Funding search · EIN 362167000 · Chicago, IL

The Chicago Community Trust

Name: The Chicago Community Trust grants, 2021–2023
Creator: PaperOrbit
License: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-organization-public-disclosure-and-availability-requirements

A grantmaking public charity (files IRS Form 990, Schedule I). Charities like this often run real grant programs with application cycles.

14,939
grants reported: $5.82B
total given: 2021–2023
filing years: $25,000
median grant

Based on grants this organization reported to the IRS for tax years 2021–2023. This is what they filed, not a complete record of their giving, and recent years may be incomplete because filings lag.

What they fund

chicago community benefits tickets through tangible communities build

Funder website ↗Full IRS filings ↗How this is built Report an error

Funding pattern

What this funder pays for, at what size, and how to position adjacent work. Read from their filings, with every number checked against the record.

Where the money goes

CDFI and community lending capital nationwide
Federally qualified community health centers, rural and urban
Chicago-area human services, violence reduction, housing stability
Affordable housing, homelessness and community action agencies
Civil legal aid and democracy/civic participation groups
Climate and clean energy intermediaries

Typical grant

The median grant is $25,000 and half of all grants fall between $10,000 and $100,000, which is the donor-advised and discretionary layer of a community foundation. A separate tier of very large checks, $4 million to $50 million, went almost entirely to national intermediaries, CDFIs, and health center networks in 2023, and those are pass-through or partnership deployments rather than responses to unsolicited requests. Chicago nonprofits appear repeatedly across years, so repeat funding at the five- and six-figure level is normal.

Their words

Phrases from their own grant descriptions, worth speaking back to them.

“General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes”
“general support”
“operations”
“charitable purposes”

Positioning adjacent work

Anchor to a named Chicago-area grantee's theme: violence reduction, housing stability, immigrant legal services, family services.
Ask in the $25,000 to $100,000 band for a first request; six figures needs an existing relationship.
Frame the request as general operating support, not a restricted research project, matching their own wording.
If work is national, connect it to CDFI capital access or community health center capacity, their two biggest large-check lanes.

Worth knowing: Illinois recipients outnumber the next state four to one, so a Cook County footprint matters far more than subject fit. The giant 2023 grants to Save the Children, Capital Impact Partners, Breakthrough Energy Catalyst and dozens of health centers reflect large donor-advised or intermediary flows, and treating them as evidence of an open national program would be a mistake.

