Chicago Foundation for Women

About Chicago Foundation for Women

Chicago Foundation for Women channels its grantmaking toward women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals in Chicago through a mix of general operating support, capacity building, and targeted initiative funding. A notable throughline is place-based work in Englewood and the South Side, alongside support for workforce pathways, health access, and violence prevention. In the recent-grants list, Teamwork Englewood received $82,500 in 2025 for the Englewood Women’s Initiative, while Jane Addams Resource Corporation received $100,000 in 2024 for Careers in Manufacturing for Women. The foundation also backs organizations serving women in trades, women’s health, and mental wellness, with awards to Chicago Women in Trades, Equal Hope, and Sista Afya Community Care Nfp. Some grants are unrestricted, while others are tied to named programs or organizational strengthening. Across the grant list, the pattern is local and steady, with repeated support for a small set of Chicago organizations over multiple years. The foundation’s work reflects both direct service and ecosystem support, including leadership development, advocacy, and emergency response funding.

What Chicago Foundation for Women Funds

Economic security is a major theme in the foundation’s portfolio. Chicago Women in Trades received $85,000 in 2024 for Advancing Equity and Inclusion for Women and Technical Opportunities Program, and $55,000 in 2025 for Advancing Equity and Inclusion for Women in Apprenticeship and Employment. National Able Network Inc received $50,000 in 2024 for Women’s IT Career Lab Training Program. The foundation also supports neighborhood-based economic mobility work, including Chicago Commons Association’s Family Hub Employment Support Program at $40,000 in 2024. Health and wellness funding appears through both general and issue-specific grants. Equal Hope received $51,000 in 2024 for Northshore Women’s Health Disparities Reduction Program, and Sista Afya Community Care Nfp received $40,000 in 2024 for Holistic Mental Wellness Care. Reproductive justice and adolescent health also show up in support for Everthrive Illinois and Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health. Violence prevention remains another clear line of giving, including Family Rescue’s Englewood Women’s Initiative.

How Chicago Foundation for Women Gives