Polk Bros Foundation Inc
Chicago, IL · EIN 36-6108293. Reported 2,988 grants totalling $115.9M to 840 organizations across tax years 2020-2023. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Yesaccepts unsolicited requests
$25,000median grant
$115.9Mgranted, 2020-2023
840organizations funded
79%of grantees funded again the next year
$434.5Massets, latest filing
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Polk Bros Foundation Inc did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
This is the foundation's own statement to the IRS, not our judgement, and it says nothing about whether they have a form, a deadline, or an appetite for new grantees. Treat it as the reason this foundation is worth your research time, not as an invitation. Many small foundations of this kind have no website and no application process -- a letter of inquiry is the normal first step.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $25,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $2,500 and $50,000; the smallest was $53 and the largest $500,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
All 840 recipients appear in its filings; the 250 largest are listed here. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which this organization received money -- the clearest signal of who this foundation actually has a relationship with.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Community Foundation | Chicago, IL | $1,631,500 | 15 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chiarts Foundation | Chicago, IL | $1,583,100 | 14 | 4 | 2023 |
| Navy Pier Inc | Chicago, IL | $1,500,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Big Shoulders Fund | Chicago, IL | $1,182,500 | 13 | 4 | 2023 |
| Window to the World Communications | Chicago, IL | $1,106,370 | 26 | 4 | 2023 |
| Metropolitan Family Services | Chicago, IL | $1,056,625 | 15 | 4 | 2023 |
| Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago, IL | $1,050,500 | 16 | 4 | 2023 |
| All Chicago Making Homelessness History | Chicago, IL | $1,040,500 | 11 | 4 | 2023 |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository | Chicago, IL | $1,017,750 | 12 | 4 | 2023 |
| The Barack Obama Foundation | Chicago, IL | $1,002,500 | 5 | 3 | 2023 |
| Illinois Immigrant Funders Collaborative | Chicago, IL | $925,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Center for Housing and Health | Chicago, IL | $900,000 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Crossroads Fund | Chicago, IL | $895,200 | 16 | 4 | 2023 |
| University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab | Chicago, IL | $848,000 | 9 | 4 | 2023 |
| Rush University Medical Center | Chicago, IL | $812,500 | 14 | 4 | 2023 |
| Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago, IL | $800,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Forefront | Chicago, IL | $797,750 | 16 | 4 | 2023 |
| Iff | Chicago, IL | $796,000 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Erie Family Health Center | Chicago, IL | $770,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Ingenuity Incorporated Chicago | Chicago, IL | $761,979 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Shriver Center on Poverty Law | Chicago, IL | $746,500 | 8 | 4 | 2023 |
| Michael Reese Health Trust | Chicago, IL | $736,000 | 6 | 3 | 2022 |
| Latinos Progresando | Chicago, IL | $735,400 | 11 | 4 | 2023 |
| Youth Guidance | Chicago, IL | $728,125 | 12 | 4 | 2023 |
| Wbezchicago Public Media | Chicago, IL | $683,250 | 19 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Public Education Fund | Chicago, IL | $664,500 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Youth Centers | Chicago, IL | $645,000 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Leading Educators Inc | New Orleans, LA | $645,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Women's Justice Institute | Chicago, IL | $640,000 | 9 | 4 | 2023 |
| Fund for Safe and Peaceful Communities | Chicago, IL | $600,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Civic Consulting Alliance | Chicago, IL | $595,250 | 10 | 4 | 2023 |
| Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $560,500 | 8 | 4 | 2023 |
| Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago, IL | $552,000 | 8 | 4 | 2023 |
| Mercy Housing Lakefront | Chicago, IL | $540,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Local Initiatives Support Corporation | Chicago, IL | $525,000 | 9 | 4 | 2023 |
| Ravinia Festival | Highland Park, IL | $525,000 | 12 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Jobs Council | Chicago, IL | $505,250 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Roger Baldwin Foundation of ACLU | Chicago, IL | $503,125 | 9 | 4 | 2023 |
| Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $500,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Safe Chicago Network Fund | Chicago, IL | $500,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| University of Chicagonetwork for College Success | Chicago, IL | $500,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Ampt | Chicago, IL | $480,000 | 8 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Community Loan Fund | Chicago, IL | $480,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Heartland Health Centers | Chicago, IL | $460,000 | 3 | 2 | 2021 |
| Heartland Alliance | Chicago, IL | $458,000 | 11 | 3 | 2022 |
| Children's Home & Aid Society of Illinois | Chicago, IL | $452,000 | 10 | 4 | 2023 |
