A Better Chicago
Annual Giving
$3.5M-9% YoY
Grants
25
Median Grant
$125K
Organizations Funded
28
Is this foundation right for you?
SciRise maps the network of who funds whom to surface your next funders. Enter your nonprofit to check your fit.
Foundation Overview
Mission
A Better Chicago is changing how our city fights poverty by investing in bold ideas that create opportunity for our youth. A Better Chicago is a venture philanthropy that invests in the most promising nonprofits helping children escape poverty. Their mission is to dramatically improve educational opportunities for low-income Chicagoans by funding and scaling the most effective schools and programs in our region.
Focus Areas
Funded Initiatives
Portfolio includes organizations like Chicago HOPES for Kids (providing educational support for children in homeless shelters), iMentor (partnering with high schools in low-income communities), and Intrinsic Schools (creating revolutionary new school models). Recent grants include $350,000 from Fulk Family Foundation and $200,000 from Zell Family Foundation.
How to Apply
Currently not soliciting applications; accept interest forms to share information about organizations or initiatives, reviewed on a rolling basis due to limited team capacity. Contact grants@abetterchicago.org for general questions.
Based on publicly available information from the foundation's 990 filings and website.
Giving History
$3.5M
Grants
25
Median
$125K
States
4
$3.8M
Grants
26
Median
$125K
States
4
$4.9M
Grants
29
Median
$150K
States
4
Grant Size Distribution
$125K
Typical Grant (Median)
$10K
Smallest
$80K
25th Pctile
$200K
75th Pctile
$300K
Largest
Excludes grants ≤ $5K. Half fall between $80K and $200K.
Largest Recent Grants
$300K
2024
Bottom Line
MA · Community Development
$300K
2024
Juvenile Protective Association
IL · COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
$250K
2024
CHICAGO SCHOLARS
IL · Community Development
$250K
2024
ONE MILLION DEGREES
IL · Community Development
$225K
2024
Vocel Viewing Our Children as Emerging Leaders
IL · Community Development
Geographic Focus
Top states by total grant dollars. Based on IRS filing data.
Financial Overview
Grants paid shown as percentage of total assets
Data sourced from IRS 990 and 990-PF filings and publicly available foundation websites. Grant data, financial figures, and organizational details reflect historical filings and may not represent current operations or funding priorities. Verify directly with the foundation before applying. See an issue? Let us know.