11 grants matching “hour” · $1.7M

$650,800
Window To the World Communications · Chicago, IL · 2022
Oliver Dragon Fund of WFMT, General Operating Support, Annual Fund, support for WFMT fundraising drive challenge (no tickets or tangible benefits), support of News Hour, support for the WTTW | WFMT Gala (no tickets or t… read allOliver Dragon Fund of WFMT, General Operating Support, Annual Fund, support for WFMT fundraising drive challenge (no tickets or tangible benefits), support of News Hour, support for the WTTW | WFMT Gala (no tickets or tangible benefits), support for producing and presenting the 9-part Chicago Tonight Monday series on ?Chicago Violence?, support for Environmental Programming, support for Jewish programming, WONDER support for Gala (no tickets or tangible benefits), WFMT challenge contribution, $1000: support for WFMT; $500: support for WTTW, $5,000: General Operating support - memorial; $25,000: support for Ken Burns' presentation of The American Buffalo, General Operating Support for TV programming, support for The Most Beautiful Places in Chicago with Geoffrey Baer, matching contribution - final installment, $5,000 support for WFMT Radio; $2,500 support for WFMT fall fundraising drive, where most needed less
$499,250
Window To the World Communications · Chicago, IL · 2021
WTTW Support, general operating support, general operating support for WFMT 98.7 and WTTW. Support for WFMT Radio, $20,000 support for Firsthand: segregation initiative $15,000 support for Our City Our Stories - GALA (n… read allWTTW Support, general operating support, general operating support for WFMT 98.7 and WTTW. Support for WFMT Radio, $20,000 support for Firsthand: segregation initiative $15,000 support for Our City Our Stories - GALA (no tickets or benefits). Support for WFMT, WTTW Fund for Independent News, Fund for Independent News. Support for Jewish Historical Episodes, $500 for station Support, $1,000 for WFMT Bach to School Program Support, WTTW Operating Support. Support for WFMT fall membership drive - trustee challenge. Support for 2022 Jewish Heritage Programming, $10,000 for the Oliver Dragon Fund of WFMT, and $1,000 for general operating support, general operating support for WFMT, $10,000 support for Improv program $10,000 support for Union Stockyards program, $15,000 support for Ken Burns documentary $10,000 WFMT Matching Contribution Support $10,000 support for Life After Prison. Support for WFMT Fall Fundraising Matching Challenge. Supporting From the Air II. Support of News Hour. less
$499,250
Window To the World Communications · Chicago, IL · 2021
WTTW Support, general operating support, general operating support for WFMT 98.7 and WTTW. Support for WFMT Radio, $20,000 support for Firsthand: segregation initiative $15,000 support for Our City Our Stories - GALA (n… read allWTTW Support, general operating support, general operating support for WFMT 98.7 and WTTW. Support for WFMT Radio, $20,000 support for Firsthand: segregation initiative $15,000 support for Our City Our Stories - GALA (no tickets or benefits). Support for WFMT, WTTW Fund for Independent News, Fund for Independent News. Support for Jewish Historical Episodes, $500 for station Support, $1,000 for WFMT Bach to School Program Support, WTTW Operating Support. Support for WFMT fall membership drive - trustee challenge. Support for 2022 Jewish Heritage Programming, $10,000 for the Oliver Dragon Fund of WFMT, and $1,000 for general operating support, general operating support for WFMT, $10,000 support for Improv program $10,000 support for Union Stockyards program, $15,000 support for Ken Burns documentary $10,000 WFMT Matching Contribution Support $10,000 support for Life After Prison. Support for WFMT Fall Fundraising Matching Challenge. Supporting From the Air II. Support of News Hour. less
$14,000
Leslie Shankman School Corporation · Chicago, IL · 2021
Cocktail Hour Support of Gala (no tickets or benefits), general operating support support for the Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School
$14,000
Leslie Shankman School Corporation · Chicago, IL · 2021
Cocktail Hour Support of Gala (no tickets or benefits), general operating support support for the Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School
$10,000
Land O Lakes Community Playground · Land O Lakes, WI · 2021
unrestricted - to provide hours of fun for the kids of the community of Land O Lakes, WI
$10,000
Land O Lakes Community Playground · Land O Lakes, WI · 2021
unrestricted - to provide hours of fun for the kids of the community of Land O Lakes, WI
$9,500
The Corporation of Saint Mary'S College Notre Dame · Notre Dame, IN · 2021
Dorothy May Leavitt Presidential Scholarship. Support of the 24-hour donor challenge on 2-24-22, annual fund, contribution to scholarships and student programs
$9,500
The Corporation of Saint Mary'S College Notre Dame · Notre Dame, IN · 2021
Dorothy May Leavitt Presidential Scholarship. Support of the 24-hour donor challenge on 2-24-22, annual fund, contribution to scholarships and student programs
$8,500
Moody Bible Institute of Chicago · Chicago, IL · 2021
2021 contribution (unrestricted). Support for Moody Radio - Spring Share 2022. Support for 48 Hours of Impact, Moody Aviation. Support for Founder's Week 2022. Support for Moody Radio - Fall Share 2021, general operatin… read all2021 contribution (unrestricted). Support for Moody Radio - Spring Share 2022. Support for 48 Hours of Impact, Moody Aviation. Support for Founder's Week 2022. Support for Moody Radio - Fall Share 2021, general operating support less
$8,500
Moody Bible Institute of Chicago · Chicago, IL · 2021
2021 contribution (unrestricted). Support for Moody Radio - Spring Share 2022. Support for 48 Hours of Impact, Moody Aviation. Support for Founder's Week 2022. Support for Moody Radio - Fall Share 2021, general operatin… read all2021 contribution (unrestricted). Support for Moody Radio - Spring Share 2022. Support for 48 Hours of Impact, Moody Aviation. Support for Founder's Week 2022. Support for Moody Radio - Fall Share 2021, general operating support less

Top recipients

Repeat recipients are the strongest signal of whether a funder has an open door or quietly re-funds the same organizations.

