First Bank Chicago Foundation focuses its giving on supporting North Shore suburbs of Chicago—especially Highland Park and nearby communities—by funding local human services, education access, affordable housing, and arts/cultural organizations. The foundation tends to make repeated, mid-size grants to neighborhood institutions (community foundations, Rotary clubs), community colleges, school-focused nonprofits, and local arts patrons, privileging place-based impact and basic needs alongside cultural enrichment.
First Bank Chicago Foundation’s recent giving shows a clear pattern: sustained support for suburban Chicago organizations working on housing stability, education access, and local cultural life. In 2024 and 2025, it made repeated general operating grants to Community Partners for Affordable Housing, including $37,775 in 2024 and $34,690 in 2025, signaling ongoing support for affordable housing and homelessness prevention in the North Shore and nearby communities. The foundation also backed education-focused intermediaries such as Harper College Educational Foundation, with grants of $29,050 in 2025 and $21,000 in 2023, and Bernie's Book Bank, which received $25,000 in both 2023 and 2024. Its support extends to civic and cultural institutions as well, including Highland Park Community Foundation and IL Holocaust Museum and Education Center. Across these grants, the foundation favors place-based organizations that serve local residents through flexible operating support rather than restricted project funding.
Housing-related grants are a consistent part of the portfolio. Community Partners for Affordable Housing received general operating support in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago also received a $20,000 grant in 2023. Education access is another recurring theme. Harper College Educational Foundation was funded in 2023 and 2025, and District 112 Education Foundation received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, all as general operating support. The foundation also backs youth learning and college pathways: College Bound Opportunities received grants in 2023 and 2024, including support from both Highland Park and Riverwoods. Cultural and community memory institutions appear in the mix too, with IL Holocaust Museum and Education Center receiving grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Typical grants cluster at modest-to-mid levels, with a p25 of $500, a median of $1,000, and a p75 of $3,000. The recent grants list also shows larger operating grants concentrated in the $11,000 to $37,775 range for core community institutions. Grants recur across multiple years for the same recipients, indicating sustained support rather than one-time awards. The foundation is not an individual-giving vehicle and does not make program-related investments. Available grant records point to general operating support as the dominant structure.
$452K
$17K
$453K
$458K
Most grants fall between $500 and $3K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$500
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$3K
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.
Distributed, place-based giving made up of numerous small-to-mid-size grants with frequent repeat funding to the same local organizations; emphasis on sustaining community institutions rather than large single-project endowments.
Notable grantees: Community Partners for Affordable Housing, Bernie's Book Bank, Harper College Educational Foundation, Les Turner ALS Foundation, Ravinia Festival
Giving is overwhelmingly Illinois-based: 91% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state, and the recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based. The strongest concentration is in the North Shore and nearby suburban corridor, with repeated grants to organizations in Highland Park, Lake Bluff, Libertyville, Highwood, Palatine, Skokie, Evanston, Riverwoods, and Chicago. Highland Park appears frequently among recipient cities, alongside other north suburban locations.
Its recent grants center on housing stability, education access, and local civic and cultural institutions. Examples from the data include Community Partners for Affordable Housing, Harper College Educational Foundation, Bernie's Book Bank, Highland Park Community Foundation, and IL Holocaust Museum and Education Center, almost all funded with general operating support.
Recurring support is common. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Community Partners for Affordable Housing in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Bernie's Book Bank in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and IL Holocaust Museum and Education Center in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The grant-size distribution is small to mid-sized: p25 is $500, median is $1,000, and p75 is $3,000. The recent grants list also includes larger operating grants above $10,000 for recurring local partners.
