Illinois · Grantmakers

Foundations That Fund Religion in Illinois

Imperigo has identified 553 funders that made 5,542 grants totaling $452.5M to 612 religion organizations in Illinois, with a median grant of $18K. Every figure below is drawn from IRS Form 990 filings through 2025.

Religion Funding in Illinois

Total granted $452.5M
Funders 553
Grants 5,542
Organizations funded 612

Top Funders — page 1 of 4

1. Natl Christian Charitable Fdn Inc
553 grants to 158 organizations · largest $6.7M · through 2024
$99.5M
2. Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America
46 grants to 12 organizations · largest $1.9M · through 2024 · 21.4% of their giving
$3.5M
3. IFE Foundation
6 grants to 1 organization · largest $1.0M · through 2025 · 25.7% of their giving
$3.4M
4. Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc
6 grants to 1 organization · largest $662K · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$3.1M
5. Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
118 grants to 23 organizations · largest $5.4M · through 2024 · 1.7% of their giving
$16.6M
6. Tyndale House Ministries
60 grants to 21 organizations · largest $316K · through 2024 · 10.5% of their giving
$2.7M
7. Crossword Cafe
8 grants to 1 organization · largest $198K · through 2025 · 97.2% of their giving
$1.2M
8. Alpha International
3 grants to 1 organization · largest $395K · through 2024 · 13.3% of their giving
$628K
9. Christian Community Foundation Inc
53 grants to 17 organizations · largest $1.4M · through 2024
$6.4M
10. Tuw Peter Hansen
6 grants to 1 organization · largest $56K · through 2024 · 43.8% of their giving
$308K
11. The Bessemer Giving Fund C/O Bessemer Trust Company Trustee
6 grants to 2 organizations · largest $5.8M · through 2024 · 1.0% of their giving
$5.9M
12. Summit Foundation
3 grants to 3 organizations · largest $450K · through 2023 · 10.2% of their giving
$521K
13. Dvash Inc
4 grants to 1 organization · largest $83K · through 2024 · 46.2% of their giving
$239K
14. First Look for Charity Foundation
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $198K · through 2024 · 6.3% of their giving
$727K
15. Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago
7 grants to 2 organizations · largest $122K · through 2024 · 5.1% of their giving
$750K
16. United Way of Pekin
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $55K · through 2024 · 15.8% of their giving
$242K
17. Greater Houston Community Foundation
3 grants to 1 organization · largest $4.6M · through 2024
$6.4M
18. The Peoria Journal Star Community Services Inc
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $168K · through 2022 · 100.0% of their giving
$168K
19. Forefront
11 grants to 6 organizations · largest $283K · through 2023 · 2.6% of their giving
$1.3M
20. Eternal Vision Inc
3 grants to 1 organization · largest $100K · through 2024 · 12.1% of their giving
$275K
21. North Shore Exchange Nfp
6 grants to 2 organizations · largest $100K · through 2024 · 9.4% of their giving
$280K
22. AIDS Foundation of Chicago
12 grants to 2 organizations · largest $215K · through 2024 · 1.4% of their giving
$1.9M
23. Illinois Science and Energy Innovation Foundation
2 grants to 1 organization · largest $301K · through 2020 · 4.7% of their giving
$556K
24. Gladys Friant Trust Under Will
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $61K · through 2025 · 14.0% of their giving
$187K
25. The Community Foundation of Macon County
15 grants to 3 organizations · largest $109K · through 2024 · 3.2% of their giving
$786K

Funders are ordered by how much of their overall giving goes to religion 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. 19 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 religion 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 religion 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.