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The John And Kathleen Schreiber Foundation

Annual Giving
$12.7M
Grant Range
$0K - $1.4M
Decision Time
4mo

The John And Kathleen Schreiber Foundation (Schreiber Philanthropy)

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $12,732,763 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $116,921,405 (2023)
  • Number of Grants: 88 awards (2023)
  • Grant Range: $250 - $1,400,000
  • Median Grant: $35,000
  • Decision Time: 4 months (from invitation to decision)
  • Geographic Focus: Lake County and Chicago (particularly South and West Sides), Illinois; also NY and FL
  • Application Method: Invitation only

Contact Details

Address: 682 N. Bank Lane, Suite 200, Lake Forest, IL 60045

Phone: 224-552-5201

Website: https://www.schreiberphilanthropy.org/

Contact Page: https://www.schreiberphilanthropy.org/contact

Overview

Founded in 2005 by John and Kathleen Schreiber, this family foundation has distributed over $360 million across 550+ organizations over its 20-year history. In 2020, the Schreibers made the strategic decision to operate as a limited-lifespan foundation, spending down their assets rather than building a perpetual endowment—a shift that increased annual giving by 400%. The foundation rebranded to "Schreiber Philanthropy" in 2024 and hired its first non-family CEO, Whitney Smith, in 2023, signaling a transition toward professional management. Their mission is to "inspire hope by supporting the well-being and economic mobility of all people," with particular focus on historically marginalized populations, immigrants, asylum-seekers, refugees, first-generation college students, and underinvested individuals. John Schreiber, a Loyola University Chicago graduate and former Blackstone real estate executive, has been deeply influenced by his Catholic faith and by Monsignor John "Jack" Egan, Kathleen's uncle and a civil rights activist who challenged them with the question: "What are you doing for justice?"

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Schreiber Philanthropy organizes its grantmaking around six focus areas:

  • Early Childhood (Birth-5): Quality care and education for ages 0–5 in under-resourced communities. Major initiatives include the $25 million Schreiber Family Center for Early Childhood Health and Wellness at Lurie Children's Hospital.

  • K-Postsecondary Education: Academic support and completion of postsecondary education. Includes the historic $100 million gift to Loyola University Chicago for full scholarships, room and board, and wraparound support services for Black, Latino, first-generation, and other underrepresented students—the largest donation in the university's 152-year history.

  • Health: Culturally-competent physical, mental, and behavioral health care access. Recent major grants include $5 million to Lawndale Christian Health Center for a teaching health center.

  • Housing: Safe, affordable housing and homeownership opportunities

  • Immigrant Justice: Human rights and economic mobility for immigrants, asylum-seekers, and refugees

  • Lake County: Community inclusion and engagement initiatives with focus on basic needs and economic mobility. The foundation made a $5 million commitment for the Schreiber Center for Human Services in Round Lake, which opened to provide Lake County residents with access to support services.

Grant Types & Timeline

  • Application Method: Invitation only via online Grants Portal
  • Grant Cycles: Quarterly with four-month timelines from application open date to decision announcements
  • Multi-year Commitments: The foundation makes significant multi-year commitments (e.g., $2 million over four years to Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund)

Priority Areas

Their grantmaking philosophy emphasizes:

  • High-impact strategic philanthropy
  • Collaborative partnerships
  • Addressing systemic inequities
  • Organizations serving Lake County and Chicago (especially South and West Sides)
  • Long-term relationship building versus transactional giving
  • Empathy, respect, trust, reflection, and commitment to continuous learning

What They Don't Fund

Direct Lobbying: Federal tax law prohibits private foundations from funding direct lobbying activities. However, Schreiber Philanthropy may support organizations engaged in public policy advocacy through general operating support or educational advocacy such as nonpartisan research, technical assistance, or examinations of broad social issues.

Governance and Leadership

Co-Founders & Board Leadership

  • John Schreiber - Co-Founder and Board Chair (Loyola University Chicago '68, former Blackstone real estate executive)
  • Kathleen Schreiber - Co-Founder

Board Members

  • Brenda Battle
  • Bruce Boyd
  • Juan Salgado
  • Heather Sannes

Executive Leadership

  • Whitney Smith - Chief Executive Officer and Board Secretary (hired 2023; previously Executive VP of Programs and Chief Strategy Officer at The Joyce Foundation and Head of Regional Philanthropy for North America at JPMorgan Chase)
  • Molly Cullum - Vice President, Strategic Initiatives
  • Dana Buchweitz - Vice President, Finance

Portfolio Managers

  • Dr. Janine Franklin - Education Portfolio Manager
  • Ricardo Lopez - Housing Portfolio Manager
  • Ruth Lopez-McCarthy - Immigrant Justice Portfolio Manager
  • Bethany Williams - Lake County Portfolio Manager

Staff

  • Rebecca Morton - Grants Manager
  • Kris Butler - Administrative Coordinator

Quotes from Leadership

John Schreiber on their mission: "God's message is to help the least of our brethren. And that is particularly applicable...in the work you do."

On education priorities: "For kids from under-resourced communities, if you can get them through good grade schools, good high schools, and ultimately good colleges, you can change that kid's life, change the life of their future family, and perhaps the family they came from."

On strategic expansion: "We started with grade school education because it's an obvious way to improve people's lives. But we started to see the other problems affecting these same families," which led them to support wraparound services. "We're interested in things we see that naturally lead to adjacent problems."

