Brinson Foundation Grant

The Brinson Foundation Grant supports organizations in the greater Chicago area and focuses on education and scientific research. It encourages personal initiative and individual freedoms, aiming to enhance self-worth and dignity. The Foundation prioritizes programs that provide quality education and basic scientific research, particularly in underfunded areas. Eligible organizations must be 501(c)(3) public charities, while inquiries from those that discriminate or focus on religious activities are not accepted.

NOTE:
Grantseekers should review the Foundation’s mission, vision, beliefs, priorities, and focus areas, as well as the grantmaking guidelines, before submitting an inquiry. If a grantseeker believes a request meets these criteria, an inquiry can be made by completing a Letter of Inquiry (LOI). Inquiries are accepted throughout the year. The Foundation does not accept grantseeker inquiries in scientific research. Organizations that do not serve populations in the greater Chicago area or do not meet the foregoing standards are rarely considered by the Board. As a result, the Foundation does not accept grantseeker inquiries for education projects, programs, or partnerships outside of the greater Chicago area.
Education
Through our grantmaking, we hope to inspire them to reach their full potential both as individuals and as contributing citizens of a greater community. We are especially interested in programs that make quality education accessible to those who are personally committed.
Education grants are made in the following focus areas:
Health Care Career Development – programs that spark interest among high school and college students in health care-related career paths or provide professional development and accreditation supports for existing health care professionals.
High School, College and Career Success – programs that provide motivated students and young adults of limited means with the academic support, personal skills, and financial resources needed to reach their full potential in school and careers.
Liberty, Citizenship, and Free Enterprise – programs that educate and promote the principles of liberty, citizenship, and free enterprise to elementary through graduate school students and adults.
Literacy – programs that develop the literacy skills of children, birth through elementary school age, improve the pedagogy of teachers, and ensure support for this learning among parents so that young children become functionally literate and are prepared for success in their future education and in life.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) – programs that provide STEM education for youth and adults, promote careers in STEM, support professional development for STEM educators, and communicate STEM content to the general public.
Student Health – programs that foster the health of preschool through high school students to help them stay enrolled and be productive in school.
Scientific Research
We support basic, cutting edge research in specific areas of interest that are underfunded or at a stage in which they are unlikely to receive government funding. These grants are typically made to top research institutions, which provide quality assurance oversight and accountability that may not be possible in a less structured environment. Support is often specific to graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, staff scientists, or faculty who are at the early stages of their careers.
Scientific Research grants are made in the following focus areas:
Astrophysics/Cosmology – the study of the behavior, physical properties, and dynamic processes of celestial objects and related phenomena; and the study of the origin and evolution of the Universe and its largest structures.Evolutionary Developmental Biology – a field of biology which synthesizes embryology, molecular and population genetics, comparative morphology, paleontology, and molecular evolution to understand the evolution of biodiversity at a mechanistic level.Geosciences – the study of the physical processes and phenomena that form and shape Earth and other planets, including fields such as geology, seismology, and volcanology.Medical Research – promising studies conducted by early career scientists that have the potential to develop innovative clinical interventions for chronic conditions, as well as for highly treatable conditions which negatively impact the productivity of large segments of the population. In all cases, we focus our medical research funding in areas that improve the quality of life as distinct from solely extending life.

Eligibility

The Foundation will consider grant inquiries from organizations based in the United States that have been determined by the Internal Revenue Service to be exempt from tax, under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and to be public charities, as described in Section 509(a)(1), (2), or (3) of the Internal Revenue Code (“501(c)(3) Public Charities”). 501(c)(3) Public Charities classified under Section 509(a)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code may be required to submit additional information.

Ineligibility

The Foundation will not consider grant inquiries from organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.The Foundation also will not consider grant inquiries from organizations that request funding for:political activity, lobbying efforts, voter registration, or other activities that attempt to influence public elections;
programs that promote religious faith, include religious content, or are based on religious or spiritual values; or
programs that are limited to members of a specific race, gender, religion, or ethnic group (excluding medical research programs where such limitations may be necessary and appropriate).In addition, the Foundation discourages grant inquiries from organizations that request funding for capital improvements, endowments, or fundraising events.
Given the highly limited circumstances in which the Foundation will consider grants to non-U.S. organizations, they are generally discouraged from submitting inquiries to the Foundation.Organizations that do not serve populations in the greater Chicago area or do not meet the foregoing standards are rarely considered by the Board. As a result, they are generally discouraged from submitting inquiries to the Foundation.