Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust Grant

The Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust Grant focuses on grants that promote values-based initiatives addressing various community needs, particularly in Chicago and Cook County. It supports 501(c)(3) organizations that relieve human suffering, enhance self-esteem, and encourage athletic activities. The Trust emphasizes regional solutions to local challenges, ensuring that the quality of life improves for all citizens. Organizations outside the area may apply if they serve a significant number of Chicago residents.

Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust is a private foundation practicing values-based grantmaking. Because of this approach, a wide spectrum of funding opportunities falls within the scope of the Trust’s grant making.
The Trust's Values Statement:
Tenet 1—Promoting “THISS:” promoting, instilling, and/or reflecting the values of individual and/or organizational thrift, humility, industry, self-sacrifice, and/or self-sufficiency.Tenet 2—Relieving Human Suffering: relieving human suffering by:performing research and/or promoting education regarding the treatment of disease;assisting youth who are from disadvantaged backgrounds, have troubled childhoods, have physical or mental disabilities, or experience emotional disorders;addressing the concerns of the elderly; and/orproviding succor to humankind during time of natural or human-made disasters.Tenet 3—Developing Individual Self-Esteem and Dignity: developing within individuals, especially youth from underserved and/or under-resourced communities, a sense of self-esteem and dignity.Tenet 4—Encouraging Vigorous Athletic Activity: encouraging vigorous athletic activity, leading to physical health and/or spiritual well-being.Tenet 5—Developing Regional Solutions to Chicago’s Regional Challenges: developing regional solutions to Chicago’s regional challenges, thereby protecting and/or improving the quality of life for all its citizens.
Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Eligibility

The Trust only makes grants to Internal Revenue Code (“the Code”) Section 501(c)(3) organizations that are described in Sections 170(c)(2), 509(a), 2055(a), and 2522(a);The Trust only makes grants to such foregoing organizations that primarily serve the residents of Chicago and Cook County, Illinois;The Trust’s geographic focus is Chicago and Cook County, Illinois. If an organization is located outside of this area, the Trust will still consider an application if the organization provides services to a significant number of persons who are residents of Chicago and Cook County, Illinois.

Ineligibility

The Trust does not fund individuals, endowments, capital campaigns, political activity, or private foundations as defined under Section 509(a) of the Code; While the Trust will support religious or sectarian organizations, the Trust will not fund programs of those organizations that proselytize or are sectarian in purpose;The Trust does not make grants to purchase tickets or tables at fundraising events, regardless of whether it has made past grants to the organization.