Open Foundations · Illinois

Polk Bros Foundation Inc

Chicago, Illinois · EIN 366108293. 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 $19.2M across 560 grants in 2024, a median of $25K each.

All Illinois foundations · All states

$19.2M
paid in 2024
560
grants paid
$25K
median grant
2%
to first-time recipients
$334.3M
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
ANNA LEE
Address
POLK BROS FOUNDATION 20 W KINZIE ST, CHICAGO, IL, 60654
Phone
3125274684
Email
Not stated in the filing
Form the request should take
APPLICATION FORM AVAILABLE FROM FOUNDATION OFFICE AND WEBSITE
Submission deadline
CONTINUOUS
Restrictions on awards
MUST BE ORGANIZATION EXEMPT UNDER SEC 501(C)(3)

As filed on the Form 990-PF for tax year 2024, IRS filing object id 202641069349100149. 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.

strong communitiesarts accessaccess learningstrong familiesmatchingeducation

Biggest grants in 2024

The 15 largest of the 560 grants paid in 2024, with the purpose the foundation wrote for each.

#RecipientStateAmountPurpose as filed
1Big Shoulders FundIL$250,000Education
2Greater Chicago Food DepositoryIL$250,000Special Projects
3Illinois Immigrant Funders CollaborativeIL$250,000Special Projects
4Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan ChicagoIL$250,000Special Projects
5Navy Pier IncIL$250,000Arts Access and Learning
6Window to the World CommunicationsIL$200,000Special Projects
7Shriver Center on Poverty LawIL$180,000Strong Communities
8Erie Family Health CenterIL$170,000Health
9Chicago Community Loan FundIL$160,000Strong Communities
10Wbezchicago Public MediaIL$160,000Special Projects
11Fund for Safe and Peaceful CommunitiesIL$150,000Strong Communities
12Tapestry 360 HealthIL$150,000Health
13Uic Community Engagement and Neighborhood Health PartnershipsIL$150,000Health
14Chicago Public Education FundIL$140,000Education
15Mercy Housing LakefrontIL$135,000Strong Communities

Giving by year, and who received it

Grants paid by year

Every year of this foundation's grants that Civly holds
Tax yearGrantsPaid
20196$24.5M
2020788$31.5M
2021764$31.7M
2022700$26.1M
2023666$24.1M
2024560$19.2M

Where the money went

Share of 2024 grant dollars by recipient state
Illinois90%
New York3%
District of Columbia1%
California1%
Massachusetts1%

Who decides

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

No officers or trustees are listed on the filing we hold.

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.

Get matched against every grant these foundations actually paid

One foundation is a start. Civly Grant Matching reads your own filings, matches your programs against millions of paid grants by purpose, geography and grant size, and hands back every funder like this one with the deadline, the restrictions and the named trustees attached.

See Grant Matching