193 private foundations reported scholarships & financial aid grants in Illinois on their IRS Form 990-PF filings for tax years 2022–2025. 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 2022–2025, 193 private foundations reported 358 grants for scholarships & financial aid totaling $18,642,320 to 254 organizations in Illinois. The most-funded Illinois communities were Chicago, Evanston, Champaign. John and Kathleen Schreiber Foundation D/B/A Schreiber Philanthropy reported the most scholarships & financial aid giving — $2,705,000 across 3 grants. The median grant was $12,500.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| John and Kathleen Schreiber Foundation D/B/A Schreiber Philanthropy | 3 | $2,705,000 |
| Bernard Heerey Family Foundation | 17 | $2,219,991 |
| Wheeler Foundation | 5 | $1,475,874 |
| Bobbie and Stanton Cook Family Foundation | 3 | $1,030,000 |
| The Brinson Foundation | 11 | $1,005,700 |
| Robert N Brewer Family Foundation | 1 | $734,400 |
| Harry J Diffenbaugh - University of Illinois | 1 | $582,713 |
| Clark Charitable Foundation Inc DBA a James & Alice B Clark Foundation | 1 | $500,000 |
| Absher Charitable Foundation Inc | 1 | $437,966 |
| The Patrick J Mcgovern Foundation Inc | 1 | $400,000 |
| Mark H Berens Charitable Foundation | 1 | $300,000 |
| AbbVie Foundation | 1 | $300,000 |
| Recipient | Grants | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Forest College | 3 | $2,526,169 |
| Northwestern University | 12 | $1,450,877 |
| Evans Scholars Foundation | 11 | $965,450 |
| Illinois State University | 10 | $899,380 |
| Scholarships Paid | 1 | $734,400 |
| University of Illinois at Urbana-champaign | 1 | $582,713 |
| Carle Health Center for Philanthropy | 1 | $462,874 |
| IDA Crown Jewish Academy | 2 | $453,200 |
| Scholarships | 1 | $437,966 |
| University of Illinois Foundation | 17 | $432,136 |
| Science for ALL Foundation | 1 | $400,000 |
| Providence St Mel School | 2 | $312,000 |
| BIG Shoulders Fund | 2 | $306,500 |
| University of Chicago Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics Edward H LEV | 2 | $261,700 |
| United States Artists Inc | 1 | $250,000 |
193 private foundations reported scholarships & financial aid grants in Illinois on their IRS Form 990-PF filings, totaling $18,642,320. The largest by reported dollars were John and Kathleen Schreiber Foundation D/B/A Schreiber Philanthropy, Bernard Heerey Family Foundation, Wheeler Foundation. These are historical filings, not open application portals — check each foundation's own guidelines before approaching them.
254 distinct organizations appear as recipients in Illinois, led by Lake Forest College, Northwestern University, Evans Scholars Foundation. Grants paid directly to named individuals are excluded from these figures.
The median reported scholarships & financial aid grant in Illinois was $12,500, and the largest single reported grant was $2,500,000. 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 2022–2025). 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.