Breakthrough Energy Catalyst Foundation4 grants · $120.0M
Climate Imperative Foundation4 grants · $80.0M
Save the Children Federation4 grants · $53.5M
Habitat for Humanity International4 grants · $50.0M
National Council of Ymcas of the USA3 grants · $50.0M
Youth Guidance4 grants · $45.6M
Capital Impact Partners1 grant · $45.0M
National Philanthropic Trust2 grants · $42.0M
Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Services Access3 grants · $40.0M
Communities in Schools2 grants · $40.0M

Giving over time

$2.84B

2021

$1.56B

2022

$1.42B

2023

Grant history

The 100 largest of 14,939 grants.

$50.8M
Save the Children Federation · Fairfield, CT · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$45.0M
Capital Impact Partners · Arlington, VA · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$30.8M
National Philanthropic Trust · Jenkintown, PA · 2022
Goldstein Family Fund, support for Charles A Micale Foundation, "Our Own Thing" Fund, illiquid shares to be transferred to FP: Goldstein Family Fund, Ruhl Donor Advised Fund
$30.0M
Breakthrough Energy Catalyst Foundation · Seattle, WA · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$30.0M
Breakthrough Energy Catalyst Foundation · Seattle, WA · 2022
support to accelerate the deployment of clean technologies
$30.0M
Breakthrough Energy Catalyst Foundation · Seattle, WA · 2021
To support Breakthrough Energy Catalyst's effort to accelerate deployment of clean technologies in order to achieve net zero by 2050
$30.0M
Breakthrough Energy Catalyst Foundation · Seattle, WA · 2021
To support Breakthrough Energy Catalyst's effort to accelerate deployment of clean technologies in order to achieve net zero by 2050
$28.0M
Hope Enterprise Corporation · Jackson, MS · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$26.1M
Tides Foundation · San Francisco, CA · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$25.0M
Habitat for Humanity International · Americus, GA · 2021
General operating support, 2022 contribution, 2021 contribution, general operating support - for use in the State of New Mexico
$25.0M
Habitat for Humanity International · Americus, GA · 2021
General operating support, 2022 contribution, 2021 contribution, general operating support - for use in the State of New Mexico
$25.0M
Chicago Public Schools · Chicago, IL · 2022
General operating support
$23.0M
Accion Opportunity Fund Community Development · San Jose, CA · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$22.6M
Youth Guidance · Chicago, IL · 2021
General operating support, contribution to the JPMC The Fellowship Initiative, matching contribution made by Polly Eldringhoff, PGL employee. General operating support, matching the contribution of torrence Hinton, PGL … read allGeneral operating support, contribution to the JPMC The Fellowship Initiative, matching contribution made by Polly Eldringhoff, PGL employee. General operating support, matching the contribution of torrence Hinton, PGL employee. Support for Youth Guidance Gala (no tickets or tangible benefits). Support of the McDonald's Chicago Community Impact Grants Program, in support of general operations. less
$22.6M
Youth Guidance · Chicago, IL · 2021
General operating support, contribution to the JPMC The Fellowship Initiative, matching contribution made by Polly Eldringhoff, PGL employee. General operating support, matching the contribution of torrence Hinton, PGL … read allGeneral operating support, contribution to the JPMC The Fellowship Initiative, matching contribution made by Polly Eldringhoff, PGL employee. General operating support, matching the contribution of torrence Hinton, PGL employee. Support for Youth Guidance Gala (no tickets or tangible benefits). Support of the McDonald's Chicago Community Impact Grants Program, in support of general operations. less
$20.1M
The Center for Popular Democracy · Brooklyn, NY · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$20.1M
Eisenhower Medical Center · Rancho Mirage, CA · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$20.0M
Communities in Schools · Arlington, VA · 2021
General operating support
$20.0M
Communities in Schools · Arlington, VA · 2021
General operating support
$20.0M
Boys & Girls Clubs of America · Atlanta, GA · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$20.0M
Climate Imperative Foundation · San Francisco, CA · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$20.0M
National Council of Ymcas of the USA · Chicago, IL · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$20.0M
Champlain Housing Trust · Burlington, VT · 2022
General operating support
$20.0M
Climate Imperative Foundation · San Francisco, CA · 2022
to support Climate Imperative's work to cut emissions at speed and scale
$20.0M
Jobs for the Future · Boston, MA · 2022
General operating support
$20.0M
