The Seabury Foundation
The Seabury Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois, established in 1947 by Charles Ward and Louise Lovett Seabury. Its primary giving priority is education, and its community grant programs support eligible 501(c)(3) organizations in Chicago and Benzie County, Michigan.
The Seabury Foundation at a glance
In short: The Seabury Foundation gave $993K across 70 grants in 2024 (avg $14K), mostly in Illinois. 15% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $993,000
- +17.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 70
- -11.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $14,186
- +32.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $23,783,585
- +4.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (10 of 66, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (69% 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 Seabury Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Family Grant applicants must be invited by a Seabury Family sponsor. The website describes rolling online proposal submissions for Family Grants, with spring and fall cycles, and provides a separate application process for Community Grants. It also says Benzie County Community Grant LOIs are accepted on a rolling basis, with one cycle per year in the summer. Applicants should observe the eligibility requirements and restrictions described above.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists August 15, 2026, as the Fall 2026 Family Grant proposal deadline, with decisions scheduled for November 20, 2026. It lists February 5, 2027, as the Spring 2027 deadline, with decisions scheduled for May 14, 2027. The 2026 fall deadline is upcoming as of October 2, 2026.
- Deadline
- The website lists August 15, 2026, as the Fall 2026 Family Grant proposal deadline, with decisions scheduled for…
- Contact
Mailing address: 1111 N Wells Street 302, Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: (312) 587-7146
Website: https://seaburyfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from The Seabury Foundation
Community Grants: Benzie County
The Seabury Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Community Grants: Chicago
The Seabury Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Family Grants
The Seabury Foundation
Amount
Up to US $25,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who The Seabury Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Grow Benzie ($32K). Together the top 10 received $257K.
Organizations only. It also paid 5 individual scholarships ($52,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
324 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 316 grants of 324 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s Community Grants serve eligible organizations in the City of Chicago and Benzie County, Michigan. Its 2024 grant dollars went primarily to Illinois recipients (69%), followed by Michigan (13%), Indiana (7%), an individual recipient (3%), and Colorado (3%). Its 2025 partner list also includes scholarship partners outside those areas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 70 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Seabury Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 66 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 73% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+6%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 115% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $365K (2020) to $993K (2024). In 2024 it made 70 grants totaling $993K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grow Benzie Benzonia, MI | General Operating, College and Career Readiness for All | $32,000 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $29,500 |
| Benzie Senior Resources Honor, MI | Technology Upgrade Supporting Human Services | $25,000 |
| Black Ensemble Theater Chicago, IL | Theater Arts | $25,000 |
| Chicago Zoological Society Brookfield, IL | Access and Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities | $25,000 |
| Facets Multi-Media Chicago, IL | General Operating | $25,000 |
| Family Matters Chicago, IL | General Operating | $25,000 |
| First Descents Denver, CO | First Descents Core Program Support | $25,000 |
| Gardeneers Co John Marshall Metropolitan High School Chicago, IL | General Operating | $25,000 |
| Indianapolis Zoological Society Inc Indianapolis, IN | Chimpanzee Complex | $25,000 |
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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 | $23,783,585 | $712,586 | $1,508,832 | $993,000 | 70 | $1,327,425 | $543,785 | $1,158,594 |
| 2023 | $22,806,273 | $480,641 | $1,311,951 | $847,750 | 79 | $1,143,520 | $391,519 | $1,076,602 |
| 2022 | $21,056,308 | $542,721 | $1,427,307 | $977,750 | 62 | $1,240,520 | $350,346 | $1,105,861 |
| 2021 | $26,417,293 | $2,853,807 | $1,387,132 | $940,868 | 91 | $1,216,845 | $907,007 | $1,227,712 |
| 2020 | $23,786,811 | $22,420,018 | $535,153 | $364,500 | 22 | — | $375,808 | $668,893 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Seabury Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated giving priority is education: supporting organizations that instruct, inform, and guide people toward the development of knowledge, skills, and understanding. Its focus areas are academic support, arts enrichment, lifelong learning, environmental sustainability, and wellness. Examples include literacy and mentorship; access to theater, dance, music, film, and other arts; adult education and job training; environmental protection and urban gardening; and food, housing, health, mental health, and movement-related support.
