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Antonio J Gracias Family Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$16.2M
Grant Range
$24K - $15.0M

Antonio J Gracias Family Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $16,188,978 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (no public application process)
  • Grant Range: $24,422 - $15,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Illinois, New York, and Maryland
  • Foundation Type: Private Operating Foundation (invitation only)

Contact Details

Address: 500 W Madison St Ste 3700, Chicago, IL 60661-4591

EIN: 85-3941297

Note: The foundation does not maintain a public website or accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

The Antonio J Gracias Family Foundation Inc was established in 2021 by Antonio and Sabrina Kuhl Gracias, prominent philanthropists based in Chicago. With total assets of $94.6 million, the foundation distributed $16.2 million in grants during 2023 to 17 organizations. Since inception, the foundation has awarded 38 grants totaling $49.5 million. The foundation focuses on transformative investments in education, scientific research, arts and culture, and humanitarian causes, with a particular emphasis on institutions where the Gracias family has personal connections. Antonio Gracias (JD'98) serves as a University of Chicago trustee and is the founder and CEO of Valor Equity Partners. The foundation operates as a private operating foundation, making grants exclusively to preselected organizations through trustee discretion rather than open application processes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines. Instead, it makes strategic gifts to preselected organizations. Recent major commitments include:

  • Higher Education Research: $15-20 million grants supporting endowed professorships and research centers
  • Student Scholarships: $5 million for crisis-impacted student support
  • Scientific Research: $3-16 million for specific research initiatives (heart disease, psychedelics, quantum science)
  • Arts & Culture: $1 million for independent film support
  • Smaller Institutional Gifts: $24,422 and up for various educational and cultural organizations

Priority Areas

Based on documented grants, the foundation actively funds:

Education & Research

  • Endowed professorships at major universities
  • Research centers and institutes (economics, molecular engineering, psychedelics studies)
  • Student scholarship programs, particularly for students affected by global crises
  • Graduate and undergraduate program support

Scientific & Medical Research

  • Heart disease cure research through nanomedicine
  • Psychedelics research for therapeutic applications
  • Quantum science and engineering
  • Human health and flourishing initiatives

Arts, Culture & Humanities

  • Independent film production and distribution
  • Cultural institutions and programs
  • Support for humanities scholarship

Humanitarian Causes

  • Emergency scholarship funds for students displaced by war (Ukraine)
  • Crisis response through educational institutions

Geographic Focus: Strong preference for institutions in Chicago (University of Chicago), though also supports institutions in Cambridge (Harvard), Washington D.C. (Georgetown), and New York.

What They Don't Fund

Based on the foundation's giving pattern:

  • Organizations without preexisting relationships with the trustees
  • General operating support for small nonprofits
  • Individual requests
  • Organizations outside the foundation's core focus areas of education, research, and culture

Governance and Leadership

Key Personnel

Antonio Gracias (Officer, $0 compensation)

  • Founder, CEO, and Chief Investment Officer of Valor Equity Partners
  • University of Chicago Law School graduate (JD'98) and current University of Chicago Trustee
  • Member of University of Chicago Law School Board of Visitors
  • Member of Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering Board
  • Georgetown University School of Foreign Service alumnus (SFS'92, MSFS'93)
  • Member of Georgetown University School of Foreign Service Board of Visitors
  • Past Trustee of The Field Museum
  • Member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and World Business Chicago
  • 2009 Henry Crown Fellow, Aspen Institute
  • Known for early investments in Tesla and SpaceX

Sabrina Kuhl Gracias (Co-donor, role not specified in tax filings)

  • Georgetown University alumna (B'93)
  • Active partner in major foundation decisions and gift announcements

Maria Gracias (Officer, $0 compensation)

  • Listed as foundation officer on IRS filings

James Star (Officer, $0 compensation)

  • Listed as foundation officer on IRS filings

Philanthropic Philosophy

Based on public statements from foundation leadership:

Antonio Gracias on education and service: "SFS gave me the perspective that while history may seem like the current of a river, it is in fact the sum of the collective actions of individuals who chose to try to help."

Sabrina Gracias on crisis response: "It's critical to provide these young adults with stability, unwavering support, and hope for opportunities during this devastating crisis."

Antonio Gracias on psychedelics research: "Harvard is the ideal place to explore the topic of psychedelics from new angles, and to craft a framework for their legal, safe, and appropriate impact on society."

