About 1 17 Foundation
The 1 17 Foundation mainly supports faith-based organizations and religious education, concentrating gifts to churches and church-affiliated colleges in the Chicago area. It also makes modest donations to community social services and occasional international relief (e.g., Haiti) and maternal support programs. Grants are relatively few and mid-sized, often to mission-driven nonprofits rather than large institutional philanthropy.
Focus Areas
Local church operating support (Chicago-area congregations)Religious higher education and faith-based collegesFaith-based community ministries and rehabilitation programsMaternal and family support services in Chicago (e.g., New Moms)International relief to Haiti via faith-linked partners
Who They Fund
humanitarian aid workers, missionaries, pastors and Christian leaders (retreat support)young mothers experiencing poverty and homelessness (Chicagoland)low-income middle-grade students in Chicago
About 1 17 Foundation
1 17 Foundation gives most often to faith-based institutions, with recent grants centered on churches, church-affiliated colleges, and ministry partners. A 2023 gift of $45,000 to Covenant Presbyterian Church in Chicago is the largest recent grant in the data, and the same church received another $13,500 in 2024. Religious higher education is another clear thread: Dominican University in River Forest received $20,445 in 2025, while Judson College in Elgin received $10,141 in 2023 and $8,589 in 2025. The foundation’s portfolio also includes mission-oriented community and relief work. It gave $10,000 to New Moms Chicago for housing, job training, and family support for young mothers experiencing poverty and homelessness, and $12,500 to Oasis Rest International in 2025. International relief appears in grants such as $10,000 to Chicago Friends of Haiti and $5,000 to Mission to the World for aid after a deadly Middle East earthquake. The pattern is of relatively modest-to-mid-sized grants to organizations tied to church life, faith-based education, and direct-service ministry.
What 1 17 Foundation Funds
Faith-based education is one of the foundation’s clearest themes. Dominican University received $20,445 in 2025 and $4,200 in 2023, both listed as donations or tuition support. Judson College also received support across multiple years, including $10,141 in 2023 and $8,589 in 2025. Church support is another recurring area. Covenant Presbyterian Church in Chicago received $45,000 in 2023 and $13,500 in 2024, while Ravenswood Baptist Church received $1,500 in 2024. The foundation also backs church-linked ministries such as Life Impact, which was funded $5,000 in 2023 for retreats serving humanitarian aid workers, missionaries, pastors, and other Christian leaders. Direct service shows up in maternal support and relief work. New Moms Chicago received $10,000 in 2024 and $2,500 in 2023 for housing, job training, and family support for young mothers. The foundation also supported Chicago Friends of Haiti for bringing hope and health to Haiti.
How 1 17 Foundation Gives
Typical awards are modest-to-mid-sized: the grant-size distribution runs from a p25 of $1,500 to a median of $4,100 and a p75 of $8,741. The recent record shows both one-off gifts and repeat support, including multiple years of funding for churches, colleges, and service organizations. The foundation funds individuals as well as organizations, as shown by a $3,000 grant for living expenses to Grace Heredia in 2024. It also accepts unsolicited fertility-grant applications through its Foundation 1:17 Fertility Grants program.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$233K
Total Assets
$275K
Total Revenue
$21K
Total Expenses
$67K
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $2K and $9K, with a median of $4K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$4K
75th Percentile
$9K
Geographic Reach
Regional13 states funded
About 51% of grants go to recipients in UT.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where 1 17 Foundation Funds
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for 1 17 Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 35 | $231K | 97.2% |
| 2 | Afghanistan | 1 | $2K |
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