Per Scholas · Bronx, NY · 2022
General operating support
$20.0M
San Francisco Community Land Trust · San Francisco, CA · 2022
General operating support
$20.0M
Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Services Access · Dearborn, MI · 2021
General operating support
$20.0M
Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Services Access · Dearborn, MI · 2021
General operating support
$20.0M
Climate Imperative Foundation · San Francisco, CA · 2021
To support Climate Imperative's work to cut emissions at speed and scale
$20.0M
Climate Imperative Foundation · San Francisco, CA · 2021
To support Climate Imperative's work to cut emissions at speed and scale
$20.0M
Foundation for Fresno Unified Schools · Fresno, CA · 2021
General operating support
$20.0M
Foundation for Fresno Unified Schools · Fresno, CA · 2021
General operating support
$20.0M
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles · Bellflower, CA · 2021
General operating support
$20.0M
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles · Bellflower, CA · 2021
General operating support
$16.0M
Escondido Union School District · Escondido, CA · 2022
support for public purposes
$16.0M
Learning Policy Institute · Palo Alto, CA · 2021
General operating support
$16.0M
Learning Policy Institute · Palo Alto, CA · 2021
General operating support
$15.3M
Guttmacher Institute · New York, NY · 2021
General operating support
$15.3M
Guttmacher Institute · New York, NY · 2021
General operating support
$15.1M
Community Investment Corporation · Chicago, IL · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$15.1M
National Low Income Housing Coalition · Washington, DC · 2022
Unrestricted, General Operating Support
$15.0M
Boys and Girls Clubs of America · Atlanta, GA · 2021
General operating support, $10,000,000 support of child care; $5,000,000 support of food insecurity
$15.0M
Boys and Girls Clubs of America · Atlanta, GA · 2021
General operating support, $10,000,000 support of child care; $5,000,000 support of food insecurity
$15.0M
Community First Fund · Lancaster, PA · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$15.0M
Grid Alternatives · Oakland, CA · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$15.0M
The Miami Foundation · Miami, FL · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$15.0M
Codepathorg · San Francisco, CA · 2022
General operating support
$15.0M
Merit America · Washington, DC · 2022
General operating support
$15.0M
Achievement Network · Boston, MA · 2021
General operating support
$15.0M
Achievement Network · Boston, MA · 2021
General operating support
$15.0M
Instruction Partners · Nashville, TN · 2021
General operating support
$15.0M
Instruction Partners · Nashville, TN · 2021
General operating support
$15.0M
National Council of Ymcas of the USA · Chicago, IL · 2021
$10,000,000 support of child care; $5,000,000 support of food insecurity
$15.0M
National Council of Ymcas of the USA · Chicago, IL · 2021
$10,000,000 support of child care; $5,000,000 support of food insecurity
$15.0M
Recovery Innovations · Phoenix, AZ · 2021
General operating support
$15.0M
Recovery Innovations · Phoenix, AZ · 2021
General operating support
$15.0M
Rights and Resources Institute · Washington, DC · 2021
General operating support
$15.0M
Rights and Resources Institute · Washington, DC · 2021
General operating support
$15.0M
Unbounded Learning · New York, NY · 2021
General operating support
$15.0M
Unbounded Learning · New York, NY · 2021
General operating support
$15.0M
Vose River Charitable Fund · Bethesda, MD · 2021
General operating support
$15.0M
Vose River Charitable Fund · Bethesda, MD · 2021
General operating support
$13.5M
Atlanta Habitat for Humanity · Atlanta, GA · 2021
General operating support
$13.5M
Atlanta Habitat for Humanity · Atlanta, GA · 2021
General operating support
$13.5M
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity · St Paul, MN · 2021
General operating support
$13.5M
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity · St Paul, MN · 2021
General operating support
$13.5M
Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region · Charlotte, NC · 2021
General operating support
$13.5M
Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region · Charlotte, NC · 2021
General operating support
$13.5M
Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver · Denver, CO · 2021
General operating support
$13.5M
Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver · Denver, CO · 2021
General operating support
$13.1M
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · Cincinnati, OH · 2022
