The Christopher L & M Susan Gust
The Christopher L & M Susan Gust is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. It supports school communities working toward school-wide inclusive and equitable practices, and its 2025 grants also went to organizations working in areas including health, food assistance, housing, sports, and disability services.
The Christopher L & M Susan Gust at a glance
In short: The Christopher L & M Susan Gust gave $2.1M across 37 grants in 2025 (avg $55K), mostly in Illinois. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,050,906
- +32.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 37
- +15.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $55,430
- +14.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $88,001,679
- +38.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (14 of 37, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (67% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Christopher L & M Susan Gust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Contact
Application contact: Christopher L Or Susan Gust The Chr
Mailing address: 141 W Jackson Blvd Ste 1310, Chicago, IL 60604
Phone: (312) 391-6354
Website: https://gustfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Christopher L & M Susan Gust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was St Ignatius College Prep ($525K). Together the top 10 received $1.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
189 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 143 grants of 189 (76%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 67% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois and 28% to recipients in Massachusetts. The remaining reported shares went to Colorado (2%), New York (1%), and Michigan (0%). The Foundation’s website describes its school-partnership work, and its 2025 filing reports a continuing partnership with Chicago Public Schools.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Christopher L & M Susan Gust open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 14 of 37 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $21K; repeat grants $76K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 57% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 81% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 51% 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 (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 $748K (2019) to $2.2M (2021). In 2025 it made 37 grants totaling $2.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Ignatius College Prep Chicago, IL | General Purpose/Baseball & Hockey Program | $525,000 |
| Team Impact Quincy, MA | General Purpose | $300,000 |
| Concussion Legacy Foundation Boston, MA | General Purpose | $265,529 |
| Mission of Our Lady of Angels Church Chicago, IL | General Purpose/Supplies for Church | $164,539 |
| Shirley Ryan Abilitylab (FKA Rehab Instiute of Chicago) Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $138,040 |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $100,000 |
| Chicago Mission Hockey Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $52,500 |
| International Sports Corp Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| Nourishing Hope (FKA Lakeview Food Pantry) Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| The Night Ministry Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Christopher L & M Susan Gust?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $88,001,679 | $27,565,226 | $3,063,424 | $2,050,906 | 37 | $3,028,355 | $2,562,081 | $5,947,358 |
| 2024 | $63,499,877 | $52,378,714 | $2,534,075 | $1,549,945 | 32 | $2,379,185 | $2,234,212 | $3,098,102 |
| 2023 | $13,655,238 | $2,433,375 | $2,838,903 | $1,704,335 | 40 | $2,706,517 | $2,306,237 | $2,396,161 |
| 2022 | $14,060,902 | $1,731,602 | $2,313,288 | $1,134,730 | 38 | $2,163,178 | $1,617,707 | $2,404,149 |
| 2021 | $14,642,452 | $3,050,043 | $3,291,755 | $2,167,507 | 42 | $3,137,854 | $2,938,863 | $2,693,571 |
| 2020 | $14,884,164 | $2,549,881 | $3,008,298 | $2,025,285 | 41 | — | $1,918,380 | $2,056,625 |
| 2019 | $15,342,581 | $1,483,541 | $1,728,344 | $748,399 | 48 | — | $1,362,773 | $1,967,796 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Christopher L & M Susan Gust reported a distributable amount of $5.9M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is to partner with school leaders and communities committed to improving school-wide inclusive and equitable practices for all students. It supports school leadership and staff in developing an inclusive vision and structures to sustain it, with the goal of “Access for All.”
Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Team Impact describes its mission as addressing the emotional trauma and social isolation experienced by children with serious and chronic illnesses by matching them with college athletic teams. The Greater Chicago Food Depository says its mission is to end hunger, while The Night Ministry describes providing human connection, housing support, and health care to people who are unhoused or experiencing poverty. Have Dreams says it helps people with autism spectrum disorder learn, function independently, and socialize. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the Foundation’s.
Grantmaking
The Foundation awarded 37 grants totaling $2,050,906 in 2025. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $525,000, with a median grant of $20,000. Among the largest awards were $525,000 to St. Ignatius College Prep for general purposes and its baseball and hockey programs; $300,000 to Team Impact for general purposes; and $265,529 to Concussion Legacy Foundation for general purposes. Other notable grants included $164,539 to Mission of Our Lady of Angels Church, $138,040 to Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, and $100,000 to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
The Foundation’s filing states that written requests should include the purpose and use of funds, and identifies Christopher L. or Susan Gust as contacts for requests. It reports no deadlines or restrictions on awards. How to apply: The Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests or proposals. Its website directs interested school administrators to explore the partnership process and submit a partnership application.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Christopher L. Gust, M. Susan Gust, and Diane Edmundson as directors. The Foundation’s team page identifies Susan Gust as Founding Director and Lindsay Kovarik and Jennifer Larry as Co-Directors.
The Christopher L & M Susan Gust's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Christopher L. Gust
Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Diane Edmundson
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
M. Susan Gust
Director
On filings since 2019
15 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Christopher L & M Susan Gust
How much does The Christopher L & M Susan Gust give each year?
The Christopher L & M Susan Gust gave $2.1M across 37 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.5M across 32 grants.
What is The Christopher L & M Susan Gust's typical grant size?
The Christopher L & M Susan Gust's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $55,430, across 37 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Christopher L & M Susan Gust that year got $21K on average.
Where does The Christopher L & M Susan Gust give grants?
The Christopher L & M Susan Gust gives mostly in Illinois: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (28%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (21 grants) and Evanston, IL (2 grants).
Does The Christopher L & M Susan Gust give general operating support?
Yes: 95% of The Christopher L & M Susan Gust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (35 of 37) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Christopher L & M Susan Gust's largest grantees?
The Christopher L & M Susan Gust's largest 2025 grantees include St Ignatius College Prep ($525,000), Team Impact ($300,000) and Concussion Legacy Foundation ($265,529), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 53% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Christopher L & M Susan Gust?
The Christopher L & M Susan Gust reported $88.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.9M (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 Christopher L & M Susan Gust fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to partner with school leaders and communities committed to improving school-wide inclusive and equitable practices for all students. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Christopher L & M Susan Gust?
The Christopher L & M Susan Gust does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines. Check gustfoundation.org for any change to that policy.
What is The Christopher L & M Susan Gust's EIN?
The Christopher L & M Susan Gust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-1405669. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Christopher L & M Susan Gust accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS December 3, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 18, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 30, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 26, 2024)
Live grants for the work The Christopher L & M Susan Gust funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Christopher L & M Susan Gust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Christopher L & M Susan Gust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-christopher-l-and-m-susan-gust-morg_6e344e94e94c470e982dd80c1bbbf2aa
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_611405669_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Christopher L \& M Susan Gust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-christopher-l-and-m-susan-gust-morg_6e344e94e94c470e982dd80c1bbbf2aa},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 The Christopher L & M Susan Gust'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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