Funding search · EIN 362167000 · Chicago, IL
The Chicago Community Trust
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
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Funder website ↗Full IRS filings ↗How this is builtReport 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.
6 grants matching “kickstart” · $126,000
- $6,000
Kickstart-International · San Francisco, CA · 2023
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
- $35,000
Kickstart Kids · Houston, TX · 2022
General Operating Support
- $32,500
Kickstart Kids · Houston, TX · 2021
General operating support
- $32,500
Kickstart Kids · Houston, TX · 2021
General operating support
- $10,000
Kickstart-International · San Francisco, CA · 2021
Support of Kemper Challenge priorities, general operating support
- $10,000
Kickstart-International · San Francisco, CA · 2021
Support of Kemper Challenge priorities, general operating support
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
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
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 oneSource: 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.

