Who funds Art Institute of Chicago?
228 private foundations reported grants to Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois totaling $23.2 million across 237 grants in tax years 2023 to 2025. The largest funder was The Henry and Gilda Buchbinder Family Foundation, with $5.2 million.
From the funders' IRS Form 990-PF filings.
- Foundation funders228
- Grants reported237
- Total received$23.2 million
- Funders taking applications26
Funders of Art Institute of Chicago that accept applications
If your organization does similar work, these foundations are prospects: they already fund work like Art Institute of Chicago's and say in their IRS filings that they accept applications.
- The Jaharis Family Foundation
- James & Madeleine McMullan Family Foundation
- Chauncey and Marion D McCormick Family Foundation
- Butler Family Foundation
- Lilly Endowment Inc
- Terra Foundation for American Art
- Arie and Ida Crown Memorial
- The Brinson Foundation
- Walter and Karla Goldschmidt Foundation
- Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation
- Samuel H Kress Foundation
- Lloyd A Fry Foundation
- Make It Better Foundation
- Frederick Henry Prince Trust Dated 7947
- The Anstiss and Ronald Krueck Foundation
Foundations that fund Art Institute of Chicago
| Foundation | Purpose given | Grants | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Henry and Gilda Buchbinder Family Foundation | Charitable | 1 | $5.2 million |
| Cy Twombly Foundation | Non-cash donation of art for exhibition support | 1 | $3.8 million |
| John D and Alexandra Nichols Family Foundation | Unrestricted | 1 | $3.3 million |
| Robert Allerton Endowment Fund | General | 1 | $1.6 million |
| John & Mary Manley Foundation | Donation | 1 | $1.1 million |
| Pepper Family Foundation | Operating funds | 1 | $1.0 million |
| The Bloomberg Family Foundation Inc | To support digital programs | 1 | $800,000 |
| The Jaharis Family Foundation | General purpose | 1 | $750,000 |
| Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation | General fund | 1 | $500,000 |
| James & Madeleine McMullan Family Foundation | general support | 1 | $355,000 |
| Roy and Irene Rettinger Foundation | General support | 1 | $335,000 |
| Caerus Foundation Inc | CPS Field Trips on Wednesdays and Expanded School Programming | 1 | $250,000 |
| Daniel van Degrift Charitable Trust | Unrestricted general | 1 | $239,198 |
| Alsdorf Foundation | Educational | 1 | $210,000 |
| The Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation Inc | Visual art - project/program | 1 | $150,000 |
| Chauncey and Marion D McCormick Family Foundation | Arts and humanities | 1 | $150,000 |
| Robert Allerton Tr FBO Art Institute of | General | 1 | $132,234 |
| Sacks Family Foundation | To further the exempt purpose of the organization | 1 | $125,000 |
| Weston Foundation | General purposes | 1 | $120,000 |
| Butler Family Foundation | General charitable, religious, educational or scientific purpose of the donee organization | 1 | $116,000 |
| Paul Galvin Memorial Foundation Trust | Public charity | 1 | $102,000 |
| Mansueto Foundation | General support | 1 | $100,000 |
| Lilly Endowment Inc | Religion & cultural inst initiative | 1 | $100,000 |
| Terra Foundation for American Art | Arts education | 1 | $100,000 |
| The Lauren and Lee Fixel Family Foundation Inc | Charitable | 1 | $100,000 |
| Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth Barker Foundation | General charitable purposes | 1 | $100,000 |
| Hearn Family Foundation | General operating support for department of prints and drawings. | 1 | $97,000 |
| Robert Allerton Tr | General | 1 | $82,770 |
| Medlock Mary L | General | 1 | $80,735 |
| Arie and Ida Crown Memorial | Program | 3 | $80,000 |
| The Brinson Foundation | General operating support | 1 | $80,000 |
| Franke Family Charitable Foundation | Operations account | 2 | $70,000 |
| Karl O & Helen W Knaths Trust | Unrestricted general | 1 | $61,267 |
| Gary & Denise Gardner Family Foundation | Charitable | 1 | $60,000 |
| John R Halligan Charitable Fund | Unrestricted for general use of charity | 1 | $60,000 |
| Eleanor Foster Foundation | Scholarships for young women to attend the school of art institute school of art institute | 1 | $56,325 |
| Walter and Karla Goldschmidt Foundation | Activities of the organization to which money was donated | 1 | $56,000 |
| Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation (F/K/A Mayfair Foundation) | Board of trustees annual gift | 2 | $50,000 |
| Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation | General support | 1 | $50,000 |
| The Polsky Foundation | Charity | 1 | $50,000 |
| Krehbiel Family Foundation | General Support | 1 | $50,000 |
| Benjamin F Ferguson | General support | 1 | $47,819 |
| Tr UA Helen Knaths | Unrestricted general | 1 | $42,588 |
| Burt Family Foundation | See above | 1 | $42,500 |
| The Saul Steinberg Foundation | Donation of artworkto be displayed | 1 | $40,875 |
| Char TUW G & W Swanson Jr Fdn | Unrestricted general | 1 | $36,750 |
| Jane W and David M Stone Charitable Trust | Charitable | 1 | $35,000 |
| Hulda B & Maurice L Rothschild FDN | General | 1 | $31,386 |
| Samuel H Kress Foundation | Interpretive fellowships | 1 | $30,000 |
