IMC Chicago Charitable Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 26-1416954 · since 2008imc.com/us/positive-impact/giving-back/Chicago-charitable-foundation·Chicago·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$15.4M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$105 to $15,000

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$2,000

Typical grant (median)

99 grants in the latest filing

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.

Key takeaways

This foundation makes grants only to organisations it has preselected and does not accept unsolicited requests, so the first step is a connection that leads to an invitation, not a cold application.
Its priority is Chicago, and its themes include school education, early childhood development, life-skills programmes, violence prevention and food insecurity, so check that your work fits one of these.
Most of its grants fall in a typical band of $105 to $15,000, and half of its 256 grants were about $2,000 or less, so a modest request around $2,000 matches what it usually gives, though larger grants have been made.
Its grant dollars are concentrated in repeat recipients, with 98% going to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, so approaching it through an existing relationship is the realistic route.
Organisations that cannot secure an invitation should not expect to be considered.

Overview

IMC Chicago Charitable Foundation is a US private foundation based in Chicago, IL.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Foundation’s mission is to provide young people with opportunities to reach their full potential. Its Chicago work focuses on improving educational opportunities in the public school system, supporting schools, life-skills programmes and early childhood development. It also helps young people develop leadership and social and emotional skills through experiential learning and sport. Beyond education and youth development, its community giving responds to local needs, including violence prevention, food insecurity, strengthening the non-profit sector and cultural enrichment. It works with community and school organisations; for school improvement it is especially interested in organisations with strong links to Chicago Public Schools leadership, while early-childhood partners demonstrate strong leadership and high-quality, research-based practice.

Themes

School education
Life-skills programs
Early childhood development
Experiential learning and youth sports
Violence prevention
Food insecurity
Cultural enrichment

Geographic Focus

Priority: Chicago.

How to apply

The Foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 98% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 256 grants to organisations were about $2,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

For school improvement, it is especially interested in organisations with strong links to Chicago Public Schools leadership.
For early childhood work, it partners with organisations demonstrating strong leadership and high-quality, research-based practices.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Delaware75%

California20%

Illinois3%

New York<1%

Massachusetts<1%

Tennessee<1%

6 other states: <1%

The largest single recipient received 75% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 98% of grant dollars went to organisations IMC Chicago Charitable Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
76% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

99 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $2,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 99 grants in tax year 2024 by size

Under $1k34%

$1k–$2.5k18%

$2.5k–$5k20%

$5k–$10k16%

$10k–$25k6%

$25k–$50k1%

$50k–$100k0%

$100k–$250k2%

$250k–$500k0%

$500k–$1M0%

$1M and over2%

Median $2,000 (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

American Online Giving Foundation · Distributed to public charities via benevity grants platform
$11,456,2152024 tax year
Room to Read · Education
$3,383,1222024 tax year
Year Up · Education
$138,0752024 tax year
Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA · General
$100,0002024 tax year
ST Jude Childrens Research Hospit · General
$38,1702024 tax year
Project Vision · General
$20,5382024 tax year
Girls Who Invest · General
$17,8942024 tax year
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab · General
$17,3782024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Christine Hansen — Director
Andrew Stevens — Director
Sundeep Khiani — Director
Paul Jiganti — Director
Andrew Larsen — Director
Robert Lev — Assistant Secretary
Osias Lilian — Treasurer Director
Adam Arents — Vice President
Lisa Wiersma — Director Foundation Manager

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$11,077,357	$10,654,578	$34,474,508	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$18,575,906	$17,690,081	$43,127,707	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$16,347,271	$15,418,034	$46,883,840	Filing for 2024 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.