The Christopher Family Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- If your work is in Chicago, especially the West Side or Austin, and falls within education, employment, entrepreneurship or food security, it fits the foundation's stated focus.
- The foundation does not fund individuals, governmental entities, policy advocacy, or faith-based organisations that discriminate on gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation or other protected characteristics, so those applicants should not apply.
- Because it prefers specific programme requests from new partners, and most of its grants fall between $2,000 and $75,000 with a median of $30,000, a modest, clearly defined request is realistic; its largest grant, $250,000, went to Forefront, a regranting organisation, so do not size your request to that.
- Start by contacting the Grants Manager before submitting a Letter of Inquiry through the online portal, since only some applicants are invited to a full proposal.
- Education is considered in the first half of the year and Employment, Entrepreneurship and Food Security in the second half, and with 95% of its grant dollars going to organisations it had already funded, the process appears relationship-led, so a cold approach is less likely to succeed.
Overview
The Christopher Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Westmont, IL.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Christopher Family Foundation supports nonprofit organisations whose work helps strengthen and sustain strong families and communities, with most funding focused on Chicago’s West Side and special emphasis on Austin. Its four programme areas are education, employment, entrepreneurship and food security. It partners with schools and nonprofits providing safe, culturally affirming and inclusive spaces for young people, and supports short pathways to family-sustaining wages through job preparation, placement and vocational training. It funds nonprofits that train, coach or provide capital for people starting or growing businesses, and supports programmes addressing hunger and access to nourishing food. The Foundation values good programme design, clear measures of success and evaluation, and seeks to understand what will be different as a result of its support.
Themes
- Education
- Employment
- Entrepreneurship
- Food security
Geographic Focus
Chicago; West Side of Chicago. Priority: Austin community.
What They Don't Fund
- Individuals
- Governmental entities
- 509(a)(3) supporting organizations, although exceptions are sometimes made for publicly supported charities
- Policy advocacy
- Faith-based organizations that discriminate with regards to gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristics
How to apply
Applicants create an account in the online portal and submit a Letter of Inquiry; some are invited to submit a full proposal.
Deadlines: The foundation runs two cycles each year: Education in the first half, and Employment, Entrepreneurship and Food Security in the second half.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2023 filing, 95% 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 214 grants to organisations were $30,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- It looks for programmes with an articulated standard for excellence.
- It values organisations that are actively learning from their work and improving their approaches, even when this involves risk.
- It values openness to shared learning, collaboration and advancing the field.
- It looks for good programme design, clear measures of success and evaluation, and wants to know what will be different as a result.
- It prefers specific programme requests for new partners; general support is more likely for renewals.
- It encourages new applicants to contact the Grants Manager before submitting an LOI.
- It looks for organisations that are financially sound and have sound financial practices and controls.
- Staff observe programmes, meet people served where possible and appropriate, and talk with staff leadership.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2023.
Grant dollars by state
5 other states: 2%
- The largest single recipient received 6% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2023, 95% of grant dollars went to organisations The Christopher Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 11% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 105 grants in tax year 2023 by size
Median $30,000 (tax year 2023)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Forefront · General support$250,0002023 tax year
- Walther Lutheran High School Association Inc · General support$199,9702023 tax year
- Chicago Community Foundation · General support$150,0002023 tax year
- Northern Illinois Food Bank · General support$130,0002023 tax year
- Garfield Park Community Council · General support$100,0002023 tax year
- Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of River Forest · General support$100,0002023 tax year
- Allies for Community Business · General support$90,0002023 tax year
- Meals on Wheels of Sheboygan County · General support$90,0002023 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Kelley Christopher Schueler — Trustee
- Jay Christopher — Trustee
- Doris K Christopher — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
2 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $5,321,515 | $4,276,963 | $58,654,042 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $5,095,353 | $4,057,799 | $75,504,203 | 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
Other sources
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Applying to The Christopher Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required