| The Neisser Family Foundation | Public charity support | 1 | $26,000 |
| Lloyd A Fry Foundation | Of this amount, $10,000 is to go to the black dog fund of the photography and media department (supporting departmental photography exhibitions), and $10,000 is to support the programs and activities of the department of academic engagement and research. | 3 | $26,000 |
| The Diane Stilwell Weinberg Foundation | General fund | 1 | $26,000 |
| J Christopher and Anne N Reyes Foundation | General support | 1 | $25,000 |
| Make It Better Foundation | Unrestricted Charitable Donation | 1 | $25,000 |
| Frederick Henry Prince Trust Dated 7947 | digital catalog: Dutch and Flemish Paintings from 1600-1700: Highlights from the Collection | 1 | $25,000 |
| The Anstiss and Ronald Krueck Foundation | General purposes | 1 | $25,000 |
| Metzner Family Foundation | Unrestricted charitable contribution | 1 | $25,000 |
| Kovler Family Foundation | Cultural & Civic-To aid in achieving the exempt purpose of the various donee organizations. | 1 | $25,000 |
| Manitou Fund | General operating | 1 | $25,000 |
| Donnelly Family Foundation Corp | General fund | 1 | $25,000 |
| Charles L Hutchinson Fund | General support | 1 | $24,043 |
| Patrick G and Shirley W Ryan Foundation | General charitable operations | 1 | $22,000 |
| Loewenberg Charitable Foundation | Exempt purpose of organization | 1 | $22,000 |
| Nancy A Lauter & Alfred L McDougal Charitable | General support | 1 | $22,000 |
| Von Rydingsvard and Greengard Foundation | Contribution | 1 | $20,000 |
| Albert Goodstein Family Foundation | Unrestricted | 1 | $20,000 |
| Miramar Charitable Foundation | General operations of school of art | 1 | $20,000 |
| Clarion Capital Charitable Foundation | To support the Mercury Fund | 1 | $20,000 |
| The Future Wanxiang Foundation Inc | General support | 1 | $19,450 |
| Morgan Senior Foundation | Unrestricted grant for general purpose | 1 | $16,000 |
| Lannan Foundation | Art donation | 1 | $16,000 |
| Nippon Express Foundation Inc | Community contribution | 1 | $15,000 |
| The Francis L Lederer Foundation | Support photography associates | 1 | $15,000 |
| Polk Bros Foundation Inc | Matching | 2 | $15,000 |
| Sonja & F Conrad Fischer Foundation | General Purpose | 1 | $15,000 |
| The Robert E Gallagher Charitable Trust | General | 1 | $15,000 |
| Kaufman Family Foundation | General support | 1 | $15,000 |
| John H Hart Foundation | Charitable contribution | 1 | $12,000 |
| Smithburg Family Foundation | Cultural support | 1 | $12,000 |
| Reed Family Foundation Inc | General | 2 | $10,500 |
| John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation | In support of the 2024 black harvest film festival at the school of the art institute of chicago's gene siskel film center | 1 | $10,000 |
| Ventana Charitable Foundation | Support art of the americas | 1 | $10,000 |
| The Dancing Skies Foundation | Charitable | 1 | $10,000 |
| Sargent Family Foundation | General operations | 1 | $10,000 |
| Dean L & Rosemarie Buntrock Foundation | Operating Needs | 1 | $10,000 |
| The Siragusa Family Foundation | Teaching experiences at the art museum (team) | 1 | $10,000 |
| Sirius Fund | To support charitable purpose | 1 | $10,000 |
| Circle of Service Foundation | Community services | 1 | $10,000 |
| Dr Scholl Foundation | Museum education and opportunites for Chicago public school children | 1 | $10,000 |
| Charles and M R Shapiro Foundation Inc | Museum education | 1 | $10,000 |
| The Buchanan Family Foundation | General, operating, endowment or capital. | 1 | $10,000 |
| Katherine L Olson Charitable Foundation | Women's Board Education Department | 1 | $10,000 |
| Ronald and Geri Yonover Foundation | Operating expenses | 1 | $10,000 |
| Irving and Dorothy Rom Charitable Foundation | General | 1 | $10,000 |
| The Cynthia & George Mitchell Foundation | For the Sound Department | 1 | $10,000 |
| Benck Family Foundation | General | 1 | $10,000 |
| Shirley Lynn Tr July 7 1995 | Scholarship | 1 | $7,576 |
| The Allyn Foundation Inc | Museum programs | 1 | $7,000 |
| Quarrie Charitable Trust #2 (02-45413) | General support | 1 | $6,760 |
| Bednyak Family Foundation | Contribution | 1 | $6,500 |
Using this list
A foundation that already gives to Art Institute of Chicago gives in its field and region, so the list doubles as a prospect list for similar organizations in Chicago. Open a foundation to see its application rules, typical grant and every other grant it paid.
Questions people ask
Who funds Art Institute of Chicago?
The Henry and Gilda Buchbinder Family Foundation, Cy Twombly Foundation, John D and Alexandra Nichols Family Foundation, Robert Allerton Endowment Fund and John & Mary Manley Foundation, and 223 more, according to their IRS Form 990-PF filings.
How much does Art Institute of Chicago get from foundations?
$23.2 million in 237 reported grants from 228 private foundations in tax years 2023 to 2025. Government grants and gifts from individuals are not included.
Which of these funders accept applications?
The Jaharis Family Foundation, James & Madeleine McMullan Family Foundation, Chauncey and Marion D McCormick Family Foundation, Butler Family Foundation and Lilly Endowment Inc say in their filings that they accept applications.