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John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Annual Giving
$352.9M
Grant Range
$10K - $100.0M
Decision Time
3mo

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $352.9 million (2024)
  • Total Assets: $9.2 billion (as of December 31, 2024)
  • Decision Time: Varies by program (several months typical)
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $100,000,000+
  • Geographic Focus: International (with special commitment to Chicago)
  • Success Rate: Highly competitive; most grants by invitation only

Contact Details

Website: https://www.macfound.org/

Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois

International Offices: Nigeria and India

General Inquiries: Available through website contact forms

For Grantseekers: https://www.macfound.org/info-grantseekers/

Overview

Established on October 18, 1970, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the United States with assets totaling $9.2 billion. Founded by insurance magnate John D. MacArthur and his wife Catherine, the Foundation became operational in 1978 upon John's death when it assumed his $1 billion estate. Since then, MacArthur has awarded more than $8.27 billion to nearly 10,000 organizations and creative individuals in 119 countries. The Foundation supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. MacArthur operates under "the Just Imperative," charging itself to lead with commitment to justice. The Foundation is known for its bold investments in creative solutions to urgent challenges through Big Bets, Enduring Commitments, Awards programs, and Field Support initiatives. In 2025, MacArthur increased its annual payout rate to "at least" 6% for two years in response to the federal grants freeze crisis.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Big Bets (Major strategic initiatives):

  • Climate Solutions: Supporting transformative approaches to climate change mitigation
  • Criminal Justice Reform: Working to reduce jail populations and reform the justice system
  • Local News Revitalization: Strengthening journalism infrastructure in the United States
  • Anti-Corruption Work in Nigeria: Supporting transparency and accountability initiatives
  • Note: Current Big Bets are winding down and will formally end in 2026, with new grantmaking interests expected to be announced

Enduring Commitments:

  • Chicago Commitment: Local investment in Chicago communities, with special focus on Culture, Equity, and the Arts
  • Journalism and Media: Supporting nonprofit journalism and media innovation

Awards Programs:

  • MacArthur Fellows Program ("Genius Grants"): $800,000 over five years to exceptionally creative individuals (nomination only, no applications accepted)
  • 100&Change: $100 million grant awarded every four years to fund a single proposal addressing a critical global problem (open competition)

Field Support:

  • Impact Investments: Approximately $5 million annually in grants to strengthen the field of impact investing globally, build the ecosystem for catalytic capital, and advance equity and inclusion

Culture, Equity, and the Arts (Chicago-focused):

  • General operating support to nearly 300 arts and culture organizations in Chicago region
  • Organizations with budgets $1 million+ receive direct funding from MacArthur
  • Organizations with budgets under $1 million receive funding through Field Foundation's ART program
  • Recent grants range from approximately $50,000 to $850,000, with multi-year commitments typical
  • 2025 awards: $3.2 million to 15 organizations over three years
  • 2024 awards: $5.55 million to 25 organizations

Program-Specific Grants:

  • Grant amounts typically range from $10,000 (expedited X-Grants) to tens of millions
  • Majority of grants fall in the $50,000 - $850,000 range
  • Notable large grants in the $1 million - $10 million range

Priority Areas

  • Climate change mitigation and solutions
  • Criminal justice reform and reducing incarceration
  • Nuclear security and arms control (note: MacArthur exited nuclear grantmaking in 2022, with final projects concluding in 2024)
  • Journalism, media, and information integrity
  • Human rights and social justice
  • Global conservation and environmental protection
  • Urban development and community strengthening
  • Anti-corruption initiatives
  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion across all program areas
  • Technology's impact on children and society

What They Don't Fund

  • Political activities or attempts to influence action on specific legislation
  • Scholarships or tuition assistance for undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate studies
  • Annual fundraising drives, institutional benefits, honorary functions, or similar projects
  • Grants to individuals outside of the MacArthur Fellows Program
  • Unsolicited proposals (they do review them, but very few are selected for funding)

Governance and Leadership

President

John Palfrey serves as President of the MacArthur Foundation. In his 2025 President's Essay, he wrote: "We are asking fundamental questions about what kind of a country, what kind of a world, we want to live in."

Board of Directors

Juan Salgado was elected Board Chair in 2025. As Chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago, he oversees Chicago's community college system serving more than 70,000 students across seven colleges.

Recent Board Additions (June 2024):

  • Amy C. Falls: Chief Investment Officer at Northwestern University, overseeing a $14.0 billion investment portfolio
  • William F. Lee: Leading trial, appellate, and intellectual property attorney
  • Alondra Nelson: Acclaimed social scientist and technology expert

Former Board Chair Martha Minow commented on the new trustees: "Amy, Bill, and Alondra each have distinctive accomplishments, deep talents, and powerful commitments to advancing justice, peace, and a planet where all people can flourish."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Most Programs: Invitation Only

The MacArthur Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications for most of its grantmaking programs. Program Officers typically identify potential grantees through research, relationships, and field knowledge, then invite organizations to submit proposals aligned with specific program strategies.