On evaluating grant recipients: "Finding organizations, evaluating them, and finding ones that have strengths in both management and finances is key to sustaining the efforts."

On focus and discipline: "You can't be all things to all people, and you have to say no often."

On early childhood: "We're putting a lot of effort into that now on the theory that so many problems that come up later in life for kids in school could be solved early on."

On their major healthcare gift: "Kathy and I wanted to do what we could to help address some of the barriers to health and wellness for Chicago's children. While our investment has established this focused effort on birth to age five, we hope others who share our belief in the importance of the early childhood years will join us in supporting this effort."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Schreiber Philanthropy does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation operates exclusively through an invitation-only model.

Organizations are invited to apply after being identified through the foundation's network of relationships with:

  • Partner organizations and institutions
  • Community leaders
  • Peer funders
  • Stakeholders in their focus areas

Once invited, applicants receive access to Schreiber Philanthropy's online Grants Portal, where they complete user, organizational, and grant request information.

Decision Timeline

  • Grant Cycles: Quarterly
  • Timeline: Four months from application open date to decision announcement
  • Basis for Decisions: Merit, demonstrated impact, alignment with mission and priorities, potential to advance stated goals, and full compliance with relevant laws

Success Rates

In 2023, the foundation made 88 awards totaling $12,732,763, down from 103 awards in 2022, 121 awards in 2021, and 150 awards in 2020. The trend suggests increasingly selective grantmaking with larger average grant sizes as the foundation scales up its spend-down commitment.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly documented. Given the invitation-only model, reapplication would depend on continued relationship with the foundation and alignment with evolving strategic priorities.

Recent Grant Recipients (2023)

The foundation's 2023 grants demonstrate their commitment to education, health, human services, and community support:

  • The Josselyn Center NFP (Northfield, IL): $1,400,000 - Mental health services
  • Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago: $1,200,000 - Human services including family self-sufficiency and food access
  • Northern Illinois Food Bank (Geneva, IL): $1,000,000 - Food security
  • Erie Family Health Foundation Inc (Chicago, IL): $925,000 - Healthcare access
  • North Chicago Community Partners NFP (Lake Bluff, IL): $825,000 - Community development
  • Cristo Rey St Martin College Prep (Waukegan, IL): $825,000 - Education
  • Allies for Community Business: $675,000 - Economic mobility
  • Loyola University of Chicago: Multi-year commitment as part of $100 million scholarship program

Additional significant commitments include a $2 million grant over four years to Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund to extend their program to Lake County.

Application Success Factors

While Schreiber Philanthropy operates on an invitation-only basis, their public statements and grantmaking patterns reveal what they value:

Organizational Strengths They Seek

Financial and Management Excellence: John Schreiber explicitly states: "Finding organizations, evaluating them, and finding ones that have strengths in both management and finances is key to sustaining the efforts." The foundation prioritizes organizations with strong operational capacity.

Addressing Systemic Issues: The foundation focuses on organizations tackling root causes rather than just symptoms. They value partners who address "adjacent problems" and take holistic approaches, as evidenced by their expansion from education to wraparound services.

Serving Priority Populations: Organizations that serve historically marginalized populations, immigrants, asylum-seekers, refugees, first-generation college students, and underinvested individuals align with their mission.

Geographic Alignment: Strong preference for Lake County and Chicago, with special focus on the South and West Sides.

Partnership Approach

Long-term Relationships: The foundation emphasizes building authentic, trust-based partnerships rather than transactional giving. Their 20-year relationship with Lake County Community Foundation (since 2005) and support for Josselyn's expansion to Waukegan in 2019 demonstrate commitment to sustained partnerships.

Collaborative Spirit: Core values include "trust and partnership through authentic collaboration" and "reflection, excellence, and commitment to continuous learning."

Impact Orientation

Measurable Outcomes: John Schreiber notes: "There is a certain amount of satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment for donors in the outcomes of many organizations." They expect to see clear results.

Willingness to Take Informed Risks: Their values include "reflection and excellence with informed risk-taking," suggesting openness to innovative approaches with strong rationale.

Mission Alignment Language

Organizations should demonstrate alignment with Schreiber Philanthropy's stated focus on:

  • Well-being and economic mobility
  • Inspiring hope
  • Breaking down barriers to opportunity
  • Equity and justice

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only access: There is no public application process. Organizations must be identified through the foundation's network of partners, community leaders, and peer funders. Building relationships with these intermediaries is essential.

  • Demonstrate organizational excellence: Financial health and management capacity are explicitly stated priorities. Your organization's operational strength matters as much as your mission.

  • Focus on systemic change: The foundation values organizations addressing root causes and taking holistic approaches to community challenges, not just providing short-term relief.

  • Geographic fit is critical: Unless you serve Lake County or Chicago (especially South and West Sides), you're unlikely to be considered, though the foundation does make some grants in New York and Florida.

  • Multi-year thinking: The foundation makes significant multi-year commitments to partner organizations, suggesting they value sustained impact over one-time projects.

  • Spend-down urgency: With their decision to spend down rather than operate in perpetuity and their 400% increase in annual giving, the foundation is scaling up impact rapidly. This creates both opportunities and a limited window.

  • Values-driven partnership: Alignment with their Catholic social justice roots and commitment to empathy, respect, trust, and reflection matters. Monsignor John Egan's question—"What are you doing for justice?"—captures their core motivation.

References

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