Skidmore Owings & Merrill Foundation
The Skidmore Owings & Merrill Foundation is a 501(c)(3) corporate foundation based in Chicago, Illinois, established in 1979. The foundation is affiliated with the renowned architecture and engineering firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), which was founded in 1936. The foundation supports architectural and engineering education and research through grants, awards, and fellowships.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.2M
-7.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$205K
+44.3% YoY
Grant Count
22
+83.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$9K
-21.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Skidmore Owings & Merrill Foundation reported a distributable amount of $244K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is dedicated to investing in and supporting the next generation of designers. Its primary focus areas include:
- Architectural and engineering education
- Architectural and engineering research
- Scholarship awards
- Research prizes and jury stipends
Grantmaking
The foundation makes grants and awards to support its educational and research mission. Recent grant activity includes:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds projects across multiple regions:
United States: California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois (Chicago), New York, and San Francisco
International: Chongqing, Louvain-la-Neuve, and other international locations
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of Fiscal Year Ending August 2024:
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,225,924 |
| Total Revenue | $190,210 |
| Total Expenses | $365,761 |
| Net Income | -$175,551 |
| Total Liabilities | $0 |
Revenue Breakdown (FY 2024):
- Grants and contributions: $103,528
- Investment income and dividends: $107,123
- Net loss from sale of non-inventory assets: -$21,316
- Miscellaneous revenues: $875
Year-over-Year Changes (FY 2024 vs. FY 2023):
- Total revenues increased 13.8%
- Grants and contributions increased 27.7%
- Investment income increased 22.5%
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,225,924 | $2,401,475 | $2,546,785 |
| Revenue | $190,210 | $167,175 | $224,515 |
| Expenses | $365,761 | $312,485 | $270,641 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $331,797 | $273,605 | $240,129 |
| Net Investment Income | $74,034 | $54,245 | $69,638 |
| Distributable Amount | $244,310 | $221,932 | $239,552 |
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
79 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from Skidmore Owings & Merrill Foundation
China Fellowship Grant
SKIDMORE OWINGS & MERRILL FOUNDATION
Amount
US $15,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
European Research Prize Grant
SKIDMORE OWINGS & MERRILL FOUNDATION
Amount
€20,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Gordon Bunshaft Award Grant
SKIDMORE OWINGS & MERRILL FOUNDATION
Amount
US $5,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include University of California Berkeley Co Skidmore Owings & Merrill Foundatio ($35,000), The University of Texas at San Antonio Co Skidmore Owings & Merrill Found ($20,000), University of Michigan Co Skidmore Owings & Merrill Foundation ($20,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| EMMELEA SCHATZ CO SKIDMORE OWINGS M LIBERTYVILLE, IL | SCHOLARSHIP AWARD | $10,000 |
| LAUREN JIAN CO SKIDMORE OWINGS MERR WEST COVINA, CA | SCHOLARSHIP AWARD | $10,000 |
| ANTONIA PACHECO CO SKIDMORE OWINGS CANUTILLO, TX | SCHOLARSHIP AWARD | $5,000 |
| WILLIAM PYLE CO SKIDMORE OWINGS MER EL PASO, TX | SCHOLARSHIP AWARD | $5,000 |
| NOELLE ROBINSON CO SKIDMORE OWINGS LENOIR, NC | SCHOLARSHIP AWARD | $10,000 |
| YUHAN ZHU CO SKIDMORE OWINGS MERRIL | FELLOWSHIP AWARD | $500 |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY CO SKIDMORE OWINGS & MERRILL FOUNDATIO BERKELEY, CA | RESEARCH | $35,000 |
| QIU BOLUN CO SKIDMORE OWINGS MERRIL | SCHOLARSHIP AWARD | $4,500 |
| HE XIANGLAN ZHANG HUIJUAN CO SKIDMO | SCHOLARSHIP AWARD | $4,500 |
| SHI SHUAIBO CO SKIDMORE OWINGS MERR | SCHOLARSHIP AWARD | $4,500 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Iker Gil – Director (as of August 2023, compensation: $75,000)
- Scott Duncan – Co-chairman
- Leo Chow – Co-chairman
The foundation operates with a board of directors whose members contribute their expertise.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MR SCOTT DUNCAN | CO-CHAIRMAN | 0.1 | — |
| MR LEO CHOW | CO-CHAIRMAN | 0.1 | — |
| MS LAURA ETTELMAN | TREASURER | 0.1 | — |
| MR KENT JACKSON | SECRETARY | 0.1 | — |
| MR BRANT COLETTA | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| MR COLIN KOOP | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| MR CHRISTOPHER COOPER | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| MR KENNETH LEWIS | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| MR PAUL DANNA | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| MR MARK SARKISIAN | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| MR MICHAEL DUNCAN | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| MR ADAM SEMEL | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| MS CARRIE BYLES | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| MS XUAN FU | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| MR JONATHAN STEIN | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| MR LIANG-YU CHIEN | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| MR DOUGLAS VOIGHT | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| MR THOMAS BEHR | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| MR ERIC LONG | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| MR OLIN MCKENZIE | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| MS CARRIE MOORE | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| MS JULIA MURPHY | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Skidmore Owings & Merrill Foundation fund?
The foundation's mission is dedicated to investing in and supporting the next generation of designers. Its primary focus areas include: • Architectural and engineering education • Architectural and engineering research • Scholarship awards • Research prizes and jury stipends
How do I apply for a grant from Skidmore Owings & Merrill Foundation?
The foundation makes grants and awards to support its educational and research mission. Recent grant activity includes: **Active Opportunities:** • European Research Prize • Gordon Bunshaft Award • Robert L. Wesley Award • SOM Foundation: Structural Engineering Research Fellowship **Grant Characteristics:** • Typical award range: $500–$35,000 • The foundation made 22 grants in its most recent fiscal year (ending August 2024)
Where does Skidmore Owings & Merrill Foundation make grants?
The foundation funds projects across multiple regions: **United States:** California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois (Chicago), New York, and San Francisco **International:** Chongqing, Louvain-la-Neuve, and other international locations
What size grants does Skidmore Owings & Merrill Foundation award?
In 2024, Skidmore Owings & Merrill Foundation awarded 22 grants totaling $205K — an average of about $9K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Skidmore Owings & Merrill Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Skidmore Owings & Merrill Foundation reported a distributable amount of $244K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Skidmore Owings & Merrill Foundation's EIN?
Skidmore Owings & Merrill Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-2969068. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Skidmore Owings & Merrill Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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