fund Grant
Pillars Fund
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Catalyze Fund's Rapid Response Grants
Pillars Fund
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Pillars Artist Fellowship
Pillars Fund
Amount
$40,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Pillars Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Experience Form LLC ($100K). Together the top 10 received $723K.
Grant Size Distribution
159 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 75 grants of 159 (47%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Pillars is based in Chicago and describes its mission as serving Muslims in the United States. Its 2025 grants went to recipients in multiple states. The largest reported shares of grant dollars by recipient state were California (18%), Michigan (17%), New York (12%), and Florida (12%). The Pillars Artist Fellowship has accepted applicants based in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Pillars Fund open to new grantees?
59%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 17 grantees (59%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $42K; repeat grants $56K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $70K repeat.
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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $741K (2019) to $2.4M (2024). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $816K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Experience Form LLC Winter Springs, FL | Program Support | $100,000 |
| Regent Park Songs Ltd | Program Support | $100,000 |
| Pillars of the Community San Diego, CA | Program Support | $73,000 |
| Allied Media Projects Detroit, MI | Program Support | $70,000 |
| Community Initiatives Oakland, CA | Program Support | $70,000 |
| Detroit Revival Engaging Mus Detroit, MI | Program Support | $70,000 |
| Documented Ltd New York, NY | Program Support | $70,000 |
| Intl Museum Muslim Cultures Jackson, MS | Program Support | $70,000 |
| Muslim Power Building Project Durham, NC | Program Support | $70,000 |
| Haymarket Books Chicago, IL | Program Support | $30,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Pillars Fund?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $20,878,379 | $17,032,203 | $4,512,117 | $816,290 | 17 | $34,578 |
| 2024 | $8,117,741 | $5,966,431 | $6,163,114 | $2,425,000 | 45 | $1,081 |
| 2023 | $8,439,851 | $2,398,957 | $4,783,807 | $2,035,000 | 30 | $1,182 |
| 2022 | $10,844,911 | $3,855,611 | $4,338,145 | $2,100,000 | 36 | $1,179 |
| 2021 | $11,143,935 | $11,056,329 | $2,415,365 | $1,020,000 | 31 | $1,068 |
| 2020 | $2,603,865 | $2,212,348 | $2,306,946 | $978,665 | 35 | — |
| 2019 | $2,621,737 | $2,244,617 | $2,052,444 | $741,000 | 29 | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Pillars Fund states that its mission is to amplify the leadership, narratives, and talents of Muslims in the United States to advance opportunity and justice for all. It says it pursues this mission by supporting civic institutions and culture change. Its website describes work to address issues including mass surveillance, racial profiling, voter disenfranchisement, and harmful cultural stereotypes.
Through its Catalyze Fund, Pillars supports a multidisciplinary network of Muslim organizations and leaders working on social good, inequity, and injustice. Its grant materials name reimagining public safety as a focus area and describe support for Muslim-centered, justice-focused organizations. A separate rapid-response initiative focused on youth and campus mobilizing, but its funds had been fully granted by September 2024.
The 2025 filing describes fellowship programs, a storytelling prize, community-building events, and research as major program services. Fellowships support leaders in the arts, media, and creative industries with financial support, mentorship, and connections. The Pillars Artist Fellowship is for screenwriters and directors working in and alongside Muslim communities. The Bylines Fellowship supports early- to mid-career Muslim freelance journalists focused on culture; its published 2026 application period ended May 15, 2026.
Grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported. Pillars of the Community says it works to celebrate Southeast San Diego’s culture and counter criminalization through organizing, leadership development, and partnerships. The International Museum of Muslim Culture says it educates the public about Islamic history and cultures. Documented describes itself as a newsroom reporting with and for immigrant communities, while Allied Media Projects says it cultivates media strategies for a more just, creative, and collaborative world.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Pillars reported 17 grants totaling $816,290. Grant amounts ranged from $5,500 to $100,000, with a median of $70,000; the listed purposes were program support. Notable grants included $100,000 to Experience Form LLC and $100,000 to Regent Park Songs Ltd; $73,000 to Pillars of the Community; and $70,000 each to Allied Media Projects, Community Initiatives, Detroit Revival Engaging Mus, Documented Ltd, the International Museum of Muslim Culture, and the Muslim Power Building Project.
