The Knowles Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation accepts no unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to organisations it has preselected, so a small charity should not send it a proposal cold; the realistic route is to build a relationship first and wait for an invitation.
- If invited, a request in the usual range fits its practice: about 8 in 10 of its 46 grants fall between $25,000 and $100,000, with a median of $50,000, though its largest grant was about $190,000, so that band is typical rather than a ceiling.
- Most of its grant dollars go to organisations it had already funded: 85% in the latest filing went to organisations also funded in the filing before, so it leans heavily on existing relationships.
- The filings show most grants going to Illinois, but no geographic focus is stated, and its recorded areas span arts and culture, health, disability services, education, environmental work and food assistance, so a writer should judge fit by the organisation's work rather than by location alone.
Overview
The Knowles Foundation is a US private foundation based in Chicago, IL.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The grants recorded show support for a varied group of charitable organisations, with most recorded grants going to Illinois. Recipients include music education and performance organisations, museums and science institutions, disability and family-support organisations, hospitals and medical centres, and environmental and food-support organisations. Recorded purposes include student and family performances, school experiences, breast health, nursing, music therapy, hearing and speech research, and general-fund support. The grants therefore span arts and culture, health, disability services, education, environmental work and food assistance, alongside organisations' general funds. The filing records that contributions go to preselected charitable organisations, rather than setting out detailed funding priorities or eligibility criteria.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Illinois.
How to apply
Contributions go to preselected charitable organisations; unsolicited requests are not accepted. The filing gives no further application steps.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2023 filing, 85% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022 and TY2023 filings, half of its 46 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2023.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 15% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2023, 85% of grant dollars went to organisations The Knowles Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 24 grants in tax year 2023 by size
Median $50,000 (tax year 2023)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Merit School of Music · Capital campaign$187,5002023 tax year
- Gigi's Playhouse · General fund$100,0002023 tax year
- Lyric Opera of Chicago · Student and family performances fund$100,0002023 tax year
- Ray Graham Association · Hanson center$100,0002023 tax year
- Elmhurst Memorial Hospital · Breast health program$75,0002023 tax year
- Chicago Architecture Center · General fund$75,0002023 tax year
- Loyola University Medical Center · Nursing fund$75,0002023 tax year
- Friends of the Chicago River · General fund$75,0002023 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Ronald Lawler — Director
- David J Hill — Director / President
- Michael J Powers — Director / Treasurer / Secretary
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
2 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $1,382,673 | $1,132,000 | $23,800,959 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $1,707,924 | $1,452,500 | $27,450,941 | Filing for 2023 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.
Sources
Registers and filings
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At a glance
Applying to The Knowles Foundation?
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Contact
- Chicago, IL
Applying to The Knowles Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Chicago, IL