The Gies Foundation
The Gies Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 grants supported educational organizations and programs serving children and students, including schools, school-leadership development, and after-school programming.
Key facts about The Gies Foundation
In short: The Gies Foundation gave $2.1M across 8 grants in 2025 (avg $257K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 20-1685394
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,055,950
- Grants made (2025)
- 8
- Average grant
- $256,994
- Median grant
- $51,225
- Total assets
- $975,703
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$976K
+2981.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.1M
+91.0% YoY
Grant Count
8
-27.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$257K
+162.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Gies Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How The Gies Foundation gives
- Giving grew 85% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for education and for organizations serving children and students. For example, Accelerate Institute describes its mission as closing the achievement gap by creating high-impact school leaders who accelerate student achievement. By The Hand Club for Kids describes itself as a faith-based after-school program nurturing children’s minds, bodies, and souls. GiGi’s Playhouse says it provides free educational, therapeutic, and career-development programs for individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and the community.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 8 grants totaling $2,055,950. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $1,685,000, with a median of $51,225. The largest grant was $1,685,000 to Chicago Jesuit Academy to offer children with educational and economic needs access to a Catholic, college preparatory middle-school education in the Jesuit tradition. Other grants included $102,500 to Accelerate Institute, $98,000 to Christ the King Academy, $51,600 to By The Hand Club for Kids, and $50,850 to Holy Trinity High School.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 8 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $835K (2023) to $2.1M (2025). In 2025 it made 8 grants totaling $2.1M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 8 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Chicago Jesuit Academy ($1.7M). Together the top 8 received $2.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
66 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 38 grants of 66 (58%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Jesuit Academy Chicago, IL | To offer children with educational and economic needs access to a catholic, college preparattory middle school education in the jesuit tradition. | $1,685,000 |
| Accelerate Institute Chicago, IL | To create transformational school leaders to ensure that children growing up in poverty have access to great schools. | $102,500 |
| Christ the King Academy Chicago, IL | To offer children with educational and economic needs access to a catholic, college preparattory school education in the jesuit tradition. | $98,000 |
| By the Hand Club for Kids Chicago, IL | To help children who live in under-resourced neighborhoods have abundant lives. | $51,600 |
| Holy Trinity High School Chicago, IL | To help students with educational and economic needs have access to a catholic school. | $50,850 |
| Glenwood School for Boys Glenwood, IL | To help children and families who live in cycles of poverty, injustice, and inequity. | $38,000 |
| Gigi's Playhouse Chicago, IL | GiGi's Playhouse offers therapeutic, educational and research-driven programs to individuals of all ages with Down syndrome. We make a lifetime commitment to changing lives and providing hope through the consistent delivery of educational, therapeutic, and career development programs for individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and the community, using a replicable playhouse model. | $25,000 |
| Chicago Area Track and Field St Joseph, IL | The Chicago area offers a vibrant track and field community with various clubs, events, and facilities for athletes of all ages. | $5,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant sum | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $975,703 | $3,078,538 | $2,134,500 | $2,055,950 | 8 |
| 2024 | $31,665 | $1,202,769 | $1,240,315 | $1,076,675 | 11 |
| 2023 | $69,211 | $219,223 | $998,895 | $834,500 | 14 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $975,703 | $31,665 | $69,211 |
| Revenue | $3,078,538 | $1,202,769 | $219,223 |
| Expenses | $2,134,500 | $1,240,315 | $998,895 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,134,500 | $1,237,655 | $995,483 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,150 | $110 | $38,092 |
| Distributable Amount | $7,890 | $3,025 | $22,848 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
The Gies Foundation is led by Larry W Gies, Director & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Larry W Gies
Director & President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Beth G Gies
Director & Secretary
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian F Richards
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 444 W Lake St Ste 4400, Chicago, IL 60606-0010
Phone: (312) 277-0159
Frequently asked questions about The Gies Foundation
How much does The Gies Foundation give each year?
The Gies Foundation gave $2.1M across 8 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.1M across 11 grants.
What is The Gies Foundation's typical grant size?
The Gies Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $51,225, and its average grant was $256,994, across 8 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Gies Foundation give grants?
The Gies Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (6 grants).
Does The Gies Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 8 grants with a stated purpose on The Gies Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Gies Foundation's largest grantees?
The Gies Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Chicago Jesuit Academy ($1,685,000), Accelerate Institute ($102,500) and Christ the King Academy ($98,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 92% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Gies Foundation?
The Gies Foundation reported $976K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $8K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Gies Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for education and for organizations serving children and students. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Gies Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Gies Foundation's EIN?
The Gies Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1685394. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Gies 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.
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