The Brinson Foundation
The Brinson Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois, that supports education and scientific research. Its website says grantseekers may submit inquiries in the Education priority area; inquiries for Scientific Research and certain other categories are by invitation only.
Key facts about The Brinson Foundation
In short: The Brinson Foundation gave $8.5M across 138 grants in 2024 (avg $61K), mostly in Illinois. 25% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 68-0656415
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $8,480,300
- Grants made (2024)
- 138
- Average grant
- $61,451
- Median grant
- $50,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (29 of 117, 2024)
- Total assets
- $193,251,101
- Primary geography
- Illinois (53% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to apply
- The Foundation accepts unsolicited requests through a Grantseeker Information Form for Education requests that meet its criteria. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- None is listed in the Foundation’s filing.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; 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 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$193.3M
-2.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$8.5M
-92.0% YoY
Grant Count
138
+7.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$61K
-92.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Brinson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $11.4M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Brinson Foundation open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 29 of 117 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $71K; repeat grants $73K. How we count
Medians: $40K first-time, $52K repeat.
- 74% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 56% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 86% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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
The Foundation’s stated mission is to focus the family’s common interests on encouraging personal initiative, advancing individual freedoms and liberties, and positively contributing to society through education and scientific research.
Its website identifies Education and Scientific Research as its two grantmaking priorities. It describes education grants as aiming to make quality education accessible to people committed to learning and growth. Its research support is directed toward specified areas that may be underfunded or unlikely to receive government funding, often through established research institutions and for early-career scholars or scientists.
The 2024 grants show support for varied organizations and programs. For example, St. John’s Health Foundation received support for workforce housing redevelopment; Northwestern University received support for an astrophysics postdoctoral fellowship; and MIT received support for a fellowship in observational cosmology. These descriptions reflect the grantees’ stated grant purposes, not the Foundation’s own mission.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Foundation reported 138 grants totaling $8,480,300. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $600,000, with a median grant of $50,000.
The largest 2024 grant was $600,000 to St. John’s Health Foundation for the Hitching Post workforce housing redevelopment. Other notable grants included $200,000 to Chicago Community Foundation Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities for scaling community violence intervention in Chicago, and $200,000 to Eisenhower Health for its Cardiovascular Institute. The University of Chicago received grants of $141,700 for an astrophysics fellowship program, lecture, and professional development, and $120,000 for a Brinson Prize Fellowship in observational cosmology. Other $120,000 grants supported observational cosmology or astrophysics fellowships at Carnegie Institution for Science, MIT, Northwestern University, and Princeton University.
The Foundation’s website says its Grantseeker Information Form is an initial inquiry, not an application. Inquiries are accepted throughout the year for requests that meet its Education criteria. Scientific Research, Endorsement, Board Special Interest, and Catalyst inquiries are not accepted; consideration in those categories is by invitation only. After an initial review, the process may include a program-officer conversation, due diligence, an invitation to apply, and Board review. The Board has sole authority to approve requests. The website describes spring and fall cycles, with due diligence in January–March or July–September and Board meetings in May–June or late October–early November. Current grantees have a simplified renewal process.
Review Cycle
None is listed in the Foundation’s filing.
