The Cretors Family Foundation concentrates support on Chicagoland cultural and environmental organizations while making occasional gifts to humanitarian and women’s causes. Their largest and repeat grants fund local arts and garden education institutions, indicating a preference for sustaining regional cultural assets and public-facing educational programs. Smaller, single gifts go to international medical relief and women’s social services, suggesting secondary interests in humanitarian aid and gender-specific supports.
A $250,000 grant to Ragdale for arts and crafts initiatives stands out in the Cretors Family Foundation’s recent record and signals how closely the funder ties its giving to regional cultural institutions. The foundation has also made repeated support a pattern, returning to Ragdale and the Chicago Botanic Garden across multiple years rather than limiting itself to one-time gifts. That mix of larger anchor grants and smaller follow-on awards suggests a grantmaker that sustains a short list of organizations over time. Alongside arts and garden education, the foundation has funded women’s social support, healthcare access, hunger relief, and community services. Recent awards include support for Chicago Foundation for Women, Doctors Without Borders, The Night Ministry, and Greater Chicago Food Depository. It also gives to education-related organizations such as Learn, Ravinia Festival, and Children’s Literacy Initiative. The grant record shows a clear preference for established nonprofits with program descriptions that emphasize education, community engagement, direct service, and humanitarian aid. Many of the largest gifts go to Chicagoland institutions, while the smaller awards widen the foundation’s reach into health and relief work.
Arts and cultural programming is a major thread in the foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $250,000 to Ragdale to enhance arts and crafts initiatives, then followed with another $50,000 award to pursue cultural consciousness through substantive learning and transparent policies. Environmental education appears in another recurring line of support. Chicago Botanic Garden received $100,000 for environmental and garden education, plus additional grants of $50,000 in 2024 and 2025 for the same purpose. The foundation also backs education and youth-focused programming. Learn received $25,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025 to enhance education, while Children’s Literacy Initiative received $10,000 for high-quality, culturally sustaining literacy instruction for Black and Latino children. Health and humanitarian support is present as well, through gifts to Doctors Without Borders for healthcare support abroad and to Palestine Childrens Relief Fund for nonpolitical humanitarian relief focused on healthcare for children in Palestine.
$490K
$6.4M
$330K
$575K
Most grants fall between $5K and $10K, with a median of $7K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$7K
75th Percentile
$10K
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Concentrated giving with a small number of relatively large grants, including repeat funding to core local institutions; primarily regional focus with occasional one-off gifts to national/international humanitarian causes.
Notable grantees: Ragdale, Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago Foundation for Women, Doctors Without Borders
The typical grant size is modest: the 25th percentile is $5,000, the median is $7,000, and the 75th percentile is $10,000. That puts most awards in a relatively narrow band, with a smaller number of larger anchors at the top end of the record. The foundation also shows repeat support across years. Chicago Botanic Garden, Ragdale, Learn, Chicago Foundation for Women, Highland Park Community Foundation, Erie Family Health Foundation, Ravinia Festival, and Doctors Without Borders all appear more than once in the recent-grants list. It is a Regular Funder, not a DAF or program-related investor, and it does not fund individuals.
Grantmaking is national, but the record is heavily concentrated in Illinois, which accounts for 48% of grants. Illinois recipients include Lake Forest, Glencoe, Chicago, Highland Park, and North Chicago, showing a strong Chicago-area footprint. Outside Illinois, the foundation’s awards reach New York, California, Pennsylvania, and Florida. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based in the data provided, with 96 grants going to U.S. organizations.
The recent record centers on arts and cultural institutions, environmental education, women’s social support, healthcare access, hunger relief, and education. Named recipients include Ragdale, Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago Foundation for Women, Doctors Without Borders, The Night Ministry, Greater Chicago Food Depository, and Children’s Literacy Initiative.
The foundation’s grant sizes are usually small to mid-sized. The 25th percentile is $5,000, the median is $7,000, and the 75th percentile is $10,000, so most awards fall in that range.
Yes. Several organizations appear across multiple years, including Chicago Botanic Garden, Ragdale, Learn, Chicago Foundation for Women, Highland Park Community Foundation, Erie Family Health Foundation, Ravinia Festival, and Doctors Without Borders.