Antonio Gracias on University of Chicago support: "As a University Trustee and a proud graduate of the UChicago Law School, I am well aware of the positive impact that UChicago scholarship has on the world..."

The foundation demonstrates interest in supporting:

  • Transformative scientific research, particularly in emerging fields
  • Institutions where family members have personal connections
  • Crisis response through educational access
  • Interdisciplinary scholarship that addresses societal challenges
  • Long-term institutional capacity through endowments

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

The Antonio J Gracias Family Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis and explicitly states it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Grants are made at the discretion of the foundation's trustees based on their personal philanthropic interests and relationships with institutions. All documented major gifts have been to universities where Antonio and/or Sabrina Gracias are alumni or where Antonio serves in a trustee or advisory capacity.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation's giving pattern reveals highly specific institutional relationships:

Universities with documented support:

  • University of Chicago (where Antonio is a trustee, Law School alumnus JD'98, and Pritzker School board member)
  • Georgetown University (where both Antonio and Sabrina are alumni)
  • Harvard University (major research university for high-profile initiatives)

Relationship pathways observable from grant history:

  • Antonio Gracias serves on multiple university boards and advisory councils. Organizations connected to these institutions may have indirect access.
  • The foundation responds to global humanitarian crises through established institutional partners (e.g., Ukraine scholarship fund through Georgetown).
  • Research initiatives that align with specific Gracias family interests (heart disease, psychedelics, quantum science, economics) at top-tier universities have received support.

Chicago civic connections:

  • Antonio's involvement with the Commercial Club of Chicago, World Business Chicago, and past Field Museum trusteeship suggests awareness of major Chicago cultural and civic institutions.

Important note: There is no evidence the foundation accepts introductory letters, proposals, or unsolicited contact. Grants appear to originate from the trustees' own initiative and existing institutional relationships.

Application Success Factors

Foundation-Specific Insights

Since this foundation does not accept applications, traditional "success factors" do not apply. However, analysis of actual grants reveals clear patterns:

Institutional Characteristics of Recipients:

  • Top-tier research universities (Harvard, University of Chicago, Georgetown)
  • Established cultural organizations (The Film Collaborative)
  • Institutions with multi-decade track records

Grant Characteristics:

  • Major gifts create named centers, professorships, or funds (Gracias Family Center for Human Sciences and Wellbeing, Gracias Family Sunflower Scholarship Fund)
  • Support transformative or cutting-edge research rather than incremental work
  • Often multi-year commitments or endowments rather than annual operating support
  • Align with specific trustee interests in science, education, social impact

Personal Connection Factors:

  • Alumni relationships (Georgetown, University of Chicago Law)
  • Board service (University of Chicago trustee)
  • Long-term institutional engagement (multiple gifts to same institutions over time)

Issue Areas of Interest:

  • Emerging scientific fields (psychedelics, nanomedicine, quantum science)
  • Economic research and policy
  • Student access and emergency support
  • Interdisciplinary approaches to major challenges
  • Independent arts and culture

Scale of Impact:

  • The foundation favors projects with potential for significant societal impact
  • Endowed positions ensure long-term institutional capacity
  • Research centers enable sustained investigation of complex issues

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No open application process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals or applications from any organizations.
  • Invitation-only grantmaking: All grants are initiated by the foundation trustees based on their personal interests and institutional relationships.
  • Alumni and trustee connections dominate: Nearly all major grants are to institutions where Antonio or Sabrina Gracias have alumni status or board involvement.
  • Transformative scale: Recent grants range from $3-20 million, focused on creating endowments, professorships, and research centers rather than annual program support.
  • Emerging science focus: The foundation shows particular interest in cutting-edge research areas including psychedelics, nanomedicine, and quantum science.
  • Crisis responsiveness through institutions: The $5 million Ukraine scholarship fund demonstrates willingness to fund emergency responses, but through established institutional partners.
  • Chicago base, national reach: While headquartered in Chicago with local civic connections, major grants support institutions nationwide (Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington D.C.).

Bottom line for grant seekers: Unless your organization has a direct, established relationship with Antonio or Sabrina Gracias (or their institutional affiliates), securing funding from this foundation is not a viable prospect. The foundation's giving is highly strategic, relationship-driven, and initiated by the trustees themselves.

References

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