The Brinson Foundation

• The Brinson Foundation is based in Chicago and funds education and scientific research; its education grants generally go to organisations serving individuals and communities in the greater Chicago area, while leading US-based education programmes reaching wider populations, and all scientific research grants across the United States, are considered by invitation only, so an unsolicited approach fits best if you are a Chicago-area education organisation.
• About eight in ten of its 397 grants fall between $10,000 and $105,000, with a median of $48,000, so pitch a request in that range rather than assuming the one $100,000,000 grant is typical.
• There is no deadline, so submit the Grantseeker Information Form at any time, keep it concise and include your website address; a programme officer will follow up only if it looks a strong match, and for most organisations in or near Chicago the Foundation tries to visit before issuing any application invitation.
• With 78% of its grant dollars going to organisations it had already funded in the previous two filings, this looks like a relationship-led funder where repeat support is common, so first-time applicants should expect a careful, gradual process; initial grants are generally for specific projects, though general operating support may be considered where an organisation's mission closely aligns with the Foundation's own, and very few start-up organisations are funded.
• Individuals, events and capital projects are not funded, so organisations seeking support in those forms should not apply.

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

• Saint John's Health Foundation · Hitching post workforce housing redevelopment
  $600,0002024 tax year
• Chicago Community Foundation Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities · Scaling community violence intervention for a safer chicago
  $200,0002024 tax year
• Eisenhower Health · Cardiovascular institute
  $200,0002024 tax year
• University Of Chicago Department Of Astronomy And Astrophysics Edward H Lev · Brinson astrophysics fellowship program, brinson lecture, and pdta
  $141,7002024 tax year
• Princeton University Department of Astrophysical Sciences · Brinson prize fellowship in observational cosmology
  $120,0002024 tax year
• Carnegie Institution for Science, Carnegie Observatories · Carnegie-caltech brinson postdoctoral fellowship in observational astronomy
  $120,0002024 tax year
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Brinson prize fellowship in observational cosmology
  $120,0002024 tax year
• University of Chicago Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics · Brinson prize fellowship in observational cosmology
  $120,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

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.