Woods Fund of Chicago

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $4.7+ million (2024 cycle)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Applications in February/March, decisions announced in July (approximately 4-5 months)
• Grant Range: $35,000 (new partners) - $150,000 (multiyear grants)
• Geographic Focus: Chicago metropolitan area (city of Chicago and select areas of Cook County)
• Total Assets: $45.7 million (2023)

Contact Details

Address: 200 West Madison Street, 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60606

Phone: 312.600.0948

Email: info@woodsfund.org

Website: www.woodsfund.org

Grants Management Contact: Deborah Clark, Director of Grants Management and Assistant Corporate Secretary (dclark@woodsfund.org)

Application Portal: woodsfundchicago.givingdata.com

Overview

Founded over 80 years ago by Nelle and Frank Woods and their three sons, Woods Fund Chicago has evolved from a family foundation to a bold private foundation supporting community organizing and public policy advocacy throughout Chicago. Since 1993, the fund has awarded more than $90 million to support the organizing and advocacy sector. With assets of approximately $45.7 million, Woods Fund Chicago partners with communities to fight structural racism and economic injustice, promoting social, economic, and racial justice. The foundation has undergone significant transformation in recent years, embracing trust-based philanthropy and dramatically increasing its payout rate from the traditional 5-6% to 13% (2024), with commitments to reach 15% by 2026. In 2024, the fund announced its first multiyear grants, awarding $4.7+ million to 96 organizations, coalitions, pooled funds, and capacity-building initiatives, with 69 organizations receiving three-year grants totaling $150,000 each.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Core Grants for New Partners: Up to $35,000 annually

• One-year duration, renewable
• General operating support
• Application method: Online via GivingData portal
• Single annual cycle (applications in February/March)

Multiyear Grants for Established Partners: $150,000 over three years

• Disbursed as $50,000 annually
• Unrestricted general operating support
• Application method: Online via GivingData portal
• Separate application window (April) for returning grantee partners

Priority Areas

Woods Fund Chicago supports organizations that:

• Build power through community organizing: Supporting the process by which people impacted by injustice take collective action, guided by an intersectional racial justice analysis, to build power to win meaningful change in their lives and communities
• Advance public policy advocacy: Organizations that challenge the power structure and achieve systemic change through policy work
• Center BIPOC voices and leadership: Prioritizing BIPOC-led and BIPOC-centered community-based organizations
• Focus on racial equity and justice: Organizations that utilize an intersectional racial justice framework within organizing efforts
• Serve grassroots and small organizations: Defined as organizations with budgets under $1 million (grassroots) or $1-3 million (small)
• Engage systemically marginalized populations: Working with communities of color and marginalized populations in Chicago

Special Initiatives:

• Movement Building for Racial Justice Fund ($500,000 awarded)
• Chicago Racial Justice Pooled Fund
• Capacity-building initiatives for the organizing ecosystem

What They Don't Fund

Woods Fund Chicago explicitly excludes:

• Business and economic development
• Capital campaigns
• Healthcare institutions
• Direct service provision (without organizing component)
• Religious programs
• Medical research
• Educational scholarships
• Organizations working primarily with corporations and civic institutions on movement building
• Organizations based outside the Chicago metropolitan area
• Organizations with budgets over $3 million

Governance and Leadership

Key Staff

Michelle Morales, President

• Background as community organizer in Puerto Rican independence movement
• Parent migrants from Puerto Rico who influenced her trajectory toward social justice
• Known for bold stance on challenging perpetuity and increasing payout rates
• Quote: "At WFC, we believe we are fiduciarily responsible to the community and prioritize impact over returns."
• On perpetuity: "In some ways, there's a little bit of arrogance in that — as though the world will always need us."

Irene Juaniza, Chief Impact Officer

Deborah D. Clark, Director of Grants Management and Assistant Corporate Secretary

Andrea Ortiz-Landin, Strategic Initiatives Director

Bahati Aimee, Program Officer

Andrea Ortez, Program Officer

Brittany Ward, Grants and Administrative Manager

Board of Trustees

L. Anton Seals, Jr., Board Chair

• Lead Steward, Grow Greater Englewood
• Quote: "We increased the payout to grantee partners to help move the needle on racial, economic, and social justice further and faster."