| North Lawndale Employment Network | Chicago, IL | $450,500 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Gads Hill Center | Chicago, IL | $450,000 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Uic Community Engagement and Neighborhood Health Partnerships | Chicago, IL | $450,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law | Chicago, IL | $430,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Sinai Health System | Chicago, IL | $430,000 | 5 | 3 | 2023 |
| Arts Work Fund for Organizational Dev | Chicago, IL | $424,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic | Chicago, IL | $420,000 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Hubbard Street Dance Chicago | Chicago, IL | $416,660 | 8 | 4 | 2023 |
| Heartland Alliance Health | Chicago, IL | $415,250 | 5 | 3 | 2022 |
| Refugeeone | Chicago, IL | $411,750 | 17 | 4 | 2023 |
| Contextos Nfp | Chicago, IL | $410,100 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Museum of Science and Industry | Chicago, IL | $402,025 | 8 | 4 | 2023 |
| Communities in Schools of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $401,875 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Goodman Theatre | Chicago, IL | $401,250 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Business and Professional People for the Public Interest | Chicago, IL | $401,050 | 9 | 3 | 2022 |
| Thresholds | Chicago, IL | $400,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Uic Urban Education Leadership Program | Chicago, IL | $400,000 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| United Way of Metro Chicago | Chicago, IL | $400,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Christopher House | Chicago, IL | $390,000 | 9 | 4 | 2023 |
| After School Matters | Chicago, IL | $380,000 | 8 | 4 | 2023 |
| Skills for Chicagoland's Future | Chicago, IL | $378,750 | 13 | 4 | 2023 |
| University of Chicago Urban Education Institute | Chicago, IL | $375,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Steppenwolf Theatre Company | Chicago, IL | $372,165 | 12 | 4 | 2023 |
| Misericordia Home | Chicago, IL | $371,500 | 11 | 3 | 2023 |
| Chicago Scholars | Chicago, IL | $370,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicagoland Workforce Funders Alliance | Chicago, IL | $370,000 | 4 | 3 | 2022 |
| Legal Council for Health Justice | Chicago, IL | $370,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Renaissance Social Services | Chicago, IL | $370,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Jane Addams Resource Corporation | Chicago, IL | $360,250 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Esperanza Health Centers | Chicago, IL | $360,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| University of Chicago-Dept of Math | Chicago, IL | $360,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| National Immigrant Justice Center | Chicago, IL | $355,250 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Facing Forward to End Homelessness | Chicago, IL | $355,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Skyart | Chicago, IL | $355,000 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Tapestry 360 Health | Chicago, IL | $355,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| The Network Advocating Against Domestic Violence | Chicago, IL | $350,000 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Harris Theater for Music and Dance | Chicago, IL | $349,550 | 18 | 4 | 2023 |
| Legal Aid Chicago | Chicago, IL | $341,750 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Inner City Muslim Action Network | Chicago, IL | $340,500 | 4 | 2 | 2021 |
| Housing Opportunities for Women | Chicago, IL | $340,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Ladder Up | Chicago, IL | $340,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Planned Parenthood of Illinois | Chicago, IL | $338,750 | 9 | 4 | 2023 |
| Lyric Opera of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $335,000 | 9 | 4 | 2023 |
| Alternatives | Chicago, IL | $327,500 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Icirr | Chicago, IL | $326,500 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education | Chicago, IL | $325,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago, IL | $325,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Carpls | Chicago, IL | $320,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation | Chicago, IL | $320,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Deborah's Place | Chicago, IL | $320,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Posse Foundation | Chicago, IL | $320,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Primo Center for Women and Children | Chicago, IL | $320,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Teach for America | Chicago, IL | $320,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| The Night Ministry | Chicago, IL | $320,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Museum of Contemporary Art | Chicago, IL | $310,450 | 12 | 4 | 2023 |
| Ucan | Chicago, IL | $310,000 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Working in the Schools | Chicago, IL | $307,500 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Enterprise Community Partners Inc | Chicago, IL | $305,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Children's Advocacy Center | Chicago, IL | $304,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Coalition for the Homeless | Chicago, IL | $301,500 | 11 | 4 | 2023 |
| AIDS Foundation of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $300,500 | 5 | 3 | 2023 |
| City Year Chicago | Chicago, IL | $300,075 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Ascend Justice | Chicago, IL | $300,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Bar Foundation | Chicago, IL | $300,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Chicago Rehab Network | Chicago, IL | $300,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Women in Trades | Chicago, IL | $300,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance | Chicago, IL | $300,000 | 3 | 2 | 2023 |
| Community Behavioral Healthcare Association of Illinois | Springfield, IL | $300,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Health and Medicine Policy Research Group | Chicago, IL | $300,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Lawyers' Committee for Better Housing | Chicago, IL | $300,000 | 3 | 2 | 2021 |
| The Resurrection Project | Chicago, IL | $300,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Uic Jane Addams College of Social Work | Chicago, IL | $300,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Women Employed | Chicago, IL | $300,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Foundation for Women | Chicago, IL | $293,000 | 9 | 4 | 2023 |
| Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago, IL | $290,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Joffrey Ballet | Chicago, IL | $280,800 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Corporation for Supportive Housing | Chicago, IL | $280,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| New Leaders | New York, NY | $280,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Sarah's Circle | Chicago, IL | $280,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Shakespeare Theater | Chicago, IL | $272,150 | 7 | 3 | 2022 |
| Bickerdike Redevelopment Corp | Chicago, IL | $270,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Center on Halsted | Chicago, IL | $264,200 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chinese American Service League | Chicago, IL | $263,500 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Communities United | Chicago, IL | $263,125 | 10 | 4 | 2023 |
| National Museum of Mexican Art | Chicago, IL | $262,250 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| The Boulevard of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $260,250 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Symphony Orchestra | Chicago, IL | $260,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Zoological Society | Brookfield, IL | $260,000 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Communityhealth | Chicago, IL | $260,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Depaul University - College of Law | Chicago, IL | $260,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Elevate Energy | Chicago, IL | $260,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Howard Brown Health Center | Chicago, IL | $260,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Ignite | Chicago, IL | $260,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chalkbeat | New York, NY | $258,125 | 9 | 4 | 2023 |
| Kids First Chicago | Chicago, IL | $257,500 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, IL | $251,500 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Acclivus Inc | Chicago, IL | $250,000 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Claretian Associates | Chicago, IL | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| HIRE360 | Chicago, IL | $250,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Metropolis Strategies Nfp | Chicago, IL | $250,000 | 5 | 3 | 2022 |
| Shirley Ryan Abilitylab | Chicago, IL | $250,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| The Fund for Equitable Business Growth | Chicago, IL | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Kehrein Center for the Arts Foundation | Chicago, IL | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Enlace Chicago | Chicago, IL | $248,125 | 8 | 4 | 2023 |
| Facing History and Ourselves Inc | Chicago, IL | $246,875 | 9 | 4 | 2023 |
| Mujeres Latinas En Accion Inc | Chicago, IL | $246,500 | 8 | 4 | 2023 |
| Build | Chicago, IL | $245,800 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Center for Changing Lives | Chicago, IL | $245,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Healthy Schools Campaign | Chicago, IL | $245,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Newroot Learning Institute | Chicago, IL | $245,000 | 5 | 3 | 2023 |
| Logan Square Neighborhood Association Inc | Chicago, IL | $243,125 | 10 | 4 | 2023 |
| Albany Park Theater Project | Chicago, IL | $242,450 | 14 | 4 | 2023 |
| The Ark | Chicago, IL | $242,000 | 9 | 4 | 2023 |
| Allies for Community Business | Chicago, IL | $240,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Architecture Biennial | Chicago, IL | $240,000 | 8 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Horticultural Society | Glencoe, IL | $240,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Family Focus | Chicago, IL | $240,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Infant Welfare Society of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $240,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Instituto Del Progreso Latino | Chicago, IL | $240,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Juvenile Protective Association (jpa) | Chicago, IL | $240,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Nep | Oakland, CA | $240,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| One Million Degrees | Chicago, IL | $240,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Organizing Neighborhoods for Equality Northside | Chicago, IL | $239,000 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Reading in Motion | Chicago, IL | $236,250 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Mikva Challenge | Chicago, IL | $235,750 | 10 | 4 | 2023 |
