The Joyce Foundation is a nonpartisan private foundation headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1948, it operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with tax-exempt status since August 1949. The Foundation invests in evidence-informed public policies and strategies to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
-100.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$52.2M
Grant Count
470
Avg Grant Size
$111K
Mission & Focus Areas
The Joyce Foundation works with grantee partners to develop and advance policy reforms that promise to improve quality of life, promote community vitality, and strive for a fair society.
The Foundation operates six strategic program areas:
- Education & Economic Mobility
- Environment
- Gun Violence Prevention & Justice Reform
- Democracy
- Culture
- Mission Fund
Grantmaking
Grant Range
** $50,000 to $1,250,000, with median grants around $90,000 and average awards of $117,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Joyce Foundation focuses its grantmaking in the Great Lakes region:
- Primary focus states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin
- Secondary focus: District of Columbia and New York
- National reach: Grantmaking reaches organizations across 33 states; partners with funders to explore promising policy solutions in other states or at the federal level
- 61% of all grants support organizations in Illinois, District of Columbia, and New York
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue:
- Total Assets: $1.3 billion (2024)
- Total Assets: $1.24 billion (2023)
- Total Assets: $760.6 million (2011)
- Annual Revenue: $85.8 million (2024)
- Annual Revenue: $63.8 million (2023)
- Total Liabilities: $22.5 million (2024)
Investment Income:
- 2023: $29.9 million in investment income and dividends
- 2022: $14.4 million in investment income and dividends
Annual Charitable Distributions: Over $66 million
Staffing: 37-39 employees
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | $1,243,336,859 | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
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
200 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
7 open opportunities from The Joyce Foundation
Culture Program: The Joyce Awards
THE JOYCE FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Gun Violence Prevention & Justice Reform Grant
THE JOYCE FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Joyce Foundation: Culture Program Grants
THE JOYCE FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Inc - Families and Workers Fund ($500,000), Advance Illinois ($355,000), Association of Prosecuting Attorneys Inc ($240,320).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 21CP Solutions LLC Chicago, IL | GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION & JUSTICE REFORM | $100,000 |
| 365 Media Foundation Inc Madison, WI | JOURNALISM | $100,000 |
| 3Arts Inc Chicago, IL | CULTURE | $80,000 |
| A Better Chicago Chicago, IL | EDUCATION & ECONOMIC MOBILITY | $40,000 |
| A Step Ahead Chess Hazel Crest, IL | MISSION FUND | $25,000 |
| ACCESS Dearborn, MI | CULTURE | $100,000 |
| ACCESS Dearborn, MI | DEMOCRACY | $100,000 |
| Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago Chicago, IL | GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION & JUSTICE REFORM | $125,000 |
| Achieve Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN | EDUCATION & ECONOMIC MOBILITY | $125,000 |
| Advance Illinois Chicago, IL | EDUCATION & ECONOMIC MOBILITY | $355,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Julia Morita, MD – President and Chief Executive Officer, Director (joined October 2024)
- Kathleen Clarke – Secretary, Chief Operating Officer
- Nickol Hackett – Treasurer, Chief Investment Officer
- Tracey Meares – Board Member, Vice Chair
- Sally Blount – Board Member
- Chanda Smith Baker – Board Trustee
- Hugh Dellios – Director, Journalism Program
- Mia Khimm – Culture Program Director
The Foundation previously benefited from a 21-year tenure of former CEO Ellen Alberding.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
No officer/director data available.
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Joyce Foundation celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2023, reflecting on accomplishments and ongoing challenges from its founding by a timber heiress in post-World War II America to its current role as a $1 billion philanthropy.
The Joyce Awards Landing Page | The Joyce FoundationThe Foundation announced 2025 Creative Impact Awardees and continues to operate its Joyce Awards program, which marked its 20th anniversary in 2024 with the largest total grant amount to date.
Announcing the 2025 Creative Impact AwardeesSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Joyce Foundation fund?
The Joyce Foundation works with grantee partners to develop and advance policy reforms that promise to improve quality of life, promote community vitality, and strive for a fair society. The Foundation operates six strategic program areas: • **Education & Economic Mobility** • **Environment** • **Gun Violence Prevention & Justice Reform** • **Democracy** • **Culture** • **Mission Fund**
How do I apply for a grant from The Joyce Foundation?
**Grant Range:** $50,000 to $1,250,000, with median grants around $90,000 and average awards of $117,000 **Recent Activity:** • 2024: Distributed $67.3 million in expenses across grants • 2023: Distributed $77.2 million in expenses • 2022: Distributed $56.3 million across 457 grants (highest grantmaking activity year on record) • Total grants made: 1,785 grants totaling $209.4 million to 847 unique organizations **Application Process:** • Decision time: 4-6 months from Letter of Intent to fundi…
Where does The Joyce Foundation make grants?
The Joyce Foundation focuses its grantmaking in the Great Lakes region: • **Primary focus states:** Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin • **Secondary focus:** District of Columbia and New York • **National reach:** Grantmaking reaches organizations across 33 states; partners with funders to explore promising policy solutions in other states or at the federal level • **61% of all grants** support organizations in Illinois, District of Columbia, and New York
What size grants does The Joyce Foundation award?
In 2024, The Joyce Foundation awarded 470 grants totaling $52.2M — an average of about $111K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is The Joyce Foundation's EIN?
The Joyce Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6079185. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Joyce 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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