The Sue and Melvin Gray Foundation

OAKBROOK TERRACE, IL EIN: 36-3485579

The Sue and Melvin Gray Foundation is a private foundation that supports educational initiatives and scholarships, with a demonstrated commitment to advancing access to higher education.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$263K

-33.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$149K

-3.3% YoY

Grant Count

+15.8% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$7K

-16.5% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Sue and Melvin Gray Foundation reported a distributable amount of $19K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation focuses on educational funding, with particular emphasis on scholarship programs and support for universities. The foundation has shown commitment to diversity and inclusion in higher education through partnerships with established scholarship programs.

Grantmaking

The foundation makes grants to educational institutions and scholarship programs. Recent grants include:

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation has demonstrated grantmaking activity in New York and Pennsylvania, with involvement in national scholarship initiatives through partnerships with established educational organizations.

Grant Distribution by State

Illinois $816K (98%)

New York $10K (1%)

Florida $5K (1%)

Michigan $5K (1%)

States

Florida Illinois Michigan New York

Cities

ChicagoNew YorkSawyerTalahassee

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$262,613	$396,020	$543,625
Revenue	$15,186	$6,609	$11,197
Expenses	$148,568	$154,022	$168,634
Qualifying Distributions	$148,525	$153,650	$168,525
Net Investment Income	$15,143	$14,832	$11,085
Distributable Amount	$19,409	$30,463	$32,629

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

113 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Newberry Library - Conversations ($30,000), Chicago Symphony Orchestra ($15,000), Lyric Opera - Annual Campaign ($15,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO (SUSTAINING FELLOWS) CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL	$6,000
BGA-BETTER GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL	$2,500
BRAIN RESEARCH FOUNDATIONN BOBINS CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL	$1,000
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL	$2,500
CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL	$15,000
CHIKAMING OPEN LANDS SAWYER, MI	GENERAL	$1,000
IIT - THE MIES VAN DER ROHE SOCIETY CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL	$500
INTRINSIC SCHOOLS OF CHICAGO CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL	$10,000
JEWISH UNITED FUND CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL	$2,500
LATIN SCHOOL OF CHICAGO CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
MELVIN GRAY	PRESIDENT	0.1	—
SUE GRAY	VICE-PRES.	0.1	—
STEVEN F GRAY	SECRETARY	0.1	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

Stony Brook University announced a $1 million grant from The Gray Foundation for scholarships

Stony Brook University Announces $1M Grant From The Gray Foundation - SBU

The Gray Foundation hosted a reception welcoming the second cohort of UNCF/Gray NYC Scholars

The Gray Foundation Hosts Reception Welcoming Second Cohort of UNCF/Gray

$10 million gift commitment to the University of Pennsylvania's Penn First Plus Program

Stony Brook University announces $1 million grant from The Gray Foundation

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Sue and Melvin Gray Foundation fund?

How do I apply for a grant from The Sue and Melvin Gray Foundation?

The foundation makes grants to educational institutions and scholarship programs. Recent grants include: • $1 million grant to Stony Brook University for scholarships • $10 million gift to the University of Pennsylvania for the Penn First Plus Program • Support for the UNCF/Gray NYC Scholars program, including hosting receptions for scholarship cohorts

Where does The Sue and Melvin Gray Foundation make grants?

What size grants does The Sue and Melvin Gray Foundation award?

In 2024, The Sue and Melvin Gray Foundation awarded 22 grants totaling $149K — an average of about $7K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Sue and Melvin Gray Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Sue and Melvin Gray Foundation reported a distributable amount of $19K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is The Sue and Melvin Gray Foundation's EIN?

The Sue and Melvin Gray Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3485579. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.