Vivo Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2021 and headquartered in the Chicago area (Northbrook/Libertyville, Illinois). Founded by Andy Mills, president of Medline Industries, and his wife Nancy Mills with a $200 million bequest, the foundation is dedicated to advancing education equity in Chicago and Lake County, Illinois. The organization operates with approximately 7 employees and has rapidly scaled its grantmaking activities since inception.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$183.4M
-2.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$10.5M
+8.0% YoY
Grant Count
130
+0.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$81K
+7.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Vivo Foundation reported a distributable amount of $10.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
Vision: A world where young people of every race, ethnicity, belief system and socioeconomic status thrive and are inspired to learn, grow, and contribute to society.
Mission: To foster education equity and support young people in Chicago and Lake County, Illinois, through various educational initiatives and supportive services.
The foundation's work spans the education continuum across four primary focus areas:
- Early Childhood Education: Enhancing early childhood education and care to create equitable opportunities
- College and Career Access: Supporting programs for college and career access, persistence, and success
- Mental Health and Wellbeing: Funding mental health and wellbeing initiatives for youth support
- Violence Intervention: Providing resources for violence reduction and intervention programs
The foundation emphasizes experiential learning as a critical support across these areas.
Grantmaking
The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis. A contact form is available on the foundation's website for inquiries.
Grant Range
s:**
Average Grant
$76,200
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Chicago and Lake County, Illinois
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- $183.4 million (2024)
- $191.2 million (reported in one source)
Annual Giving:
- $11.1 million (2024)
- $10.8 million in revenues (2024)
Expenses:
- $12.7 million (2024)
Tax Status:
- 501(c)(3) private foundation
- Tax-exempt since November 2021
- EIN: 87-6329967
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $183,416,103 | $188,546,630 | $191,156,729 |
| Revenue | $10,813,214 | $11,180,860 | $2,792,090 |
| Expenses | $12,733,614 | $10,709,405 | $8,629,702 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $11,127,915 | $10,061,311 | $8,473,126 |
| Net Investment Income | $9,207,515 | $10,532,766 | $2,757,708 |
| Distributable Amount | $10,234,908 | $9,437,811 | $10,042,280 |
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
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include City Colleges of Chicago Foundation ($525,000), Chicago Special Projects Group ($500,000), Endeavor Health Clinical Operations Fka Northshore University Healthsystem ($275,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 9 DOTS COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER TORRANCE, CA | TO FURTHER THE MISSION OF THE DONEE | $5,000 |
| A SAFE PLACE ZION, IL | TO FURTHER THE MISSION OF THE DONEE | $25,000 |
| ADVANCE ILLINOIS CHICAGO, IL | TO FURTHER THE MISSION OF THE DONEE | $100,000 |
| AFTER SCHOOL MATTERS CHICAGO, IL | TO FURTHER THE MISSION OF THE DONEE | $50,000 |
| ALL CHICAGO MAKING HOMELESSNESS HISTORY CHICAGO, IL | TO FURTHER THE MISSION OF THE DONEE | $50,000 |
| AMERICAN CAMP ASSOCIATION MARTINSVILLE, IN | TO FURTHER THE MISSION OF THE DONEE | $5,000 |
| AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION DALLAS, TX | TO FURTHER THE MISSION OF THE DONEE | $25,000 |
| AMY KROUSE ROSENTHAL CHICAGO, IL | TO FURTHER THE MISSION OF THE DONEE | $5,000 |
| BOTTOM LINE CHICAGO CHICAGO, IL | TO FURTHER THE MISSION OF THE DONEE | $175,000 |
| BRAVEN CHICAGO, IL | TO FURTHER THE MISSION OF THE DONEE | $250,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Nancy Mills – Co-Trustee
- Andrew J Mills – Co-Trustee
- Mara Botman – Executive Director (hired in 2022; previously spent over a decade at the Circle of Service Foundation)
- Iván Nieves – Impact Lead
- Brogan O'Brien – Grants Manager
- Halle Leganza – Grants Associate
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| NANCY MILLS | CO-TRUSTEE | 10 | — |
| ANDREW J MILLS | CO-TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Vivo Foundation fund?
**Vision:** A world where young people of every race, ethnicity, belief system and socioeconomic status thrive and are inspired to learn, grow, and contribute to society. **Mission:** To foster education equity and support young people in Chicago and Lake County, Illinois, through various educational initiatives and supportive services. The foundation's work spans the education continuum across four primary focus areas: • **Early Childhood Education:** Enhancing early childhood education and ca…
How do I apply for a grant from Vivo Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • 2021: 75 grants awarded • 2022: 105 grants awarded • 2023: 129 grants awarded • 2024: 75 grants awarded **Grant Sizes:** • Median grant size: $40,000 • Average grant size: $76,200 • Grant range: Up to $700,000 (largest grants in the $600,000–$650,000 range) **Recent Grantees (2024):** • City Colleges of Chicago Foundation: $525,000 • Sinai Health System: $500,000 • Chicago Special Projects Group: $500,000 • Braven (mentioned as a grantee) **Application Process:** The found…
Where does Vivo Foundation make grants?
Chicago and Lake County, Illinois
What size grants does Vivo Foundation award?
In 2024, Vivo Foundation awarded 130 grants totaling $10.5M — an average of about $81K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Vivo Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Vivo Foundation reported a distributable amount of $10.2M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Vivo Foundation's EIN?
Vivo Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-6329967. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Vivo 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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