Illinois receives the largest share of grants, with 48% of awards going to recipients in the HQ state. The recent list also includes organizations in New York, California, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAGDALE | LAKE FOREST, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | TO PURSUE CULTURAL CONSCIOUSNESS THROUGHOUT OUR ORGANIZATION THROUGH SUBSTANTIVE LEARNING AND TRANSPARENT POLICIES |
| CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN | GLENCOE, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENTAL AND GARDEN EDUCATION |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | PROVIDE HEALTH CARE SUPPORT ABROAD |
| CHICAGO FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN | CHICAGO, IL | $35,000 | 2025 | PROVIDING SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS. |
| LEARN | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | ENHANCE EDUCATION |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | FOR ASSISTING COMMUNITY NEEDS |
| GREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | TO END HUNGER BY CONNECTING OUR NEIGHBORS WITH HEALTHY FOOD |
| THE NIGHT MINISTRY | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | TO PROVIDE HUMAN CONNECTION, HOUSING SUPPORT, AND HEALTH CARE TO MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE UNHOUSED |
| RAVINIA FESTIVAL | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | PROVIDING EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH CLASSICAL MUSIC |
| HIGHLAND PARK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT SOCIAL SERVICES AND EDUCATIONAL NEEDS |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | LEADER IN PROVIDING AND PROMOTING COMPASSIONATE, COMPREHENSIVE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION, AND RIGHTS |
| SARAH'S CIRCLE | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | PROVIDE A FULL CONTINUUM OF SERVICES FOR WOMEN TO HELP THEM PERMANENTLY END THEIR HOMELESSNESS |
| ERIE FAMILY HEALTH FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT ERIE FAMILY HEALTH CENTER MISSION |
| BEST BUDDIES | MIAMI, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FRIENDSHIPS FOR PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENT DISABILITIES |
| FENIX FAMILY HEALTH CENTER | HIGHWOOD, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | PROVIDE MEDICAL CARE TO LOW INCOME AND UNINSURED PEOPLE |
| ALVIN AILEY DANCE FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | FURTHERING ARTS THROUGH SOCIAL PROGRAMS |
| FEED THE CHILDREN | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $10,000 | 2025 | WE ARE COMMITTED TO ENDING CHILDHOOD HUNGER |
| PALESTINE CHILDRENS RELIEF FUND | LOS ANGELES, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | PROVIDE NONPOLITICAL HUMANITARIAN RELIEF FOCUSED ON HEALTHCARE FOR CHILDREN IN PALESTINE. |
| FAMILY FOCUS | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | WE SERVE FAMILIES BY GIVING PARENTS SUPPORT, KNOWLEDGE, AND RESOURCES THEY NEED TO GIVE THEIR CHILDREN THE BEST POSSIBLE START IN LIFE |
| ICC ROSALIND FRANKLIN UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND SCIENCE | NORTH CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | TO IMPROVE THE WELLNESS OF ALL PEOPLE THROUGH INNOVATIVE, INTERPROFESSIONAL EDUCATION OF HEALTH AND BIOMEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AND THE DISCOVERY AND IMPLEMENTATION OF KNOWLEDGE |
| CHICAGO PUBLIC MEDIA | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | MEDIA CREATING FOR EDUCATION PURPOSES |
| THE TREVOR PROJECT | WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | TO END SUICIDE AMONG LGBTQ |
| LURIE CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | TO CREATE A HEALTHIER FUTURE FOR EVERY CHILD |
| OPERATION SMILE | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | WE CREATE SOLUTIONS THAT DELIVER SAFE SURGERY TO PEOPLE WHERE IT'S NEEDED MOST |
| WOMEN EMPLOYED | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | PURSUE EQUITY FOR WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE BY EFFECTING POLICY CHANGE |
| NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL (NOLS) | LANDER, WY | $10,000 | 2025 | TO BE THE LEADING SOURCE AND TEACHER OF WILDERNESS SKILLS. |
| DEPAUL UNIVERSITY | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | SUPPORTING THE INTEGRAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT OF ITS STUDENTS BY PROVING OUTSTANDING TEACHING & ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE. |
| STEPPENWOLF THEATER | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR ARTS AND CULTURE |
| GOODMAN THEATER | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR ARTS AND CULTURE |
| COMMUNITY YOUTH NETWORK COUNSELING(CYN) | GRAYSLAKE, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | COUNSELING SERVICES |
| TUNIDITO CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES | TUCSON, AZ | $5,000 | 2025 | EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES |
| CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN | GLENCOE, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | ENVIRONMENTAL AND GARDEN EDUCATION |
| LEARN | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | ENHANCE EDUCATION |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2024 | PROVIDE HEALTH CARE SUPPORT ABROAD |
| CAMFED USA FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORTING THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY AND HIV/AIDS IN AFRICA BY EDUCATING GIRLS AND EMPOWERING WOMEN TO BECOME LEADERS OF CHANGE, |