Invitation Only
The Foundation accepts unsolicited requests through a Grantseeker Information Form for Education requests that meet its criteria. The form is an inquiry, not a grant application; application invitations follow further review. The Foundation’s website directs grantseekers to review its guidelines before submitting an inquiry.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Brinson Foundation
Ready to take the next step with The Brinson Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 53% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 14% to California, 10% to Wyoming, 6% to Massachusetts, and 3% to the District of Columbia. The Foundation’s grant program listing says it focuses on organizations in the greater Chicago area and that it does not accept inquiries for education projects, programs, or partnerships outside that area.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 138 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $4.8M (2020) to $106.0M (2023). In 2024 it made 138 grants totaling $8.5M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was St John's Health Foundation ($650K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $3.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
626 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 336 grants of 626 (54%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St John's Health Foundation Jackson, WY | Hitching Post Workforce Housing Redevelopment | $600,000 |
| Chicago Community Foundation Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities Chicago, IL | Scaling Community Violence Intervention for a Safer Chicago | $200,000 |
| Eisenhower Health Rancho Mirage, CA | Cardiovascular Institute | $200,000 |
| University of Chicago Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics Edward H Lev Chicago, IL | Brinson Astrophysics Fellowship Program, Brinson Lecture, and PDTA | $141,700 |
| Carnegie Institution for Science Carnegie Observatories Instrumentation Pro Pasadena, CA | Carnegie-Caltech Brinson Postdoctoral Fellowship in Observational Astronomy | $120,000 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | Brinson Prize Fellowship in Observational Cosmology | $120,000 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | Brinson Prize Fellowship in Observational Cosmology | $120,000 |
| Northwestern University Evanston, IL | Nu-Uchicago Brinson Postdoctoral Fellowship in Astrophysics | $120,000 |
| Princeton University Department of Astrophysical Sciences Princeton, NJ | Brinson Prize Fellowship in Observational Cosmology | $120,000 |
| Princeton University Department of Astrophysical Sciences Princeton, NJ | Brinson Prize Fellowship in Observational Cosmology | $120,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $193,251,101 | $11,774,224 | $11,263,940 | $8,480,300 | 138 |
| 2023 | $198,225,050 | $183,594,091 | $108,392,447 | $106,034,700 | 128 |
| 2022 | $104,471,491 | $4,173,974 | $8,343,917 | $6,063,300 | 131 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $193,251,101 | $198,225,050 | $104,471,491 |
| Revenue | $11,774,224 | $183,594,091 | $4,173,974 |
| Expenses | $11,263,940 | $108,392,447 | $8,343,917 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $9,778,595 | $107,310,911 | $7,068,769 |
| Net Investment Income | $9,916,555 | $3,096,013 | $2,766,594 |
| Distributable Amount | $11,412,881 | $6,559,260 | $6,519,352 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Gary P. Brinson as director and board chair; Suzann A. Brinson, Monique Demery, and Thomas R. Demery as directors; Talina Sue Melone as director and secretary; and Ameri Christy Uchida as president.
The Brinson Foundation is led by Ameri Christy Uchida, President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 6 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ameri Christy Uchida
President
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$205K (2020) → $299K (2024)
Gary P. Brinson
Director & Board Chair
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Monique Demery
Director
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Suzann A. Brinson
Director
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Talina Sue Melone
Director & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas R. Demery
Director
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $299K, to Ameri Christy Uchida (President).
Contact
Application contact: Christy Uchida
Mailing address: 737 N Michigan Avenue Suite 1850, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 799-4500
Email: mail@brinsonfoundation.org
Website: https://brinsonfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about The Brinson Foundation
How much does The Brinson Foundation give each year?
The Brinson Foundation gave $8.5M across 138 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $106.0M across 128 grants.
What is The Brinson Foundation's typical grant size?
The Brinson Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $61,451, across 138 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Brinson Foundation that year got $71K on average.
Where does The Brinson Foundation give grants?
The Brinson Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (14%) and Wyoming (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (72 grants), Washington, DC (9 grants), Jackson, WY (7 grants) and Pasadena, CA (7 grants).
Does The Brinson Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 43% of The Brinson Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (60 of 138) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Brinson Prize Fellowship in Observational Cosmology" (6 grants) and "Brinson Medical Research Fellowship" (3 grants).
Who are The Brinson Foundation's largest grantees?
The Brinson Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include St John's Health Foundation ($650,000 across 2 grants), Carnegie Institution for Science Carnegie Observatories Instrumentation Pro ($350,000 across 3 grants) and Rush University Medical Center ($270,000 across 5 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 15% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Brinson Foundation?
The Brinson Foundation reported $193.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $9.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $11.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Brinson Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to focus the family’s common interests on encouraging personal initiative, advancing individual freedoms and liberties, and positively contributing to society through education and scientific research. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Brinson Foundation?
The Foundation accepts unsolicited requests through a Grantseeker Information Form for Education requests that meet its criteria. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Brinson Foundation's EIN?
The Brinson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 68-0656415. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Brinson Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
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