The foundation supports organizations with varied missions. For example, Grow Benzie describes its work as strengthening community prosperity and well-being in Benzie County, while Family Matters says it partners with youth and families in northeast Chicago to address structural racism and systemic oppression. Black Ensemble Theater says it uses theater arts and community engagement to work toward eradicating racism and its harmful effects. These are grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 70 grants totaling $993,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $32,000, with a median grant of $10,000. Notable awards included $32,000 to Grow Benzie for general operating support and college and career readiness; $29,500 to an individual recipient and River Forest High School Scholarship Foundation for scholarships; and $25,000 each to Benzie Senior Resources, Black Ensemble Theater, Chicago Zoological Society, Family Matters, and First Descents, among other organizations.
The foundation has Family Grants and Community Grants. Family Grants are for 501(c)(3) organizations invited by a Seabury Family sponsor; they may request up to $25,000 for general operating or project/program support. Organizations with annual operating expenses above $2.5 million may request project/program support only. The website describes Community Grants for eligible 501(c)(3) organizations based in Chicago or Benzie County, with annual operating expenses under $2.5 million. Chicago Community Grants are for organizations headquartered in the city and working in one or more focus areas. The website describes online applications; the family application is password protected. The foundation states on its filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Robin Holloway as president, Dustin Holloway as secretary, Deborah Seabury Holloway as treasurer, and Rob Morris, Lindsey Morris Gutman, Peter Fisk, Louise Morris, and Billy McGuinness as directors or executive director, respectively.
The foundation’s website separately lists William C. Fisk as board president, Dustin Holloway as secretary, Peter Fisk as treasurer, and Lindsey Gutman, Louise Morris, and David Seabury as board members. It identifies Robin Holloway as executive director and Yaza Sarieh as program partner.
The Seabury Foundation is led by Billy McGuinness, Executive Director on every filing since 2023; 1 of 8 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Billy McGuinness
Executive Director
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$136K (2023) → $144K (2024)
Robin Holloway
President
Director → President, 2022
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lindsey Morris Gutman
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Louise Morris
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter Fisk
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rob Morris
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deborah Seabury Holloway
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dustin Holloway
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (7)
- Former: Kristen Seabury (2020–2022) — Vice President
- Former: William Fisk (2020–2022) — President
- Former: William J. McGuiness (2021–2022) — Executive Director
- Former: Robert Morris (2022) — Director
- Former: Boyd McDowell (2020–2021) — Executive Director
- Former: Sarah Boone (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Stephen Fisk (2020–2021) — Director
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 $144K, to Billy McGuinness (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about The Seabury Foundation
How much does The Seabury Foundation give each year?
The Seabury Foundation gave $993K across 70 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $848K across 79 grants.
What is The Seabury Foundation's typical grant size?
The Seabury Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $14,186, across 70 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Seabury Foundation that year got $12K on average.
Where does The Seabury Foundation give grants?
The Seabury Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 69% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Michigan (13%) and Indiana (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (37 grants), Evanston, IL (3 grants), Indianapolis, IN (2 grants) and Benzonia, MI (2 grants).
Does The Seabury Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 51% of The Seabury Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (36 of 70) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Scholarships" (16 grants).
Who are The Seabury Foundation's largest grantees?
The Seabury Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Grow Benzie ($32,000), Benzie Senior Resources ($25,000) and Black Ensemble Theater ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 5 individual scholarships ($52,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 8% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Seabury Foundation?
The Seabury Foundation reported $23.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Seabury Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated giving priority is education: supporting organizations that instruct, inform, and guide people toward the development of knowledge, skills, and understanding. Its focus areas are academic support, arts enrichment, lifelong learning, environmental sustainability, and wellness. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Seabury Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Seabury Foundation's EIN?
The Seabury Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-1934172. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Seabury 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Seabury Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-seabury-foundation-morg_73402e69690b48d3bb1fd1f7f5437323
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_611934172_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Seabury Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-seabury-foundation-morg_73402e69690b48d3bb1fd1f7f5437323},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Seabury 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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