← Back to US Funders Directory

JPMorgan Chase Foundation

Annual Giving
$202.5M
Grant Range
$5K - $5.0M

JPMorgan Chase Foundation

Quick Stats

  • EIN: 237049738
  • Annual Giving: $202,500,000 (2024)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $5,000,000
  • Total Grants Made: 10,328 grants (2024)
  • Geographic Focus: National (U.S.) with priority to areas of JPMorgan Chase operations (NY, IL, TX, FL, CA, OH) and international (40+ countries)
  • Application Method: Invitation-only (strategic initiatives may have open RFPs)

Contact Details

Foundation Email: jpmcfoundation@jpmorgan.com
Phone: 212-270-6000
Website: https://www.jpmorganchase.com/impact
Location: New York, NY
Foundation Finder Tool: https://www.jpmorgan.com/private-bank/foundations/online-applications/search

Overview

The JPMorgan Chase Foundation was incorporated in 1969 in New York and assumed its current name in 2001 following the merger of Chase Manhattan Corp. with J.P. Morgan & Co. Inc. With assets totaling over $442 million, the foundation distributed $202.5 million in grants across 10,328 awards in 2024, making it one of the largest corporate foundations in the United States. The foundation's mission centers on expanding economic opportunity for underserved communities through four core pillars: Jobs & Skills, Small Business Expansion, Financial Health, and Neighborhood Revitalization. Special emphasis is directed toward neighborhoods in areas of JPMorgan Chase's major operations. The foundation operates as part of JPMorgan Chase's broader $30 billion Racial Equity Commitment announced in 2020, which aims to help close the racial wealth gap among Black, Hispanic, and Latino communities. In 2024, JPMorgan Chase contributed $1 billion in Visa shares to pre-fund the foundation's future work, demonstrating long-term institutional commitment to community investment.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation supports four primary areas:

Jobs & Skills
Focus: Workforce development, skills training, and pathways to economic mobility for underserved populations. The foundation committed $350 million over five years to global workforce initiatives aimed at preparing people for 21st-century skilled jobs. Recent grants include $6 million to Chicago-area organizations for apprenticeship programs and workforce training.

Small Business Expansion - Small Business Forward Initiative
Original commitment: $30 million over five years, later expanded to $75 million. This initiative connects small businesses (particularly women, minority, and veteran-owned businesses) to critical resources including capital, technical support, and guidance. The program focuses on creating and preserving quality jobs for vulnerable individuals and neighborhoods.

Financial Health
Supports programs helping individuals acquire knowledge, skills, and tools for financial stability, emergency preparedness, and long-term goal achievement. Includes the Financial Solutions Lab, which supports fintech companies developing products to improve financial health for underserved consumers.

Neighborhood Revitalization - PRO Neighborhoods Initiative
A five-year, $125 million program (Partnerships for Raising Opportunity in Neighborhoods) to combat neighborhood disinvestment and promote economic growth in low-income communities. Grant amounts in this program have ranged from $3.5 million to $5 million per collaborative. Specific PRO Neighborhoods grants have supported Detroit ($5 million), Atlanta ($4 million), Chicago ($3.5 million), Miami ($3.65 million), and Fresno ($5 million).

Recent Grant Examples (2024)

  • Employee Ownership Initiatives: $2+ million to organizations expanding access to employee ownership models, supporting 1,500+ business owners and advisors
  • Heirs Property and Housing Rights: $2 million to Boston College Law School Initiative on Land, Housing and Property Rights, part of $9.6 million total to eight organizations providing legal assistance and estate planning in underserved communities
  • Childcare Sector Support: $500,000 to First Children's Finance for programming in Detroit area (through October 2027)
  • Affordable Housing: $40+ million announced in 2025 to increase housing supply and support affordable housing development

Priority Areas

  • Workforce readiness and skills development for 21st-century jobs
  • Small business growth and entrepreneurship in underserved communities
  • Financial capability and access to banking services
  • Affordable housing and community development
  • Support for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs)
  • Racial equity and closing the racial wealth gap
  • Programs serving Black, Hispanic, Latino, and other underserved populations
  • Initiatives in cities where JPMorgan Chase has major operations

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly detailed in available materials. However:

  • Scholarships are only available to children of JPMorgan Chase employees
  • The foundation operates primarily through invitation-only grantmaking, focusing on organizations with proven track records in priority areas
  • Given the strategic focus, funding likely excludes areas outside the four core pillars

Governance and Leadership

The JPMorgan Chase Foundation is governed by JPMorgan Chase senior executives, though specific board member details are not prominently disclosed in public databases. The foundation's Form 990-PF contains detailed governance information.

Previous Leadership: Janis Bowdler served as President of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, leading the foundation's strategic transformation. Under her leadership from 2013 onward, the foundation committed to invest $1.75 billion over five years (announced January 2018) and launched major initiatives including Financial Solutions Lab, PRO Neighborhoods, Entrepreneurs of Color Funds, and blight mitigation in Detroit. Bowdler previously served as economic policy director for UnidosUS and later became the first-ever Counselor for Racial Equity at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. She has since joined Enterprise Community Partners as President of the Solutions Division and serves on the Kresge Foundation's Board of Trustees.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

CRITICAL: The JPMorgan Chase Foundation operates primarily on an invitation-only basis and does not accept unsolicited proposals or letters of inquiry.

