Hale Family Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation gives only to preselected charities and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold application is not the way in; a charity should look for an existing connection and let the foundation invite a request.
- Its grants are mostly modest: about 8 in 10 of its 160 grants fall between $200 and $11,000, and half were $500 or less, so a small, specific request suits it better than a large one.
- Repeat giving dominates, with 97% of its grant dollars in its latest filing going to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, so this is a relationship-led funder and a new charity should expect little prospect of a first grant.
- Its geographic focus is not stated, though the filings show grants mainly in Indiana, Illinois and District of Columbia; that is a pattern in the grants, not a rule, so a charity should not rule itself out on location alone.
- The filing gives no deadlines or timing, so there is no window to plan around.
Overview
Hale Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Chicago, IL.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, 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 foundation's recorded grants have gone to a mix of university and research bodies, museums and a zoo, environmental and conservation organisations, community services, medical institutions, food assistance organisations and public media. Recipients include local organisations as well as national and out-of-state organisations, rather than a single type of beneficiary or a stated geographic programme. The reported purposes are general, and the filings do not set out a more specific field of support. The foundation gives to charitable organisations, but its filing states that it contributes only to preselected charities and does not accept unsolicited requests. This is selective organisational giving rather than an open application process.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Indiana, Illinois and District of Columbia.
How to apply
Contributions are limited to preselected charitable organisations; unsolicited requests are not accepted.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 97% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 160 grants to organisations were $500 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 1%
- The largest single recipient received 41% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 97% of grant dollars went to organisations Hale Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- <1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 49 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $500 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Purdue Research Foundation · General$165,0002024 tax year
- Cosley Zoo · General$75,0002024 tax year
- National Geographic Society · General$55,0002024 tax year
- Chicago Classic Computing · General$22,0002024 tax year
- Outreach Community Ministries · General$15,0002024 tax year
- Northwestern Memorial Foundation · General$10,0002024 tax year
- Illinois Environmental Council Educ · General$10,0002024 tax year
- DuPage County Historical Museum Foundation · General$7,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- David Jackson — Secretary
- Judy Hale — VP / Treasurer
- David Hale — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $586,657 | $478,000 | $7,160,926 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $454,799 | $359,050 | $7,882,104 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $511,753 | $400,300 | $10,588,636 | Filing for 2024 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
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At a glance
Applying to Hale Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Chicago, IL
Applying to Hale Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Chicago, IL