A Better Chicago is a venture philanthropy that invests in promising youth-serving nonprofits in Chicago to help children escape poverty by providing unrestricted funding, management support, and strategic guidance to enable organizations to scale.
A Better Chicago backs youth-serving nonprofits in Chicago through multi-year, unrestricted, and capacity-building support, with a portfolio built around helping Black and Latinx youth from low-income backgrounds move through education, careers, social-emotional development, and basic needs. Its grantmaking is structured as venture philanthropy: the foundation pairs funding with management support and strategic guidance so organizations can scale. Recent grants show that approach in practice. Roosevelt University received $600,000 in 2023, and Juvenile Protective Association received $400,000 in 2024, both in the foundation’s broader community-development portfolio. The organization also uses portfolio-based investing and open application pathways for its core grantee group, alongside targeted initiatives such as the Catalyst Fund for community-embedded leaders on Chicago’s South and West sides. Another defining feature is its focus on Chicago youth opportunity rather than a broad geographic spread; the grant record is overwhelmingly local, and the most frequent recipient state is Illinois.
Education is a central part of A Better Chicago’s portfolio. The foundation gave $280,000 to Kipp Chicago Schools in 2023 and $250,000 to Chicago Scholars in 2024 to support youth-serving education pathways. Its career and postsecondary work is equally visible. One Million Degrees received $262,500 in 2023 and $250,000 in 2025, while Braven Inc received $200,000 in 2025 and $175,000 in 2023. The foundation also funds social-emotional and mental-health-related supports: Vocel Viewing Our Children as Emerging Leaders received $225,000 in both 2024 and 2025. Basic-needs support appears in the portfolio as well, including grants to Chicago HOPES for Kids in 2023 and 2024.
Typical grant size is $75,000 at the 25th percentile, $150,000 at the median, and $212,500 at the 75th percentile. The recent record also includes larger multiyear awards such as $600,000 and several grants at $300,000. Recipients appear across multiple years, suggesting ongoing portfolio relationships rather than one-off awards; examples include repeated support in 2023, 2024, and 2025 within the recent grant list. A Better Chicago is a regular funder, not a DAF or PRI vehicle, and the core portfolio includes an open application process for selected youth-serving nonprofits.
$3.5M
$20.7M
$12.4M
$7.5M
Most grants fall between $75K and $213K, with a median of $150K.
25th Percentile
$75K
Median
$150K
75th Percentile
$213K
Elizabeth F Swanson CEO
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Grantmaking is highly concentrated in Chicago and nearby Illinois communities. Illinois recipients account for 89% of grants, and the recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based. Chicago appears repeatedly across the grant list, including recipients in Chicago proper and one award to Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts for Bottom Line, which stands out as the top state by grant count. The recent record also includes Chicago, South Side, and West Side in a targeted program for community-embedded leaders.
The foundation funds youth-serving nonprofits and school-based entities or collaboratives serving Black and Latinx youth from low-income backgrounds in Chicago. Its portfolio covers education, careers, social-emotional development, basic needs, and capacity building.
Yes. The Core Grantee Application and Core Grantee Portfolio are described as open application processes, and the Catalyst Fund is also marked as accepting unsolicited applications. The COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund and the Chicago Design Challenge initiatives are not open for unsolicited applications.
Typical grant size is $75,000 at the 25th percentile, $150,000 at the median, and $212,500 at the 75th percentile. The recent record also includes larger awards such as $600,000 and multiple grants in the $200,000 to $300,000 range.
Support is often recurring. Several organizations appear in multiple recent years, including Juvenile Protective Association, Bottom Line, Chicago Scholars, One Million Degrees, and Vocel Viewing Our Children as Emerging Leaders, which suggests ongoing portfolio relationships rather than isolated one-time grants.
Giving is local and heavily centered on Illinois, with 89% of grants going to recipients in the state. The recent grant list is entirely U.S.-based, and Chicago recipients make up most of the record.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Better Chicago that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Established organizations with proven outcomes serving Chicago youth, particularly Black and Latinx youth from low-income backgrounds.
Deadline: No public deadlines; interest form reviewed on a rolling basis.
Who can apply: Organizations that are community-embedded and providing services to youth in Chicago, particularly on the South and West sides. Focus on promising early-stage initiatives or those ready to expand.
Deadline: No public application deadlines; interest form reviewed on a rolling basis. A Better Chicago notes it is currently not soliciting open applications but accepts interest forms.
Who can apply: Nonprofit organizations and initiatives at different stages of development that focus on creating opportunity for Black and Latinx youth from low-income backgrounds. Investments may support established programs with a track record of success and promising early-stage models.
Deadline: General interest forms are reviewed on a rolling basis; formal applications are not currently being solicited.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juvenile Protective Association | Chicago, IL | $300,000 | 2025 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| Bottom Line | Jamaica Plain, MA | $300,000 | 2025 | Community Development |
| ONE MILLION DEGREES | Chicago, IL | $250,000 | 2025 | Community Development |
| CHICAGO SCHOLARS | CHICAGO, IL | $250,000 | 2025 | Community Development |
| Vocel Viewing Our Children as Emerging Leaders | Chicago, IL | $225,000 | 2025 | Community Development |
| National Louis University | Chicago, IL | $225,000 | 2025 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| COLLEGE POSSIBLE | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 2025 | Community Development |
| Braven Inc | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 2025 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| Intrinsic Schools | Chicago, IL | $175,000 | 2025 | Community Development |
| Chicago HOPES for Kids | Chicago, IL | $150,000 | 2025 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| Alternatives | Chicago, IL | $150,000 | 2025 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| iMentor | NEW YORK, NY | $125,000 | 2025 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| Springboard Collaborative | Philadelphia, PA | $125,000 | 2025 | Community Development |
| The Bloc | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | Community Development |
| Austin Childcare Provider's Network | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | Community Development |
| MAAFA Redemption Project | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | Community Development |
| Lion's Pride Mentoring | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| Rush University Medical Center | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | Community Development |
| Roosevelt University | Chicago, IL | $80,000 | 2025 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| Project OneTen | Chicago, IL | $75,000 | 2025 | Community Development |
| The Firehouse Community Arts Center of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $75,000 | 2025 | Community Development |
| A House in Austin | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | Community Development |
| Lost Boyz Inc | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | Community Development |
| KIPP CHICAGO SCHOOLS | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | Community Development |
| Noble Network of Charter Schools | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | Community Development |
| Juvenile Protective Association | Chicago, IL | $400,000 | 2024 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| Bottom Line | Jamaica Plain, MA | $300,000 | 2024 | Community Development |
| Roosevelt University | Chicago, IL | $250,000 | 2024 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| CHICAGO SCHOLARS | CHICAGO, IL | $250,000 | 2024 | Community Development |
| ONE MILLION DEGREES | Chicago, IL | $250,000 | 2024 | Community Development |
| Vocel Viewing Our Children as Emerging Leaders | Chicago, IL | $225,000 | 2024 | Community Development |
| Chicago HOPES for Kids | Chicago, IL | $225,000 | 2024 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| COLLEGE POSSIBLE | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 2024 | Community Development |
| National Louis University | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 2024 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| Braven Inc | Chicago, IL | $175,000 | 2024 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| Intrinsic Schools | Chicago, IL | $150,000 | 2024 | Community Development |
| Lion's Pride Mentoring | Chicago, IL | $150,000 | 2024 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| Alternatives | Chicago, IL | $125,000 | 2024 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| iMentor | NEW YORK, NY | $125,000 | 2024 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| MAAFA Redemption Project | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2024 | Community Development |
| Austin Childcare Provider's Network | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2024 | Community Development |
| Pitch-In | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2024 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| The Bloc | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2024 | Community Development |
| Lost Boyz Inc | Chicago, IL | $75,000 | 2024 | Community Development |
| The Firehouse Community Arts Center of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $75,000 | 2024 | Community Development |
| Dream on Education | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | Community Development |
| Leading Educators | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| BARR | Maple Grove, MN | $50,000 | 2024 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| KIPP CHICAGO SCHOOLS | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | Community Development |
| Noble Network of Charter Schools | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | Community Development |
National Louis University
$225,000COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Chicago HOPES for Kids
$150,000COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
The Firehouse Community Arts Center of Chicago
$75,000Community Development
A House in Austin
$50,000Community Development
Chicago HOPES for Kids
$225,000COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
National Louis University
$200,000COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Pitch-In
$100,000COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
The Firehouse Community Arts Center of Chicago
$75,000Community Development
Dream on Education
$50,000Community Development
