Funding search · economic mobility and poverty · Illinois
Who funds economic mobility and poverty work in Illinois
15 funders have a record of paying for economic mobility and poverty work by Illinois recipients: 142 grants totaling $40.7M, most recently in 2025 — mostly private foundations, plus grantmaking charities. The largest by matched giving are The Joyce Foundation ($9.9M), Jpmorgan Chase Foundation ($11.3M) and Southern Company Gas Charitable ($1.3M).
From IRS Form 990-PF and 990 Schedule I filings, 2019–2025. Grants already paid to Illinois recipients — evidence of what these funders back, not open calls.
Largest: $500,000 to Advance Illinois — education & economic mobility
Largest: $1.0M to TRAVELERS & IMMIGRANTS AID'S HEARTLAND ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN NEEDS & HUMAN RIG — in support of creating economic mobility and career pathways
The Chicago Community TrustChicago, ILCharity · may take applications
6 matching grants · $1.0M · through 2022Largest: $223,500 to Hope Chicago Inc — general operating support, general operating support - at the request of ted koenig, support for hopecoming event (no tickets or tangible benefits), in support of ongoing multi-gen…
Largest: $1.0M to AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS — economic mobility
Largest: $85,000 to BUNKER LABS NFP INC — economic mobility
Largest: $250,000 to BRAVEN INCORPORATED — braven: accelerating economic mobility for college students in partnership with rutgers university-newark
Largest: $250,000 to IMPACT FOR EQUITY INC — support for the chicago-cook county two-generation economic mobility demonstration
Largest: $10.0M to The Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education Group — to support historically underrepresented entrepreneurs solving complex and urgent k-12 education challenges inhibiting the social and economic mobility and excellence of america's …
Largest: $1.0M to RISEKIT INC — u.s. economic mobility & opportunity
Aarp FoundationWashington, DCCharity · may take applications
3 matching grants · $42,000 · through 2024Largest: $30,000 to CHICAGO COOK WORKFORCE — grant to support aarp foundation's economic mobility program
Largest: $1.0M to ONE MILLION DEGREES — to support chicago city college students' progress in postsecondary pathways to economic mobility
Journey for Good FoundationBethesda, MDCharity · may take applications
2 matching grants · $40,000 · through 2025Largest: $20,000 to SKILLS FOR CHICAGO — to help increase the economic mobility of the under and unemployed by connecting them to quality jobs
This is one topic and one state. PaperOrbit reads your actual paper and searches on everything in it — then explains why each funder fits.
Start with one paperBroader: economic mobility and poverty funders nationally · all Illinois-based grantmakers