However, there are pathways to funding:

  1. Strategic Initiatives with RFPs: The foundation occasionally releases Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for specific strategic initiatives. Any opportunities released by the foundation are posted directly on their community impact webpage at https://www.jpmorganchase.com/impact

  2. Online Grant Portal: When applications are open for specific programs, the foundation accepts online grant applications through their grants portal

  3. Foundation Finder Tool: Organizations can search for philanthropic opportunities from foundations that receive backing from JPMorgan Chase through their foundation finder at https://www.jpmorgan.com/private-bank/foundations/online-applications/search

Getting on Their Radar

The JPMorgan Chase Foundation identifies potential grantees through strategic relationships and demonstrated impact in priority areas. Based on research, specific strategies include:

  • Participate in Collaborative Initiatives: The PRO Neighborhoods program demonstrates the foundation's preference for collaborative approaches. Organizations working as part of multi-organization collaboratives (particularly CDFI coalitions) have received substantial funding.

  • Build Relationships with Existing Grantees: The foundation has funded organizations like Main Street Launch, First Children's Finance, PolicyLink, Enterprise Community Partners, and numerous CDFIs. Partnerships with current grantees may provide visibility.

  • Demonstrate Impact in Priority Geographies: The foundation prioritizes major JPMorgan Chase operation centers including New York, Chicago, Illinois, Texas, Florida, California, and Ohio. Organizations with proven impact in these areas align with geographic priorities.

  • Focus on Measurable Outcomes: The foundation's support for data-driven neighborhood solutions and emphasis on initiatives with clear metrics suggests that organizations should be prepared to demonstrate concrete impact through data.

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines are not publicly available due to the invitation-only nature of most grantmaking. Timeline likely varies based on:

  • Grant size (ranging from $5,000 to $5,000,000)
  • Whether it's part of a competitive strategic initiative
  • Specific program area

For major strategic initiatives like PRO Neighborhoods, the foundation appears to work on multi-year grant cycles (typically five years) with substantial planning periods before awards.

Success Rates

Traditional success rate statistics are not applicable because the foundation primarily works through invitation-only processes. The 10,328 grants distributed in 2024 represent invited proposals and strategic initiatives rather than competitive applications from a general applicant pool.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly documented due to the invitation-only model. Organizations should maintain relationships with foundation staff and continue demonstrating impact in priority areas to remain eligible for future consideration.

Application Success Factors

Since the JPMorgan Chase Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, success depends on strategic alignment and relationship building rather than traditional application factors. Key considerations:

Alignment with Core Priorities

Organizations must clearly align with one or more of the four core pillars: Jobs & Skills, Small Business Expansion, Financial Health, or Neighborhood Revitalization. The foundation's $30 billion Racial Equity Commitment means that programs serving Black, Hispanic, Latino, and underserved communities receive priority consideration.

Geographic Focus

Priority is given to areas where JPMorgan Chase has major operations: New York, Illinois, Texas, Florida, California, and Ohio. The PRO Neighborhoods initiative has funded organizations in Detroit, Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, New York City, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and Fresno.

Collaborative Approaches

The PRO Neighborhoods model demonstrates strong preference for collaborative partnerships, particularly among Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). The foundation funded collaboratives of multiple organizations pooling resources: "PRO Neighborhoods provides regional CDFIs with necessary capital that encourages them to work together so they can pool resources and expand lending activities."

Scale and Impact Potential

With grants ranging from $5,000 to $5,000,000 and major initiatives receiving multi-million dollar commitments over five-year periods, the foundation seeks both large-scale transformative projects and smaller targeted interventions. Recent examples include $2 million grants for heirs property rights and employee ownership initiatives.

Data-Driven Approaches

The foundation's PRO Neighborhoods initiative specifically funds "data-driven neighborhood solutions" and "research to help local community development organizations better understand the implications of demographic shifts," indicating preference for evidence-based programs with measurable outcomes.

Specific Population Focus

Recent grants demonstrate focus on:

  • BIPOC-owned small businesses (98% of businesses supported in Fresno PRO Neighborhoods were BIPOC-owned)
  • Women, minority, and veteran-owned businesses through Small Business Forward
  • Underserved populations in workforce development programs
  • Communities affected by heirs property issues and housing insecurity

Innovation and Systems Change

The Financial Solutions Lab supports fintech innovation for financial health. Employee ownership grants support "innovative models." The foundation appears interested in programs that not only serve individuals but also change systems and create new models for economic opportunity.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Relationship Building is Essential: With invitation-only grantmaking, organizations must build visibility through partnerships, demonstrated impact, and engagement in the foundation's priority areas and geographies before expecting to be invited to apply

  • Think Collaborative: The PRO Neighborhoods model shows strong preference for multi-organization partnerships and CDFI coalitions. Consider how your organization might participate in or lead collaborative approaches

  • Align with the $30 Billion Racial Equity Commitment: Programs explicitly addressing racial wealth gaps and serving Black, Hispanic, and Latino communities are core to current strategy. Frame your work within this context if applicable

  • Geographic Strategy Matters: Prioritize work in New York, Chicago, Illinois, Texas, Florida, California, and Ohio, or be prepared to explain why your work in other geographies merits consideration

  • Scale Your Thinking: With grants ranging from $5,000 to $5,000,000 and multi-year commitments, the foundation supports both grassroots work and large-scale initiatives. Don't self-select out based on organization size, but ensure your proposal matches appropriate scale

  • Monitor for RFPs: While most funding is invitation-only, the foundation does release specific RFPs for strategic initiatives. Monitor https://www.jpmorganchase.com/impact regularly for announced opportunities

  • Demonstrate Measurable Impact: The foundation's emphasis on data-driven solutions means organizations should be prepared with clear metrics, evaluation frameworks, and evidence of outcomes in their priority areas

References

← Back to US Funders Directory