The Donnelley Foundation
The Donnelley Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2024 filing lists grants to organizations including arts and cultural institutions, educational organizations, youth services, and other charitable organizations.
The Donnelley Foundation at a glance
In short: The Donnelley Foundation gave $734K across 152 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), top state Illinois. 32% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $734,450
- -8.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 152
- +2.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $4,832
- -9.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $12,780,574
- -2.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (36 of 111, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (37% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Donnelley Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2502 N Clark Street 223, Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: (312) 857-1222
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Donnelley Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Sonoma Teaching Project ($120K across 4 grants). Together the top 10 received $350K.
Grant Size Distribution
734 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 730 grants of 734 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in multiple states. Illinois received 37% of grant dollars, California 22%, Florida 10%, Massachusetts 10%, and New York 5%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 152 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Donnelley Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 36 of 111 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 58% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 25% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 97% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $586K (2021) to $799K (2023). In 2024 it made 152 grants totaling $734K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Sonoma Teaching Project Sonoma, CA | Unrestricted | $36,000 |
| The Sonoma Teaching Project Sonoma, CA | Unrestricted | $36,000 |
| The Sonoma Teaching Project Sonoma, CA | Unrestricted | $36,000 |
| The Society of the Four Arts Palm Beach, FL | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Chicago Youth Centers Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Helping Hands Countryside, IL | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| MGH Leadership Council for Psychiatric Fund Boston, MA | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Tunnel to Towers Foundation Staten Island, NY | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Donnelley Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $12,780,574 | $873,207 | $899,032 | $734,450 | 152 | $745,250 | $724,210 | $764,545 |
| 2023 | $13,044,672 | $712,251 | $910,307 | $798,850 | 149 | $830,875 | $605,362 | $724,445 |
| 2022 | $13,932,672 | $1,065,007 | $847,892 | $675,950 | 148 | $708,514 | $965,629 | $738,238 |
| 2021 | $13,466,900 | $1,621,811 | $733,990 | $586,100 | 151 | $633,165 | $1,530,486 | $844,896 |
| 2020 | $12,467,938 | $677,716 | $737,099 | $628,127 | 134 | — | $589,644 | $731,834 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Donnelley Foundation reported a distributable amount of $765K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the Society of the Four Arts says its mission is to enrich, inspire, and engage the Palm Beach County community through educational and cultural programs. Chicago Youth Centers says it provides early learning and out-of-school enrichment in under-resourced neighborhoods. Lake Forest College describes its mission as providing post-secondary education leading to a baccalaureate degree.
Other 2024 grantees describe work in areas including art and historic preservation, crane and ecosystem conservation, and community education, income, and health. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not stated focus areas of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $734,450 through 152 grants. Grants ranged from $200 to $36,000, with a median grant of $2,000. The largest listed awards included three separate $36,000 grants to The Sonoma Teaching Project. Other notable grants included $25,000 to The Society of the Four Arts and $20,000 each to Chicago Youth Centers, Helping Hands, Lake Forest College, MGH Leadership Council for Psychiatric Fund, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Thomas E Donnelley II as president, Nicole C Herweck as vice president, David E Donnelley as VP/secretary, and Robert G Donnelley as VP/treasurer.
The Donnelley Foundation is led by Thomas E. Donnelley II, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Thomas E. Donnelley II
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
David E. Donnelley
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robert G. Donnelley
Vice President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Nicole C. Herweck
Vice President
New on the 2024 filing
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Niel J. Donnelley (2020–2023) — Vice President
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Donnelley Foundation
How much does The Donnelley Foundation give each year?
The Donnelley Foundation gave $734K across 152 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $799K across 149 grants.
What is The Donnelley Foundation's typical grant size?
The Donnelley Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $4,832, across 152 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Donnelley Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Donnelley Foundation give grants?
The Donnelley Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 37% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (22%) and Florida (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (44 grants), Lake Forest, IL (11 grants), Sonoma, CA (9 grants) and Palm Beach, FL (6 grants).
Does The Donnelley Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Donnelley Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (152 of 152) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Donnelley Foundation's largest grantees?
The Donnelley Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Sonoma Teaching Project ($120,000 across 4 grants), MGH Leadership Council for Psychiatric Fund ($40,000 across 3 grants) and Helping Hands ($30,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Donnelley Foundation?
The Donnelley Foundation reported $12.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $745K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $765K (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 Donnelley Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the Society of the Four Arts says its mission is to enrich, inspire, and engage the Palm Beach County community through educational and cultural programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Donnelley Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Donnelley Foundation's EIN?
The Donnelley Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6066894. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Donnelley Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 31, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Donnelley Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-donnelley-foundation-morg_b2f4acf827834fd099a3310190b99a12
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366066894_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Donnelley Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-donnelley-foundation-morg_b2f4acf827834fd099a3310190b99a12},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Donnelley Foundation'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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