John M Scott Giving Account, Charles N. Mills Giving Fund, Andy and Nancy Mills Charitable Fund, Ellert Donation Fund, Levine Family Fund, Evolve Charitable Fund - support for Salon Ohm, transfer of funds - Charles N. M… read allJohn M Scott Giving Account, Charles N. Mills Giving Fund, Andy and Nancy Mills Charitable Fund, Ellert Donation Fund, Levine Family Fund, Evolve Charitable Fund - support for Salon Ohm, transfer of funds - Charles N. Mills Giving Fund, transfer of funds - John and Peggy Baker/ Baker Family Fund, John and Peggy Baker/Baker Family Fund less
$13.0M
Communities in Schools Houston · Houston, TX · 2021
General operating support
$13.0M
Communities in Schools Houston · Houston, TX · 2021
General operating support
$12.0M
Impactassets · Bethesda, MD · 2021
Support for David Samuel or Fund for the Earth (DSOFFTE), The Builders Initiative Fund
$12.0M
Impactassets · Bethesda, MD · 2021
Support for David Samuel or Fund for the Earth (DSOFFTE), The Builders Initiative Fund
$12.0M
Grounded Solutions Network · Oakland, CA · 2022
General operating support
$12.0M
The Morehouse School of Medicine · Atlanta, GA · 2022
General operating support
$11.2M
National Philanthropic Trust · Jenkintown, PA · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$11.0M
Ascend Learning · Brooklyn, NY · 2022
General operating support
$11.0M
Braven · Chicago, IL · 2021
General operating support
$11.0M
Braven · Chicago, IL · 2021
General operating support
$11.0M
Habitat for Humanity of Omaha · Omaha, NE · 2021
General operating support
$11.0M
Habitat for Humanity of Omaha · Omaha, NE · 2021
General operating support
$11.0M
Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County · Clearwater, FL · 2021
General operating support
$11.0M
Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County · Clearwater, FL · 2021
General operating support
$11.0M
Houston Habitat for Humanity · Houston, TX · 2021
General operating support
$11.0M
Houston Habitat for Humanity · Houston, TX · 2021
General operating support
$11.0M
Trinity Habitat for Humanity · Fort Worth, TX · 2021
General operating support
$11.0M
Trinity Habitat for Humanity · Fort Worth, TX · 2021
General operating support
$10.3M
Start Early · Chicago, IL · 2022
support for programming, support for Educare, General Operating Support, matching the contribution of Charles Matthews, PGL retiree, continued support for the roll-out of the NEAR Program in the Chicago area, especially… read allsupport for programming, support for Educare, General Operating Support, matching the contribution of Charles Matthews, PGL retiree, continued support for the roll-out of the NEAR Program in the Chicago area, especially Little Village and North Lawndale, Unrestricted less
$10.1M
Chinese American Service League · Chicago, IL · 2022
To support building and leading a coalition of partner organizations focused on assisting hate crime survivors and educating and empowering Chicagoland AANHPI community on how to report hate crimes and hate incidents., … read allTo support building and leading a coalition of partner organizations focused on assisting hate crime survivors and educating and empowering Chicagoland AANHPI community on how to report hate crimes and hate incidents., support of Fall Fund Raising - David Cotton #365, support for the purchase of land for the Chinese community, General Operating Support less
$10.1M
American Jewish Committee · New York, NY · 2022
support for Project Interchange: bringing Arabs to Israel for immersive initiative, General Operating Support, support for the Dallas office, to advance human rights and democratic values in the Dallas area, General Ope… read allsupport for Project Interchange: bringing Arabs to Israel for immersive initiative, General Operating Support, support for the Dallas office, to advance human rights and democratic values in the Dallas area, General Operating Support for AJC Chicago less
$10.0M
Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples · Arcata, CA · 2022
General Operating Support, Unrestricted
$10.0M
Glaad · Los Angeles, CA · 2022
General Operating Support, Unrestricted
$10.0M
Access To Capital for Entrepreneurs · Cleveland, GA · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$10.0M
Genesis La Economic Growth Corporation · Los Angeles, CA · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$10.0M
Ochin · Portland, OR · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$10.0M
Alliance for Early Success · Washington, DC · 2022
General operating support
$10.0M
City of Lakes Community Land Trust · Minneapolis, MN · 2022
General operating support

View all 14,939 grants →

Who else funds this kind of work

Grants already paid are the record; PaperOrbit reads your paper and finds the funders whose record matches it — then explains why.

Search funders like this one

Source: IRS Form 990, Schedule I, as filed by this organization. These are grants already paid. Grants paid directly to individuals are reported to the IRS only as totals, so they do not appear as named lines here.