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Pritzker Foundation (Pritzker Traubert Foundation)

Annual Giving
$34.5M
Grant Range
$54K - $10.0M
Decision Time
8mo
Success Rate
1%

Pritzker Foundation (Pritzker Traubert Foundation)

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $34.5 million (2023)
  • Success Rate: Highly competitive (Chicago Prize: ~1% of 80+ applicants)
  • Decision Time: 7-15 months for major competitions
  • Grant Range: $54,000 - $10,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: Chicago (primarily South and West sides), with some national grants

Contact Details

Overview

The Pritzker Foundation (operating as the Pritzker Traubert Foundation) was founded by Penny Pritzker and Bryan Traubert in 2000, though the original Pritzker Foundation dates to 1944. The foundation manages assets of approximately $283 million and distributed $34.5 million in grants in 2023. The foundation is dedicated to strengthening Chicago by equalizing economic opportunity, with a focus on economic mobility to address Chicago's opportunity gap. The foundation has committed to investing $100 million in Chicago over the next decade. Their strategic approach emphasizes flexible capital for visionary leaders, community-led collaboration, and catalytic investments that achieve scale and sustainability. The foundation is particularly known for its Chicago Prize program, which since 2019 has provided over $30 million to collaborative community-led initiatives.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Chicago Prize - $10,000,000 per cycle Major competitive award supporting ambitious community-led partnerships for physical development and revitalization on Chicago's South and/or West Sides. The prize identifies four finalists who receive development support, with one ultimate winner receiving the full $10 million. Application process opens periodically with structured competition timelines.

Chicago Talent Challenge - $5,000,000 Competitive award targeting workforce development at scale. The inaugural challenge focused on healthcare careers (nursing, behavioral health, community health, direct care). Application windows open periodically; the first cycle application has closed.

General Grantmaking - $54,000 - $5,000,000 Grants across community development, workforce development, and strengthening democracy initiatives. Grant sizes vary widely based on project scope and organizational capacity.

Priority Areas

Community Development: Community-led efforts to promote economic and community empowerment, prioritizing BIPOC communities that have lagged in economic development. Focus on catalytic development projects that activate existing community plans.

Workforce: Leveraged workforce solutions providing flexible capital to leaders focused on scaling and sustainability. Emphasis on:

  • Talent accessibility (meeting employer demand for job-ready workers)
  • Equity focus (pathways for BIPOC Chicagoans into high-growth industries)
  • Wealth building (entry into sectors offering career advancement)

Strengthening Democracy: Advancing initiatives that strengthen democratic values and civic engagement.

Higher Education & Medical Education: Grants for educational institutions, including support for first-generation college students.

Religious Welfare & Cultural Programs: Support for temple support, hospitals, and cultural programming.

What They Don't Fund

The foundation focuses primarily on Chicago-based initiatives. While some national organizations receive funding, the vast majority of grants support Chicago communities, particularly the South and West sides.

Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • Penny Pritzker (Co-Founder) - Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce
  • Bryan Traubert (Chairman and Co-Founder)
  • Rose Traubert
  • Kevin Poorman (Vice President, Chairman of Pritzker Realty Group)
  • Cindy Moelis (President)

Senior Staff:

  • Cindy Moelis, President
  • Andrew Beideman, Chief Strategy Officer
  • Kareeshma Ali, Director of Community Investment

Leadership Philosophy: According to Penny Pritzker: "The Chicago Talent Challenge is an investment in the people and potential of this city." The foundation seeks to "partner with visionary leaders to implement their bold plans to connect talent to jobs, build an inclusive and growing economy, and strengthen communities in Chicago."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

For Chicago Prize and Chicago Talent Challenge: These are competitive, time-limited opportunities with specific application windows. When open, applications are submitted through online portals with detailed guidelines provided. The Chicago Prize application process includes video submissions (professional production not required).

For General Grantmaking: The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals except during designated competition periods (Chicago Prize and Chicago Talent Challenge). General grants appear to be made through trustee discretion, invitation, or relationship-based identification of opportunities.

Important Note: With the exception of the Chicago Talent Challenge and Chicago Prize when open, the Pritzker Traubert Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals.

Decision Timeline

Chicago Prize: Approximately 7-15 months from application launch to final decision

  • Example timeline: April 2019 launch → December 2019 finalists announced → August 2020 winner announced

General Grants: Timeline varies based on relationship and project scope; not publicly documented.

Success Rates

Chicago Prize: Extremely competitive - over 80 applications for one $10 million award (~1% success rate). However, four finalists receive $650,000 in development funding, and other finalists may access additional support funds ($2.5 million committed to non-winning finalists in first cycle).

General Grantmaking: Success rates not publicly disclosed.

Reapplication Policy

For competitive awards like the Chicago Prize and Chicago Talent Challenge, organizations can apply in subsequent cycles. The foundation values persistence and relationship building over time.

Application Success Factors

Community-Led Collaboration: Applications are scored on community-led collaboration as a primary criterion. The foundation seeks initiatives that demonstrate deep community partnerships and are led by teams with authentic community connections. The 2025 Chicago Prize winner, Reclaiming Chicago, exemplifies this - led by United Power for Action and Justice with six partner organizations including Southwest Organizing Project, The Resurrection Project, Lawndale Christian Development Corporation, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives, Hope Center Foundation, and Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation.

Four Scoring Criteria: Applications are evaluated on community-led collaboration, impact, feasibility, and leverage. The foundation seeks "bold ideas that activate existing community plans and are led by teams with deep community partnerships and the expertise to leverage the grant, implement the initiative, and create impact."

Scale and Sustainability: The foundation emphasizes providing "visionary leaders with the flexible capital to pursue scale and sustainability." Recent workforce grantees demonstrate this - Skills for Chicagoland's Future achieves 1,500+ placements annually, and Elevate Energy targets 1,000+ jobs in energy efficiency.

Catalytic Impact: The foundation values projects that stimulate broader economic activity. The 2025 Chicago Prize winner will create one of the largest clusters of new homes built on the South and Southwest Side in more than 20 years - 125 single-family homes and two-flats.

Practical Application Tips:

  • Complete and save answers outside the online portal before submission, as you cannot review applications after submission
  • Video submissions do not need professional production
  • Focus on demonstrating how your organization would use funding "at scale"
  • Emphasize local public, private, and community network partnerships

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only for most grants: Aside from Chicago Prize and Chicago Talent Challenge competitions, the foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals - focus on relationship building and demonstrating impact in Chicago communities
  • Community collaboration is paramount: Applications must demonstrate authentic community-led partnerships with deep local connections, not top-down interventions
  • Think at scale: The foundation invests in "bold ideas" and visionary leaders who can achieve systemic impact - incremental projects are not the focus
  • BIPOC communities prioritized: Explicitly prioritizes communities that have lagged in economic development, particularly on Chicago's South and West sides
  • Flexible capital philosophy: The foundation values giving leaders flexible funding for sustainability rather than restricted project grants
  • Evidence of leverage: Demonstrate how foundation investment will activate additional resources, partnerships, and broader economic activity
  • Long-term commitment: With $100 million committed over the next decade, the foundation is a patient investor in Chicago's future - relationships matter more than one-off applications

References

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