| HIGHLAND PARK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT SOCIAL SERVICES AND EDUCATIONAL NEEDS |
| FENIX FAMILY HEALTH CENTER | HIGHWOOD, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | PROVIDE MEDICAL CARE TO LOW INCOME AND UNINSURED PEOPLE |
| RAVINIA FESTIVAL | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | PROVIDING EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH CLASSICAL MUSIC |
| CHILDREN'S LITERACY INITIATIVE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $10,000 | 2024 | PROVIDE BLACK AND LATINO CHILDREN HIGH-QUALITY & CULTURALLY SUSTAINING LITERACY INSTRUCTION. |
| CHICAGO FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | PROVIDING SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS. |
| LURIE CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | TO CREATE A HEALTHIER FUTURE FOR EVERY CHILD |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | FOR ASSISSTING COMMUNITY NEEDS |
| ERIE FAMILY HEALTH FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT ERIE FAMILY HEALTH CENTER MISSION |
| PALESTINE CHILDRENS RELIEF FUND | LOS ANGELES, CA | $7,000 | 2024 | PROVIDE NONPOLITICAL HUMANITARIAN RELIEF FOCUSED ON HEALTHCARE FOR CHILDREN IN PALESTINE. |
| NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL (NOLS) | LANDER, WY | $7,000 | 2024 | TO BE THE LEADING SOURCE AND TEACHER OF WILDERNESS SKILLS. |
| THE TREVOR PROJECT | WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA | $7,000 | 2024 | TO END SUICIDE AMONG LGBTQ |
| EARTH ISLAND INSTITUTE | BERKELEY, CA | $7,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVMENT |
| ALVIN AILEY DANCE FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $7,000 | 2024 | FURTHERING ARTS THROUGH SOCIAL PROGRAMS |
| INNOCENCE PROJECT | NEW YORK, NY | $7,000 | 2024 | TO CREATE A FAIR AND EQUITABLE JUSTICE SYSTEM |
| PAWS CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $7,000 | 2024 | TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR SOLUTIONSS TO END THE KILLING OF HOMELESS PETS. |
TO PURSUE CULTURAL CONSCIOUSNESS THROUGHOUT OUR ORGANIZATION THROUGH SUBSTANTIVE LEARNING AND TRANSPARENT POLICIES
CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN
$50,000ENVIRONMENTAL AND GARDEN EDUCATION
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
$50,000PROVIDE HEALTH CARE SUPPORT ABROAD
LEARN
$25,000ENHANCE EDUCATION
AMERICAN RED CROSS
$20,000FOR ASSISTING COMMUNITY NEEDS
TO END HUNGER BY CONNECTING OUR NEIGHBORS WITH HEALTHY FOOD
TO PROVIDE HUMAN CONNECTION, HOUSING SUPPORT, AND HEALTH CARE TO MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE UNHOUSED
RAVINIA FESTIVAL
$20,000PROVIDING EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH CLASSICAL MUSIC
SUPPORT SOCIAL SERVICES AND EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
PLANNED PARENTHOOD
$10,000LEADER IN PROVIDING AND PROMOTING COMPASSIONATE, COMPREHENSIVE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION, AND RIGHTS
PROVIDE A FULL CONTINUUM OF SERVICES FOR WOMEN TO HELP THEM PERMANENTLY END THEIR HOMELESSNESS
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FRIENDSHIPS FOR PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENT DISABILITIES
PROVIDE MEDICAL CARE TO LOW INCOME AND UNINSURED PEOPLE
PROVIDE NONPOLITICAL HUMANITARIAN RELIEF FOCUSED ON HEALTHCARE FOR CHILDREN IN PALESTINE.
WE SERVE FAMILIES BY GIVING PARENTS SUPPORT, KNOWLEDGE, AND RESOURCES THEY NEED TO GIVE THEIR CHILDREN THE BEST POSSIBLE START IN LIFE
ICC ROSALIND FRANKLIN UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND SCIENCE
$10,000TO IMPROVE THE WELLNESS OF ALL PEOPLE THROUGH INNOVATIVE, INTERPROFESSIONAL EDUCATION OF HEALTH AND BIOMEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AND THE DISCOVERY AND IMPLEMENTATION OF KNOWLEDGE
LURIE CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION
$10,000TO CREATE A HEALTHIER FUTURE FOR EVERY CHILD
WE CREATE SOLUTIONS THAT DELIVER SAFE SURGERY TO PEOPLE WHERE IT'S NEEDED MOST
PURSUE EQUITY FOR WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE BY EFFECTING POLICY CHANGE
NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL (NOLS)
$10,000TO BE THE LEADING SOURCE AND TEACHER OF WILDERNESS SKILLS.
SUPPORTING THE INTEGRAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT OF ITS STUDENTS BY PROVING OUTSTANDING TEACHING & ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE.
GOODMAN THEATER
$5,000SUPPORT FOR ARTS AND CULTURE
TUNIDITO CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES
$5,000EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
LEARN
$25,000ENHANCE EDUCATION
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
$20,000PROVIDE HEALTH CARE SUPPORT ABROAD
SUPPORTING THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY AND HIV/AIDS IN AFRICA BY EDUCATING GIRLS AND EMPOWERING WOMEN TO BECOME LEADERS OF CHANGE,
SUPPORT SOCIAL SERVICES AND EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
PROVIDE MEDICAL CARE TO LOW INCOME AND UNINSURED PEOPLE
RAVINIA FESTIVAL
$10,000PROVIDING EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH CLASSICAL MUSIC
PROVIDE BLACK AND LATINO CHILDREN HIGH-QUALITY & CULTURALLY SUSTAINING LITERACY INSTRUCTION.
LURIE CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION
$10,000TO CREATE A HEALTHIER FUTURE FOR EVERY CHILD
PROVIDE NONPOLITICAL HUMANITARIAN RELIEF FOCUSED ON HEALTHCARE FOR CHILDREN IN PALESTINE.
NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL (NOLS)
$7,000TO BE THE LEADING SOURCE AND TEACHER OF WILDERNESS SKILLS.
TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR SOLUTIONSS TO END THE KILLING OF HOMELESS PETS.