102 private foundations reported human services 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, 102 private foundations reported 237 grants for human services totaling $19,974,213 to 200 organizations in Illinois. The most-funded Illinois communities were Chicago, Rockford, Sterling. Freedom Together Foundation reported the most human services giving — $4,500,000 across 1 grant. The median grant was $10,000.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Freedom Together Foundation | 1 | $4,500,000 |
| Walgreen Benefit Fund | 1 | $3,253,018 |
| Bernard Heerey Family Foundation | 8 | $1,448,967 |
| The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation Inc | 9 | $1,255,000 |
| Wal-mart Foundation | 1 | $1,000,000 |
| Arthur O Silver Foundation | 1 | $950,000 |
| Ford Philanthropy | 3 | $745,000 |
| The Duchossois Family Foundation | 2 | $557,000 |
| Mark and Maureen Miller Family FD | 13 | $510,000 |
| Mary E Bazar-robin Foundation | 1 | $500,000 |
| Gerri and Rich Wong Family Foundation | 1 | $415,000 |
| Dillon Foundation | 18 | $401,030 |
| Recipient | Grants | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Elevate Energy | 2 | $4,775,000 |
| Relief Payment | 1 | $3,253,018 |
| Feeding America | 11 | $1,928,500 |
| University of Chicago | 2 | $965,000 |
| Foundation for Realization of Human Potential - NFP | 1 | $950,000 |
| Misericordia Foundation | 3 | $551,062 |
| CJE Senior Life | 2 | $478,567 |
| The ARK | 2 | $440,929 |
| Full Circle Communities Inc | 1 | $350,000 |
| Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund - Midwest Region | 1 | $325,000 |
| Sarah's Circle | 4 | $281,000 |
| Little Sisters of the Poor | 1 | $260,400 |
| Aspire of Illinois | 1 | $250,000 |
| Erie Family Health Centers | 1 | $250,000 |
| American RED Cross | 2 | $200,000 |
102 private foundations reported human services grants in Illinois on their IRS Form 990-PF filings, totaling $19,974,213. The largest by reported dollars were Freedom Together Foundation, Walgreen Benefit Fund, Bernard Heerey Family Foundation. These are historical filings, not open application portals — check each foundation's own guidelines before approaching them.
200 distinct organizations appear as recipients in Illinois, led by Elevate Energy, Relief Payment, Feeding America. Grants paid directly to named individuals are excluded from these figures.
The median reported human services grant in Illinois was $10,000, and the largest single reported grant was $4,500,000. 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.
