Open Foundations · Illinois

Spencer Foundation

Chicago, Illinois · EIN 366078558. Its Form 990-PF says giving is not restricted to organizations picked in advance, which is how a private foundation files that it accepts unsolicited requests. It paid $23.3M across 208 grants in 2024, a median of $75K each.

All Illinois foundations · All states

$23.3M
paid in 2024
208
grants paid
$75K
median grant
21%
to first-time recipients
$664.8M
assets on file

How to apply, as filed

Straight off Part XV of the return. Where the foundation left a line blank, this says so rather than guessing.

Send requests to
DR NA'LLAH SUAD NASIR
Address
625 MICHIGAN AVE SUITE 1600, CHICAGO, IL, 60611
Phone
3123377000
Email
Not stated in the filing
Form the request should take
APPLICATION, INFORMATION, AND MATERIALS REQUIREMENTS POSTED ON WEBSITE.
Submission deadline
DEADLINES POSTED ON FOUNDATION'S WEBSITE, WWW.SPENCER.ORG
Restrictions on awards
INFORMATION POSTED ON FOUNDATION'S WEBSITE, WWW.SPENCER.ORG

As filed on the Form 990-PF for tax year 2024, IRS filing object id 202523289349100112. Printed word for word, including the entries that only say to see a website or an attachment.

What it funds, in its own words

The words that come up most often across the purposes it wrote on its 2024 grants. These are the foundation's own words, not a category we assigned.

educationresearchschool

Biggest grants in 2024

The 15 largest of the 208 grants paid in 2024, with the purpose the foundation wrote for each.

#RecipientStateAmountPurpose as filed
1National Academy of EducationDC$2,532,835NATIONAL ACADEMY OF EDUCATION/SPENCER POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS (COHORTS 24-25, 25-26, 26-27)
2National Academy of EducationDC$1,753,042NATIONAL ACADEMY OF EDUCATION/SPENCER DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS (COHORTS 24-25, 25-26, 26-27)
3William T Grant FoundationNY$650,000SUPPORT FOR THE 2024 INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE GRANT PROGRAM AT THE WILLIAM T. GRANT FOUNDATION
4Columbia University in the City of New YorkNY$593,600SPENCER EDUCATION JOURNALISM FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM, 2024 - 2028
5Michigan State UniversityMI$483,044CREATING TRANSFORMATIVE POSSIBILITY IN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES
6University of California BerkeleyCA$392,629LINGUISTIC VARIATION AND DISCIPLINARY ACTION ON AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS
7University of Kansas Center for Research IncKS$382,906THE TRIBAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT
8Flacso ArgentinaAR$274,540HISTORY TEACHING THROUGH DIALOGICAL CONTROVERSIES
9Boston UniversityMA$250,850RE-IMAGINING ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION
10The University of Texas at AustinTX$243,904ADMISSION, TUITION, AND HOUSING
11University of Wisconsin-madisonWI$229,772SUPPLEMENT FOR CENTER FOR PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTION ON EDUCATIONAL POLICY AND PRACTICE
12Indiana University BloomingtonIN$221,301THRIVING IN COLLEGE
13North Carolina State UniversityNC$212,830EXAMINING RURAL DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS
14New York UniversityNY$209,723ORGANIZING FAMILY AND COMMUNITY
15University of Colorado DenverCO$202,377DEVELOPING RESEARCH CAPACITY TO SUPPORT THE ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING AND PROGRAM OUTCOMES

Giving by year, and who received it

Grants paid by year

Every year of this foundation's grants that Civly holds
Tax yearGrantsPaid
2020154$21.0M
2021280$24.1M
2022277$24.7M
2023250$19.8M
2024208$23.3M

Where the money went

Share of 2024 grant dollars by recipient state
California14%
New York9%
Illinois8%
District of Columbia6%
Massachusetts6%

Who decides

Officers, directors and trustees as filed, with the year of the return they appeared on.

Andreason BrownCHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER & TREASURER · 2024
Carl CohnDIRECTOR (OUTGOING FY25) · 2024
Cecilia Rios-aguilarDIRECTOR · 2024
Doris FischerCOMMUNICATIONS MANAGER & BOARD SECRETA · 2024
Dr Na'ilah Suad NasirPRESIDENT · 2024
Eduardo PadronDIRECTOR · 2024
Elizabeth CarrickVICE PRESIDENT, ADMIN & CHIEF OF STAFF · 2024
Jane PattersonDIRECTOR · 2024
Kirabo JacksonDIRECTOR (INCOMING FY25) · 2024
Mike WilliamsDIRECTOR · 2024
Nonie LesauxDIRECTOR · 2024
Prudence CarterDIRECTOR · 2024
Rob ReichDIRECTOR · 2024
Tyrone HowardDIRECTOR (INCOMING FY25) · 2024

Every figure on this page is that foundation's own latest filed year, which is 2022 or later. This foundation is listed because its Form 990-PF says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and it paid at least 5 grants totaling $100K or more that year. Latest-year grants and terms per foundation from IRS 990-PF e-file returns; the newest tax year is partial until the IRS finishes releasing it. Grants are de-duplicated on funder, year, recipient and amount, so identical repeat grants collapse into one and totals can run low. Full method.

Source: IRS Form 990-PF e-file releases (public domain). Analysis: Civly.

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