Illinois · Grantmakers

Foundations That Fund Community Improvement in Illinois

Imperigo has identified 699 funders that made 4,174 grants totaling $654.5M to 530 community improvement organizations in Illinois, with a median grant of $25K. Every figure below is drawn from IRS Form 990 filings through 2025.

Community Improvement Funding in Illinois

Total granted $654.5M
Funders 699
Grants 4,174
Organizations funded 530

Top Funders — page 1 of 4

1. Robert R McCormick Foundation
43 grants to 21 organizations · largest $8.0M · through 2024 · 9.0% of their giving
$30.8M
2. Million Dollar Round Table
2 grants to 2 organizations · largest $9.6M · through 2024 · 84.2% of their giving
$12.8M
3. Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies
45 grants to 7 organizations · largest $847K · through 2025 · 51.4% of their giving
$10.5M
4. United Way - McCormick Partnership for Strong Neighborhoods Inc
20 grants to 4 organizations · largest $1.0M · through 2024 · 31.3% of their giving
$10.2M
5. The Chicago Community Trust
442 grants to 114 organizations · largest $10.1M · through 2024 · 1.4% of their giving
$128.0M
6. Metropolitan Chicagoland Sheet Metal Industry Fund
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $1.1M · through 2024 · 71.2% of their giving
$5.3M
7. Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
42 grants to 11 organizations · largest $1.1M · through 2024 · 9.0% of their giving
$11.3M
8. United Way of Metropolitan Chicago Inc
71 grants to 37 organizations · largest $1.4M · through 2024 · 7.8% of their giving
$12.2M
9. Information Systems Audit and Control Association Inc
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $1.2M · through 2024 · 96.8% of their giving
$4.5M
10. Apga Research Foundation
10 grants to 2 organizations · largest $510K · through 2024 · 92.3% of their giving
$4.3M
11. Nismacna Industry Promotion Fund
6 grants to 1 organization · largest $700K · through 2025 · 66.6% of their giving
$3.4M
12. Seize the Future Development Foundation
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $3.2M · through 2024 · 72.1% of their giving
$3.2M
13. Midland Area Agency on Aging
6 grants to 1 organization · largest $619K · through 2024 · 20.9% of their giving
$3.1M
14. Forefront
61 grants to 26 organizations · largest $672K · through 2024 · 9.8% of their giving
$4.8M
15. Kankakee County Economic Development Association
6 grants to 1 organization · largest $237K · through 2024 · 90.1% of their giving
$1.4M
16. Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $500K · through 2024 · 13.0% of their giving
$1.8M
17. Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $256K · through 2025 · 100.0% of their giving
$1.2M
18. Roofing Industry a&R Fund Research Fund
6 grants to 2 organizations · largest $300K · through 2025 · 100.0% of their giving
$1.0M
19. Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council
3 grants to 3 organizations · largest $1.0M · through 2024 · 35.4% of their giving
$1.0M
20. Northwestern Illinois Contractors Association
8 grants to 2 organizations · largest $125K · through 2025 · 65.7% of their giving
$860K
21. Common Place Inc
2 grants to 1 organization · largest $326K · through 2021 · 100.0% of their giving
$653K
22. Chicago Painters and Tapers Cooperation and Education Trust Fund
3 grants to 1 organization · largest $500K · through 2024 · 33.5% of their giving
$650K
23. Illinois Science and Energy Innovation Foundation
9 grants to 4 organizations · largest $345K · through 2023 · 10.4% of their giving
$1.2M
24. Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation
7 grants to 4 organizations · largest $1.3M · through 2024 · 6.6% of their giving
$1.7M
25. The Appraisal Foundation
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $560K · through 2024 · 84.8% of their giving
$560K

Funders are ordered by how much of their overall giving goes to community improvement work in Illinois, not by dollar totals alone — a foundation that concentrates its giving here is usually a better prospect than a larger one for which this is a rounding error. 13 of the funders counted here are donor-advised fund sponsors, which grant on behalf of individual donors and accept no applications; they are marked and ranked last.

Other Causes Funded in Illinois

About This Data

A grant appears here when a funder reported it on its IRS Form 990 and the recipient organization is classified under the NTEE group covering community improvement work, with an address in Illinois. Grants are counted from the 2025 filing year backward.

Some 990 grant schedules list a recipient by name and address without an EIN, and those grants cannot be matched to a classification — so the totals above represent identifiable community improvement funding in Illinois, not every dollar that reached the sector. Figures are a floor, not a ceiling.

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Full grant histories, recipient lists, officer compensation, multi-year financials, and exports for every foundation Imperigo tracks.