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Foundations that fund nonprofits in Illinois
In the IRS filings in CivicVane's data (tax years 2021–2025), 16,036 grantmakers listed 149,998 grants totaling $9.8 billion to 36,771 organizations in Illinois. 15,039 of them are private foundations reporting on Form 990-PF and 997 are grantmaking public charities, such as community foundations, reporting on Form 990 Schedule I. 3,290 are based in Illinois; the rest give in from other states.
The median grant to a Illinois organization was $7,500. Cook County received the most grants (96,922, from 12,271 funders), followed by Lake County (7,655) and DuPage County (7,485). Matching grant purposes and recipient names to cause areas, the most common were education & literacy (19,661 grants), children & youth (10,640 grants) and health & mental health (9,924 grants).
The Chicago Community Trust (Chicago, IL) funded the most different Illinois organizations: 1,794, through 2,709 grants with a typical size of $35,000.
The 15 grantmakers that funded the most Illinois organizations
Ranked by the number of different Illinois organizations each funded in its filings for tax years 2021–2025. Typical grant = median of those grants. Donor-advised fund sponsors, workplace-giving and matching-gift programs are left out.
| # | Funder | Grants to IL organizations | Organizations funded | Typical grant | Most recent tax year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Chicago Community Trust Chicago, IL · EIN 36-2167000 | 2,709 | 1,794 | $35,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 2 | John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation Chicago, IL · EIN 23-7093598 Gives only to preselected organizations, per its 990-PF | 847 | 596 | $75,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 3 | Polk Bros Foundation Inc Chicago, IL · EIN 36-6108293 | 1,752 | 581 | $30,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 4 | Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago Chicago, IL · EIN 36-2167761 | 818 | 479 | $25,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 5 | Field Foundation of Illinois Chicago, IL · EIN 36-6059408 | 700 | 446 | $25,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 6 | Circle of Service Foundation Chicago, IL · EIN 36-4185939 | 866 | 445 | $25,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 7 | Enterprise Holdings Foundation Saint Louis, MO · EIN 43-1262762 | 759 | 443 | $2,500 | 2023 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 8 | Arie and Ida Crown Memorial Chicago, IL · EIN 36-6076088 | 929 | 375 | $60,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 9 | Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation Chicago, IL · EIN 36-6108460 | 740 | 365 | $8,500 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 10 | Helen V Brach Foundation Chicago, IL · EIN 23-7376427 | 855 | 359 | $10,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 11 | Northern Illinois Food Bank Geneva, IL · EIN 36-3203648 | 620 | 351 | $128,080 | 2024 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 12 | The Allstate Foundation Northbrook, IL · EIN 36-6116535 | 625 | 349 | $1,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 13 | United Way of Metropolitan Chicago Inc Chicago, IL · EIN 30-0200478 | 324 | 324 | $25,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 14 | Lloyd a Fry Foundation Chicago, IL · EIN 36-6108775 | 885 | 318 | $10,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 15 | Crossroads Fund Inc Chicago, IL · EIN 36-3092907 | 356 | 277 | $15,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
Counties with the most grants
| County | Grants | Funders | Total listed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County | 96,922 | 12,271 | $6.8 billion | Top 5 funders |
| Lake County | 7,655 | 1,570 | $413.5 million | Top 5 funders |
| DuPage County | 7,485 | 2,208 | $388.1 million | Top 5 funders |
| Winnebago County | 3,069 | 344 | $87.5 million | Top 5 funders |
| Kane County | 2,709 | 785 | $109.1 million | Top 5 funders |
| Champaign County | 2,089 | 673 | $196.5 million | Top 5 funders |
| Peoria County | 1,630 | 342 | $73.9 million | Top 5 funders |
| Will County | 1,611 | 565 | $157.5 million | Top 5 funders |
| McHenry County | 1,463 | 325 | $50.4 million | Top 5 funders |
| McLean County | 1,445 | 415 | $69.4 million | Top 5 funders |
County = where the recipient's ZIP code is.
Cause areas
Grants whose purpose or recipient name, as filed, contains keywords for each cause area. A grant can match more than one, and many grants (such as "general support") match none.
| Cause area | Grants matched | |
|---|---|---|
| Education & literacy | 19,661 | Top 5 funders |
| Children & youth | 10,640 | Top 5 funders |
| Health & mental health | 9,924 | Top 5 funders |
| Arts & culture | 9,772 | Top 5 funders |
| Environment & conservation | 6,119 | Top 5 funders |
| Food & hunger | 5,928 | Top 5 funders |
| Older adults | 2,930 | Top 5 funders |
| Housing & homelessness | 2,685 | Top 5 funders |
| Basic needs & anti-poverty | 2,573 | Top 5 funders |
| Animal welfare | 1,741 | Top 5 funders |
| Disability | 1,215 | Top 5 funders |
| Jobs & workforce | 747 | Top 5 funders |
| Immigrants & refugees | 733 | Top 5 funders |
Want the funders that fit your organization? Grant Prospect Report, $149
Tell us your mission, county and budget. You get at least 20 ranked funders that give in your service area, ranked by fit with your mission and budget, with each one's contact, deadlines and application rules as filed with the IRS, plus matching federal opportunities from Grants.gov. PDF by email within 2 business days of payment and a complete order form.
Order a Prospect Report for Illinois ($149) See a full sampleSource: grant lists on IRS Form 990-PF (private foundations) and Form 990 Schedule I (grantmaking public charities) from the IRS e-file releases of 2024 to 2026, tax years 2021–2025, one filing per funder and tax year. Filings are often one to two years old, and a past grant doesn't mean a funder will accept your application or fund you. CivicVane is not affiliated with any funder listed.