108 private foundations reported community & economic development grants in Illinois on their IRS Form 990-PF filings for tax years 2023–2025. Historical giving records — not an open application portal.
Themes are derived from the free-text purpose each foundation wrote on its own Part XV filing, so a grant is classified by what the funder said it was for. Grants paid directly to named individuals are excluded from recipient counts and tables.
Across tax years 2023–2025, 108 private foundations reported 251 grants for community & economic development totaling $28,035,057 to 229 organizations in Illinois. The most-funded Illinois communities were Chicago, Danville, Sterling. Gates Foundation reported the most community & economic development giving — $8,371,682 across 4 grants. The median grant was $10,157.
Foundation filings are a record of past giving. The UseGrants eligibility check matches you to federal and state opportunities accepting applications today.
| Foundation | Grants | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Gates Foundation | 4 | $8,371,682 |
| Gray Collection Trust | 1 | $5,175,000 |
| Marguerite Casey Foundation | 2 | $1,515,000 |
| Dillon Foundation | 9 | $1,371,175 |
| Wal-mart Foundation | 1 | $1,150,000 |
| The Hearthland Foundation | 1 | $1,000,000 |
| Paul a & Joan S Rubschlager Foundation | 18 | $932,000 |
| Margaret a Cargill Foundation | 1 | $875,000 |
| Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation | 5 | $630,000 |
| Capital ONE Foundation Inc | 1 | $500,000 |
| Southern Company GAS Charitable Foundation Inc | 13 | $462,500 |
| Perlman Family Foundation Founded BY Anita and Louis Perlman | 8 | $454,000 |
| Recipient | Grants | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Barack Obama Foundation the | 2 | $7,000,000 |
| The Chicago Community Foundation | 3 | $5,275,000 |
| Scholars for Social Justice | 1 | $1,500,000 |
| Interfaith Youth Core | 1 | $1,150,000 |
| The Barack Obama Foundation | 1 | $1,000,000 |
| Evozyne Inc | 1 | $971,555 |
| National Center for Teacher Residencies Inc | 1 | $875,000 |
| Sterling Riverfront Foundation | 1 | $822,500 |
| Emerald South Economic Development Collaborative | 1 | $500,000 |
| Lookingglass Theater Company | 1 | $500,000 |
| Wrth LLC | 1 | $400,127 |
| Sterling Park District | 1 | $343,034 |
| Centerstone of Illinois Inc | 1 | $300,000 |
| Heritage Behavioral Health Center | 1 | $300,000 |
| University of Washington | 1 | $300,000 |
108 private foundations reported community & economic development grants in Illinois on their IRS Form 990-PF filings, totaling $28,035,057. The largest by reported dollars were Gates Foundation, Gray Collection Trust, Marguerite Casey Foundation. These are historical filings, not open application portals — check each foundation's own guidelines before approaching them.
229 distinct organizations appear as recipients in Illinois, led by Barack Obama Foundation the, The Chicago Community Foundation, Scholars for Social Justice. Grants paid directly to named individuals are excluded from these figures.
The median reported community & economic development grant in Illinois was $10,157, and the largest single reported grant was $5,175,000. Amounts are as reported by the filing foundation for a historical tax year.
The UseGrants feed tracks federal and state opportunities that are open today, each with the eligibility explained in plain English.
Source: public IRS Form 990-PF Part XV filings (tax years 2023–2025). Theme classification is derived from the funder’s own purpose text and is a summary, not a legal categorization. UseGrants is an independent aggregator, not affiliated with any foundation listed.