Pillars’ Catalyze Fund grant materials describe a selection process for Muslim-centered, justice-focused organizations and state that the fund accepts 1–2 new organizations per cycle. The materials also offer a pre-application call. Separately, the Pillars Artist Fellowship offers selected fellows a $40,000 unrestricted award, mentorship, workshops, industry connections, and retreats; these awards support fellowship participants rather than outside organizations. Applications for the fellowship closed November 17, 2025, and the published materials said the cohort would be selected in June 2026.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kashif Shaikh as Executive Director; Kalia Abiade as Executive Vice President; Arij Mikati as Vice President of Programs; and Kelly Jones as Vice President of Operations. It also lists Leah Pallant as Operations Manager, Aya Nimer and Mawish Raza as Program Managers, and Sameer Shamsi, Rashid Shabazz, and Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur as directors.
Pillars Fund is led by Kashif Shaikh, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 7 of 15 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kashif Shaikh
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$155K (2019) → $300K (2025)
Shakeeb Alam
Board Chair
On filings since 2022
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nancy A Khalil
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rami Nashashibi
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rashid Shabazz
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sameer Shamsi
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Arij Mikati
Vice President of Programs
Managing Director → Vice President of Programs, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$153K (2023) → $194K (2025)
Kalia Abiade
Executive Vice President
Vice President Programs → Executive Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$178K (2023) → $226K (2025)
Aya Nimer
Program Manager
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$104K (2025)
Kelly Jones
Vice President of Operations
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$158K (2025)
Leah Pallant
Operations Manager
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$107K (2025)
Mawish Raza
Program Manager
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$105K (2025)
Deana Haggag
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Noorain Khan
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (6)
- Former: Nadia Ismail (2023–2024) — Managing Director
- Former: Hina Mahmood (2024) — Programs
- Former: Waliya Lari (2024) — Programs
- Former: Nyimas Fauzi (2023) — Programs
- Former: Faisal Ghias (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Zaki Anarwala (2019–2020) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $300K, to Kashif Shaikh (Executive Dir.). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Pillars Fund
How much does Pillars Fund give each year?
Pillars Fund gave $816K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $2.4M across 45 grants.
What is Pillars Fund's typical grant size?
Pillars Fund's median grant in 2025 was $70,000, and its average grant was $48,017, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Pillars Fund that year got $42K on average.
Where does Pillars Fund give grants?
Pillars Fund's top state is California, with 18% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Michigan (17%) and New York (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Detroit, MI (2 grants) and Chicago, IL (2 grants).
Does Pillars Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Pillars Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (17 grants).
Who are Pillars Fund's largest grantees?
Pillars Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Experience Form LLC ($100,000), Regent Park Songs Ltd ($100,000) and Pillars of the Community ($73,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Pillars Fund?
Pillars Fund reported $20.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $17.0M.
What does Pillars Fund fund?
Pillars Fund states that its mission is to amplify the leadership, narratives, and talents of Muslims in the United States to advance opportunity and justice for all. It says it pursues this mission by supporting civic institutions and culture change. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Pillars Fund?
Pillars Fund has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check pillarsfund.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Pillars Fund's EIN?
Pillars Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-0983087. 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.
Data update history
(8)
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 August 25, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 26, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 4, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 29, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Pillars Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/pillars-fund-morg_e32c26ab700547e69f87f12564660699
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_810983087_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Pillars Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/pillars-fund-morg_e32c26ab700547e69f87f12564660699},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Pillars Fund'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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