For Invited Applicants:

  1. A Program Officer will send an invitation to draft a proposal and will work with you to establish a deadline
  2. You will receive an automated email inviting you to log into their Grants Management System
  3. Required materials include:
    • Narrative about context, proposed activities, project leadership, evaluation, and sustainability
    • Documentation of organization's composition and governance
    • Annual organizational budget
    • Project budget
    • Audited financial statements
    • Latest unaudited financial statements
  4. Your Program Officer will prepare an analysis of your proposal to share with Foundation leadership for consideration

100&Change Competition (Open Application):

  • Open to any proposed solution to any critical problem
  • Nonprofit and qualifying for-profit organizations may apply
  • Runs every four years (next cycle to be announced)
  • Solutions must be impactful, evidence-based, feasible, durable, and just
  • Foundation provides an organizational readiness tool to help determine competitiveness

MacArthur Fellows Program:

  • No applications or public nominations accepted
  • Fellows are identified through a confidential nomination and selection process
  • Nominees must be U.S. residents or citizens
  • Nominees cannot hold elective office or advanced positions in government

Culture, Equity, and the Arts (Chicago):

  • Uses participatory grantmaking process
  • Applications reviewed by panels of 8-12 community members
  • Panel recommends grantees and award amounts to President and Board
  • Focuses on organizations demonstrating equity, collaboration, connectivity, and relevance

Decision Timeline

Typical timeframes vary by program and depend on whether Board approval is required. The review process generally takes several months from proposal submission to decision. Program Officers maintain relationships with invited applicants throughout the process, viewing the application as "an invitation to a conversation, an opportunity for us to better understand applicants, their work, and their goals."

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed but are considered highly competitive. The Foundation generally does not fund unsolicited proposals, though they do review them—very few are selected for funding. Most project grant applications are by invitation only, which inherently creates a more selective process.

Application Success Factors

MacArthur-Specific Priorities:

  1. Alignment with Program Strategy: The Foundation emphasizes that proposals must align closely with their specific grantmaking strategies. Under "description of funded activities," applicants should provide a comprehensive picture of planned work to help determine strategic alignment.

  2. Evidence-Based Approaches: For 100&Change and other programs, solutions must demonstrate evidence of effectiveness, feasibility, and potential for durable impact.

  3. Equity and Justice Focus: The Foundation operates under "the Just Imperative" and emphasizes commitment to justice across all programs. Applications should demonstrate how work advances racial equity and social justice.

  4. Collaboration and Connectivity: Particularly for Chicago arts grants, organizations must actively work with external partners and use their work to bridge divides between communities.

  5. Contemporary Relevance: Work should illuminate contemporary social inequities and respond to urgent challenges.

  6. Field Building: MacArthur values efforts that strengthen entire fields, not just individual organizations. They seek to support "new, creative voices" and "people with different backgrounds and perspectives to really challenge the status quo thinking."

Foundation's Approach to Relationships:

The Foundation views grantmaking as relationship-based, stating they aim to "be in relationship with applicants and grantees." They have worked to demystify their application processes through guides and transparent communication about what they seek in proposals.

Recent Funding Examples:

  • Border Journalism (2025): El Paso Matters received $750,000; Puente News Collaborative received $450,000 for bilingual journalism
  • Chicago Arts (2025): 15 organizations received $3.2 million over three years
  • International Work: Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund in Ghana received three grants worth $5.8 million (2020-2024)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Don't apply without an invitation: Most MacArthur grantmaking is by invitation only. Building relationships with Program Officers over time is essential, though even unsolicited inquiries are rarely successful.

  • Exception: 100&Change: If you have a truly transformational $100 million solution to a critical global problem, watch for the next 100&Change cycle (runs every four years).

  • Alignment is critical: Before any contact, thoroughly review their grantmaking guidelines to ensure your work aligns with their topical focus, geographic coverage, and funding type.

  • Think big and bold: MacArthur seeks "creative solutions to urgent challenges" and is willing to make substantial, sustained investments in transformative work.

  • Emphasize equity and justice: The Foundation's "Just Imperative" means every proposal should clearly articulate how the work advances justice, equity, and inclusion.

  • For Chicago organizations: If you're an arts/culture organization in Chicago, the Culture, Equity, and the Arts program offers one of the more accessible pathways, with participatory grantmaking and multi-year general operating support.

  • Field-building matters: Demonstrate how your work strengthens the broader field and brings in new voices and perspectives, not just your own organizational capacity.

References

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