Its giving is local and heavily concentrated in Illinois. Ninety-one percent of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and the recipient list includes organizations in Highland Park, Lake Bluff, Libertyville, Highwood, Palatine, Skokie, Evanston, Riverwoods, and Chicago.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals, and it does not make program-related investments. The grant records instead show charitable grants, most often as general operating support.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMMUNITY PARTNERS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING | LIBERTYVILLE, IL | $34,690 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| HARPER COLLEGE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | PALATINE, IL | $29,050 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| IL HOLOCAUST MUSEUM AND EDUCATION CENTER | SKOKIE, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| BERNIE'S BOOK BANK | LAKE BLUFF, IL | $21,250 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| LES TURNER ALS FOUNDATION | SKOKIE, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| HONEST GAME FOUNDATION | EVANSTON, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| DISTRICT 112 EDUCATION FOUNDATION | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| COLLEGE BOUND OPPORTUNITIES | RIVERWOODS, IL | $12,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| HIGHLAND PARK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $11,250 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| SALT SERVICE AND LEARNING TOGETHER | LAKE FOREST, IL | $10,750 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| JOSSELYN CENTER | NORTHFIELD, IL | $10,550 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE ARK | CHICAGO, IL | $10,050 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| FAMILY FOCUS | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| COLLEGE OF LAKE COUNTY FOUNDATION | GRAYSLAKE, IL | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| JEWISH UNITED FUND OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NORTHFIELD TOWNSHIP FOOD PANTRY | GLENVIEW, IL | $6,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| SKOKIE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | SKOKIE, IL | $6,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NILES TOWNSHIP FOOD PANTRY | SKOKIE, IL | $5,750 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NORTH SUBURBAN YMCA | NORTHBROOK, IL | $5,750 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| IMPACT GRANTS CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $5,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE DOUGLAS CENTER | SKOKIE, IL | $5,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| EARTH PAINT | WOOD DALE, IL | $5,273 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| RAVINIA FESTIVAL | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ROTARY CLUB OF NORTHBROOK | NORTHBROOK, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| RENEW COMMUNITIES NFP | KENOSHA, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ASPIRE OF ILLINOIS | HILLSIDE, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| COMMUNITY INVESTMENT CORP | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| TOTAL LINK2 COMMUNITY | NORTHBROOK, IL | $4,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| BITTER JESTER FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $3,750 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| HUNGER RESOURCE NETWORK | NORTHBROOK, IL | $3,712 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| JOURNEY'S | PALATINE, IL | $3,700 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE ART CENTER HIGHLAND PARK | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $3,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| A SAFE PLACE | ZION, IL | $3,300 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| PARKS FOUNDATION OF HIGHLAND PARK | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| PADS LAKE COUNTY | WAUKEGAN, IL | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE CENTER FOR ADVANCING DOMESTIC PEACE | CHICAGO, IL | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MORAINE TOWNSHIP FOOD PANTRY | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| HIGHLAND PARK COMMUNITY NURSERY SCHOOL | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| FOR AUTISTIC KIDS | GLENVIEW, IL | $2,850 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| WAUKEGAN TO COLLEGE | WAUKEGAN, IL | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NOGGIN BUILDERS FOUNDATION | NORTHBROOK, IL | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CONGREGATION B'NAI TORAH | DEERFIELD, IL | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CRADLES TO CRAYONS | CHICAGO, IL | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MOTHERS TRUST FOUNDATION | LAKE FOREST, IL | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ALLIES FOR COMMUNITY BUSINESS | CHICAGO, IL | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE CENTER FOR ENRICHED LIVING | RIVERWOODS, IL | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| TRI-CON CHILD CARE CENTER | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THRESHOLDS | CHICAGO, IL | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NORTH SUBURBAN LEGAL AID CLINIC | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF LAKE COUNTY | WAUKEGAN, IL | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
HARPER COLLEGE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
$29,050GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
IL HOLOCAUST MUSEUM AND EDUCATION CENTER
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
LES TURNER ALS FOUNDATION
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
HONEST GAME FOUNDATION
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
DISTRICT 112 EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
SALT SERVICE AND LEARNING TOGETHER
$10,750GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
SKOKIE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$6,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
NILES TOWNSHIP FOOD PANTRY
$5,750GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
NORTH SUBURBAN YMCA
$5,750GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
IMPACT GRANTS CHICAGO
$5,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
THE DOUGLAS CENTER
$5,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
EARTH PAINT
$5,273GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
RAVINIA FESTIVAL
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
ROTARY CLUB OF NORTHBROOK
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
RENEW COMMUNITIES NFP
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
TOTAL LINK2 COMMUNITY
$4,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
BITTER JESTER FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS
$3,750GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
HUNGER RESOURCE NETWORK
$3,712GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
JOURNEY'S
$3,700GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
THE ART CENTER HIGHLAND PARK
$3,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
PARKS FOUNDATION OF HIGHLAND PARK
$3,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
THE CENTER FOR ADVANCING DOMESTIC PEACE
$3,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MORAINE TOWNSHIP FOOD PANTRY
$3,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
HIGHLAND PARK COMMUNITY NURSERY SCHOOL
$3,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
FOR AUTISTIC KIDS
$2,850GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
WAUKEGAN TO COLLEGE
$2,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
NOGGIN BUILDERS FOUNDATION
$2,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
CONGREGATION B'NAI TORAH
$2,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
CRADLES TO CRAYONS
$2,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
TRI-CON CHILD CARE CENTER
$2,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT