Metropolitan Mayors Caucus
Chicago, IL · EIN 36-4469510. Reported 84 grants totalling $34.5M to 79 organizations across tax years 2020-2023, on Form 990 Schedule I.
Does this grantmaker accept applications?
Its tax return does not say, and we will not guess. Private foundations file Form 990-PF, which asks outright whether they fund only organizations they select themselves -- 78% say yes, and that one answer is what lets the rest of this site tell you which foundations are worth approaching. Grantmaking charities like this one file a regular Form 990 instead, and the IRS never puts the question to them. Anyone claiming to know the answer from the filing is inventing it.
Three things in the filing do bear on it:
- What kind of organization it is. For Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, the IRS classifies it under community improvement rather than as a grantmaker (NTEE S21) -- it is an operating charity that also makes grants.
- How spread out its giving is. 79 distinct organizations, with 88% of the dollars going to the largest single recipient. That is extreme concentration. A grantmaker sending three quarters of its money to one organization is in practice a support fund for that organization, whatever its classification says, and an unsolicited request is very unlikely to go anywhere.
- How much its list changes. 0% of one year's grantees are funded again the next, across 3 year-to-year transitions. That is below the 57% median for grantmaking charities, and well below the 67% private foundations manage. A list that turns over this much is one a newcomer can realistically join.
How big are its grants?
The median reported grant is $10,000. Half of what it reported fell between $8,150 and $10,000; the smallest was $2,995 and the largest $30.3M. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong organization.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by the EIN the filer reported, not by name, so an organization that was typed differently in two years appears once rather than twice.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $30.3M | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Village of Oak Park | Oak Park, IL | $1,062,545 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Lake County | Libertyville, IL | $923,990 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City of Elgin | Elgin, IL | $737,237 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Village of Ford Heights | Ford Heights, IL | $257,545 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Village of University Park | University Park, IL | $223,022 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning | Chicago, IL | $161,377 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| City of Urbana | Urbana, IL | $138,897 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Metropolitan Planning Council | Chicago, IL | $29,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Opticos Design Inc | Berkeley, CA | $25,333 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of Illinois | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Village of Stickney Police Department | Stickney, IL | $22,952 | 3 | 2 | 2022 |
| Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning | Chicago, IL | $20,103 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Niles Police Department | Niles, IL | $17,461 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Active Transportation Alliance | Chicago, IL | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Village of Hawthorn Woods | Hawthorn Woods, IL | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| City of Harvey Fire Department | Harvey, IL | $12,044 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| City of Dekalb | Dekalb, IL | $11,213 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Bolingbrook Police Department | Bolingbrook, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| City of Chicago Heights | Chicago Heights, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| City of Darien | Darien, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| City of Evanston | Evanston, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City of Hickory Hills | Hickory Hills, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| City of Joliet | Joliet, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| City of Rockford | Rockford, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City of Woodstock | Woodstock, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Fox Metro Water Reclamation District | Montgomery, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| German Valley Fire Protection District | German Valley, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Park Forest Fire Department | Park Forest, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The University of Illinois at Chicago | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| United Way of Lake County Inc | Gurnee, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Village of Bensenville | Bensenville, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Village of Broadview | Broadview, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Village of Crete | Crete, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Village of Elburn | Elburn, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Village of Elmwood Park | Elmwood Park, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Village of Franklin Park | Franklin Park, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Village of Glencoe | Glencoe, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Village of Lombard | Lombard, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Village of Midlothian | Midlothian, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Village of Mokena | Mokena, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Village of Monee | Monee, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Village of Mount Prospect | Mt Prospect, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Village of Orland Park | Orland Park, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Village of Port Barrington | Port Barrington, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Village of Richmond | Richmond, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Village of River Forest | River Forest, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Village of Riverside | Riverside, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Village of Wheeling | Wheeling, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Village of Wilmette | Wilmette, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Amboy Fire Department | Amboy, IL | $9,516 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Village of Hazel Crest Department of Fire | Hazel Crest, IL | $9,232 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Village of Justice | Justice, IL | $9,150 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Village of Summit | Summit, IL | $9,132 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Village of Bull Valley | Bull Valley, IL | $9,084 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| County of Mchenry | Woodstock, IL | $8,956 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Village of Kildeer | Kildeer, IL | $8,846 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Village of Schaumburg | Schaumburg, IL | $8,765 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Village of Hoffman Estates | Hoffman Estates, IL | $8,590 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| City of Markham Fire Department | Markham, IL | $8,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Willowbrook Police Department | Willowbrook, IL | $8,245 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City of Calumet City | Calumet City, IL | $8,150 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Village of Frankfort | Frankfort, IL | $8,150 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Village of Burr Ridge | Burr Ridge, IL | $8,018 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Hazel Crest Police Department | Hazel Crest, IL | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| The City of Lake Forest | Lake Forest, IL | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Village of Dolton | Dolton, IL | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Village of Lincolnwood | Lincolnwood, IL | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| City of Warrenville | Warrenville, IL | $7,080 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Village of Evergreen Park | Evergreen Park, IL | $6,863 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Village of Beecher | Beecher, IL | $6,623 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Village of River Grove Dept of Police | River Grove, IL | $6,608 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Village of Norridge | Norridge, IL | $6,607 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Broadview Police Department | Broadview, IL | $6,026 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Village of Fox River Grove | Fox River Grove, IL | $5,750 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Channahon Park District | Channahon, IL | $5,275 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Town of Cicero | Cicero, IL | $5,125 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| City of Prospect Heights | Prospect Heights, IL | $4,340 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Village of Olympia Fields | Olympia Fields, IL | $2,995 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
4 of 79 (5%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold. Remember the $5,000 floor: an organization funded every year at $3,000 shows up here as never funded at all.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose column of its filings, largest first. This is the closest thing to a statement of what it funds, in its own words.
- City of Chicago
SUPPORT FOR ASYLUM SEEKER SERVICES - Opticos Design Inc
CHICAGO METRO MMH TOOLKIT - Active Transportation Alliance
SUPPORT OF TAKING CLIMATE ACTION - Village of Hawthorn Woods
POWERING SAFE COMMUNITIES - The University of Illinois at Chicago
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
What kind of organizations it funds
By each recipient's own IRS classification, for the 2 of 79 recipients we could match to a registered organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses -- Schedule I reports the recipient's EIN, so this is a lookup rather than a name match.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants reported | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 26 | $296,065 | $8,728 |
| 2021 | 16 | $220,239 | $10,000 |
| 2022 | 15 | $135,115 | $10,000 |
| 2023 | 27 | $33.8M | $10,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- Form 990 arrives about a year after the year it covers, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a grantmaker winding down.
Where its money goes
100% of its giving went to organizations in Illinois. Community foundations and federated funds are usually the most geographically bounded funders there are -- being outside the footprint is normally disqualifying in a way that a weak programme fit is not.
Down to the city
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Funders that support the same organizations
These grantmakers and private foundations gave to organizations this one also funded. Shared grantees are the strongest signal available 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.
How to approach this grantmaker
- Look for a published programme first. Unlike most private foundations, organizations of this kind often do run open, deadlined grant cycles with written guidelines. Its own website is the authority on that; this page is the authority on who it has actually paid.
- Check you are its size. The median reported grant is $10,000 -- and because grants under $5,000 need not be reported, it very likely writes smaller cheques than this page can see.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving concentrates in Illinois.
- Read the recipient list for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer and a cheap one to get.
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Metropolitan Mayors Caucus's own Form 990 Schedule I 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: 433 W Van Buren St 450, Chicago, IL, 60607.
EIN 36-4469510 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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