Alice Kim, Vice Chair & Governance Committee Chair

• Director, Pozen Family Center for Human Rights, University of Chicago

Matt Reilein, Treasurer & Finance Committee Chair

• CEO, National Equity Fund

Dayo Harris, Secretary & Program Committee Chair

• Principal, Village Leadership Academy

Dr. Stacey Sutton

• Associate Professor, College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, University of Illinois at Chicago

Dr. Lourdes Torres

• Professor, Vincent de Paul Professor, Latin American and Latino Studies, DePaul University

Jose Oliva (joined 2024)

• Campaigns Director, HEAL Food Alliance

Quinn K. Rallins (joined 2024)

• Civil Rights Lawyer, Loevy & Loevy

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Woods Fund Chicago uses a single annual grantmaking cycle with applications submitted through their GivingData portal at woodsfundchicago.givingdata.com.

For New Grantee Partners:

• Application window: February 3 - March 3 (one month)
• Submit Organizational Profile Form only (no lengthy narrative required)
• Eligible for core grants up to $35,000

For Returning Grantee Partners:

• Application window: April 1 - April 30
• Submit updated Organizational Profile Form
• Eligible for continuation funding and multiyear grants

Eligibility Requirements:

• Must be registered 501(c)(3) organization or fiscally sponsored by one
• Based in Chicago metropolitan area (city of Chicago and select areas of Cook County)
• Organizational budget under $3 million ($1 million for grassroots, $1-3 million for small organizations)
• Engage in community organizing and/or public policy advocacy
• Utilize intersectional racial justice framework
• Work primarily with BIPOC-led organizations serving communities of color

Decision Timeline

• February/March: Application submission period
• Spring: Program officers review applications
• Late Spring: Site visits and interviews with select applicants
• July: Grant decisions announced publicly, new cohort welcomed
• Post-announcement: Grantees receive welcome and resource packets
• 2-3 weeks after signing: Funding agreements signed and funds disbursed

Total timeline from application to decision: Approximately 4-5 months

Success Rates

Woods Fund Chicago awards approximately 100 grants per year. Specific acceptance rates are not publicly disclosed. In 2024, the fund awarded grants to 96 organizations, coalitions, pooled funds, and capacity-building initiatives.

Reapplication Policy

Information about reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants is not publicly specified. Organizations interested in understanding reapplication guidelines should contact Deborah Clark at dclark@woodsfund.org.

Application Success Factors

Trust-Based Philosophy in Practice

Woods Fund Chicago has eliminated traditional barriers to demonstrate their commitment to shifting power to communities:

Simplified Requirements: "We eliminated our multi-step application process. Prospective and returning grantee partners now only need to submit an Organizational Profile Form."

No Narrative Reports: "We are no longer requiring grant proposal narratives or reports. Instead, information normally requested in proposal narratives and reports is now collected through site visits and check-ins with Woods Fund Chicago staff."

What Woods Fund Chicago Values

Community Leadership: The foundation "firmly believes that the people most impacted by structural racism and economic injustice should lead the process of defining problems and developing solutions."

Movement Building: Organizations should demonstrate how they contribute to "creating larger movement around narrative change that is about a shared vision for Chicago. Your movement should be citywide, and not just one single community."

Intersectional Analysis: Organizations must demonstrate use of "an intersectional racial justice analysis" in their organizing work.

BIPOC-Centered Approach: "Demographic information is collected inline with their prioritization of BIPOC-led/centered orgs."

Collective Action: Community organizing is defined as "the process by which people impacted by injustice take collective action, guided by an intersectional racial justice analysis, to build power to win meaningful change."

Examples of Recent Grantees (2024)

Organizations that received three-year $150,000 grants include:

• BYP100 Education Fund
• Cabrini-Green Legal Aid Clinic, Inc.
• Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
• Chicago Community and Workers Rights
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice — Chicago
• Black Workers Matter
• Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights
• Latino Union of Chicago
• Little Village Environmental Justice Organization
• Live Free Illinois
• Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation
• Woodstock Institute
• Women Employed
• Arise Chicago

Strategic Alignment

Trust-Based Philanthropy: Demonstrate understanding that Woods Fund Chicago is "committed to shifting power back into communities, actively listening to needs, and intentionally fostering collaboration."

Long-term Partnership Approach: The fund invests "in the sustainability of grantee partners through general operating and multiyear grants, a restructured cycle that devotes greater attention to grantee partners year-round."

Collaborative Spirit: "While they encourage new relationships and partnerships, existing partnerships/entities can apply" - consider coalition applications where appropriate.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Apply early in the one-month window: With a single annual cycle (February for new applicants, April for returning partners), timing is critical. Sign up for updates at woodsfund.org to be notified when applications open.

• Focus on organizing and advocacy, not just services: Woods Fund Chicago explicitly funds organizing and policy advocacy work, not direct service provision. Your application should center power-building and systemic change efforts.

• Demonstrate BIPOC leadership and centering: This is a core priority. Applications should clearly show how BIPOC communities lead your work and decision-making.

• Emphasize budget size: Small and grassroots organizations (under $3 million budget) are prioritized. If you're larger, you're likely not a fit for this funder.

• Keep it simple: The Organizational Profile Form is intentionally streamlined. Don't over-complicate your application - the simplified process reflects their trust-based approach.

• Prepare for relationship-building: If selected for site visits and interviews, view this as an opportunity to build a long-term partnership, not just secure one grant. Woods Fund Chicago values ongoing relationships with grantee partners.

• Think movement, not just organization: Show how your work contributes to citywide movement building around racial and economic justice, not just isolated community work.

• Understand the political nature of the work: President Michelle Morales has stated, "I have been dismayed at the amount of fear and by the silence of institutions that have bent to the will of this administration" - this is a funder that expects bold, justice-oriented work that challenges power structures.

References

• Woods Fund of Chicago official website: https://www.woodsfund.org/ (Accessed February 2026)
• Woods Fund Chicago FAQ page: https://www.woodsfund.org/frequently-asked-questions (Accessed February 2026)
• Woods Fund Chicago Our Grants page: https://www.woodsfund.org/our-grants (Accessed February 2026)
• Woods Fund Chicago Trust-Based Philanthropy page: https://www.woodsfund.org/trust-based-philanthropy (Accessed February 2026)
• Woods Fund Chicago Our Team page: https://www.woodsfund.org/our-team (Accessed February 2026)
• Woods Fund Chicago 2024 Grantee Partners: https://www.woodsfund.org/2024-grantee-partners (Accessed February 2026)
• "July 2024 // Announcing Woods Fund Chicago's First Multiyear Grants": https://www.woodsfund.org/news/5mzddya9iggjipevj4j4k5700mejhn (Accessed February 2026)
• "Six Questions for Michelle Morales, President of Woods Fund Chicago," Inside Philanthropy: https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2023-6-7-six-questions-for-michelle-morales-president-of-woods-fund-chicago (Accessed February 2026)
• "Woods Fund Chicago's Michelle Morales on perpetuity," Inside Philanthropy: https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/woods-fund-chicagos-michelle-morales-on-the-myths-of-perpetuity (Accessed February 2026)
• "This small Chicago funder is challenging payout norms," Inside Philanthropy: https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/https-www-insidephilanthropy-com-home-as-crisis-drives-payout-bumps-a-small-chicago-funder-challenges-conventional-wisdom (Accessed February 2026)
• Woods Fund of Chicago profile, Cause IQ: https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/woods-fund-of-chicago,363917968/ (Accessed February 2026)
• Woods Fund of Chicago, Nonprofit Explorer, ProPublica: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/363917968 (Accessed February 2026)
• Woods Fund Chicago Grantmaking Cycle, GrantExec: https://grantexec.com/grants/2507b80f-c885-441b-99dc-a4aef8233bfb (Accessed February 2026)