| Institute for Nonviolence Chicago | Chicago, IL | $235,500 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Illinois Humanities | Chicago, IL | $235,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Brighton Park Neighborhood Council | Chicago, IL | $233,125 | 9 | 4 | 2023 |
| Roosevelt University | Chicago, IL | $230,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana | Chicago, IL | $226,750 | 8 | 4 | 2023 |
| Environmental Law and Policy Center | Chicago, IL | $225,000 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| The Cara Program | Chicago, IL | $225,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Public Interest Law Initiative | Chicago, IL | $224,500 | 10 | 4 | 2023 |
| La CASA Norte | Chicago, IL | $222,750 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Partnership for College Completion | Chicago, IL | $221,875 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Old Town School of Folk Music | Chicago, IL | $220,500 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Commons Association | Chicago, IL | $220,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago House and Social Service Agency | Chicago, IL | $220,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Equip for Equality | Chicago, IL | $220,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Merit School of Music | Chicago, IL | $220,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| The Chicago Urban League | Chicago, IL | $220,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| The Firehouse Community Arts Center | Chicago, IL | $220,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Lift - Chicago | Chicago, IL | $218,760 | 10 | 4 | 2023 |
| Court Theatre Fund | Chicago, IL | $215,850 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Revolution Workshop | Chicago, IL | $215,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Southwest Organizing Project | Chicago, IL | $215,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Hyde Park Art Center | Chicago, IL | $214,655 | 13 | 4 | 2023 |
| Nep | Chicago, IL | $210,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Urban Gateways | Chicago, IL | $210,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| St Leonard's Ministries | Chicago, IL | $207,750 | 11 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Public Library Foundation | Chicago, IL | $204,875 | 5 | 3 | 2023 |
| Jewish Council on Urban Affairs | Chicago, IL | $203,000 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Woodstock Institute | Chicago, IL | $203,000 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Bottom Line - Chicago | Chicago, IL | $201,250 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Changing Worlds | Chicago, IL | $200,750 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Adler University | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Funders Together to End Homelessness (cfteh) | Elgin, IL | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Community Investment Corporation | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Equal Hope | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Family Rescue | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Garfield Park Community Council | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Illinois Partners for Human Service | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| International Neighborhood Collaborative | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Latin United Community Housing Association | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Lawndale Christian Legal Center | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Resilience | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| The University of Chicago Medical Center | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Thrive Chicago | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 3 | 2 | 2021 |
| University of Chicago - Consortium on School Research | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Working Credit Nfp | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Growing Home Inc | Chicago, IL | $195,087 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| St Ignatius College Prep | Chicago, IL | $195,000 | 14 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago Cares | Chicago, IL | $193,850 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Depaul Institute for Housing Studies | Chicago, IL | $190,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| John G Shedd Aquarium | Chicago, IL | $190,000 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Marwen Foundation | Chicago, IL | $185,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Lyte Collective | Chicago, IL | $181,380 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Uptown People's Law Center | Chicago, IL | $180,515 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Advance Illinois | Chicago, IL | $180,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Greater West Town Community Development Project | Chicago, IL | $180,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Inner City Computer Stars Foundation | Chicago, IL | $180,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Laureus Sport for Good Foundation of America | New York, NY | $180,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Lester and Rosalie Anixter Center | Chicago, IL | $180,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Life Span | Chicago, IL | $180,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Oai Inc | Chicago, IL | $180,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| People's Music School | Chicago, IL | $180,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Poder | Chicago, IL | $180,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Spanish Coalition for Housing | Chicago, IL | $180,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind Or Visually Impaired | Chicago, IL | $180,000 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| The Urban Alliance Foundation Inc | Chicago, IL | $180,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Year Up Chicago | Chicago, IL | $180,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Metropolitan Tenants Organization | Chicago, IL | $175,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Franciscan Outreach | Chicago, IL | $172,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Metropolitan Planning Council (mpc) | Chicago, IL | $170,500 | 5 | 3 | 2023 |
| Playworks Education Energized | Chicago, IL | $170,150 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chicago United for Equity | Chicago, IL | $170,000 | 3 | 2 | 2023 |
| Christian Community Health Center | Chicago, IL | $170,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Economic Security for Illinois | Chicago, IL | $170,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| The University of Chicago - Office of Civic Engagement | Chicago, IL | $170,000 | 5 | 3 | 2022 |
| Arts Alliance Illinois | Chicago, IL | $169,365 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Grassroots Collaborative | Chicago, IL | $165,120 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Alexian Brothers Bonaventure House | Chicago, IL | $165,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Community Organizing and Family Issues | Chicago, IL | $165,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Greater Chicago Legal Clinic Inc | Chicago, IL | $165,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
566 of 840 (67%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 79%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is unusually consistent. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Chicago Scholars
Executive Discretionary Grant - Rush University Medical Center
General Charitable Purposes
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 2,036 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 818 | $32.3M | $25,000 |
| 2021 | 778 | $32.5M | $25,000 |
| 2022 | 716 | $26.6M | $25,000 |
| 2023 | 676 | $24.5M | $28,875 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Already committed for future years
Form 990-PF has a separate schedule for grants approved but not yet paid. Polk Bros Foundation Inc has 7 of them, worth $761,000. This is the one part of the filing that looks forward rather than back -- and it also tells you how much of the next year's budget is already spoken for.
| Organization | Location | Approved |
|---|---|---|
| The Barack Obama Foundation | Chicago, IL | $500,000 |
| University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab | Chicago, IL | $146,000 |
| Misericordia Home | Chicago, IL | $50,000 |
| Black Ensemble Theater | Chicago, IL | $40,000 |
| Grantmakers in the Arts | Seattle, WA | $10,000 |
| Skills for Chicagoland's Future | Chicago, IL | $10,000 |
| Danny Did Foundation | Evanston, IL | $5,000 |
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 97% of this one's giving went to organizations in Illinois. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
The Chicago Community Trust340 shared recipientsFidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund295 shared recipientsDonor Advised Charitable Giving Inc240 shared recipientsAmerican Online Giving Foundation Inc231 shared recipientsArie and Ida Crown Memorial192 shared recipientsNational Philanthropic Trust181 shared recipients
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $25,000. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Illinois.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Foundations funding education in IllinoisEvery funder in this group, rankedFoundations funding human services in IllinoisEvery funder in this group, ranked
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Polk Bros Foundation Inc's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2020-2023). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: 20 W Kinzie St 1110, Chicago, IL, 60654. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 36-6108293 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
This is history, not an open call. Foundation returns are published about a year after the tax year ends. Nothing on this page is a deadline. It is a record of who this foundation has actually funded, which is the best available predictor of who it will fund next -- and a much better basis for deciding whether to write to them than a mission statement.
Is something here wrong about your foundation? Email hello@funderscope.com and we will correct it.