The Foundation focuses its grant giving on organizations that help those who are the most vulnerable, especially the young and the elderly. Education, shelter and hunger are guiding premises in choosing recipients. The greater Chicago area has been the primary location of recipients.
The Fred J Brunner Foundation repeatedly backs organizations serving vulnerable people, with especially visible support for youth, the elderly, and people facing domestic violence, disability, food insecurity, or health challenges. Its recent grants include multiple five-figure awards for unrestricted support and program delivery, alongside targeted funding for shelter, education, and clinical or educational services. In Chicago-area grantmaking, The Salvation Army received repeated support, including $80,000 awards for unrestricted organization support, while Pillars-constance Morris House received recurring $75,000 grants for shelter, care, and outreach to survivors of domestic violence. The foundation also funds specialized service providers such as Center for Independent Futures for electronic curriculum for disabled learners and National Jewish Health for care related to respiratory, cardiac, and immune disease. School and student support appears as another thread, with grants to schools and scholarship-related purposes. The pattern suggests a local funder using a mix of unrestricted grants, operating support, and program-specific awards to meet immediate needs while also supporting longer-term capacity in the greater Chicago area.
Education is a core theme in the foundation’s recent giving. It supported Saban Center with $50,000 to develop a STEM education program and gave Josephium Academy $35,000 in unrestricted organization support. The youth-serving side of the portfolio also includes school and student support, such as St Patrick High School’s financial assistance program and Dutchess Day School’s financial aid for the current school year. Shelter and domestic violence services are another clear area of support. Pillars-constance Morris House received $75,000 for shelter, care, and outreach to survivors of domestic violence, while The Salvation Army received unrestricted support in Chicago. Health and disability-related grants appear as well. Aspire was funded for health and wellness education, and Center for Independent Futures received support for electronic curriculum for disabled learners.
Typical grants cluster tightly around the mid-five-figure range: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $25,000. Recent awards also show larger recurring grants, including repeated support to the same organizations across multiple years, which points to an ongoing relationship model rather than one-off giving. The foundation is a regular funder and operates annual grant programs, including fall cycles; applicants may reapply annually. It accepts unsolicited requests and uses a mix of unrestricted and project-based support, including scholarships and direct service funding.
$1.6M
$31.9M
$1.5M
$2M
Most grants fall between $10K and $25K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$25K
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The foundation’s giving is highly concentrated in Illinois, which accounts for 86% of grants. Chicago appears frequently, along with Hillside, La Grange, Evanston, Geneva, and Waukegan. Outside Illinois, recent grants reached Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Millbrook, New York, but the portfolio is overwhelmingly local and centered on the greater Chicago area.
It supports nonprofit organizations serving vulnerable populations, especially youth and the elderly, with emphasis on education, shelter, and hunger. Recent grants also show support for domestic violence shelter services, disability services, health and wellness education, and food purchasing for emergency distribution.
Yes. The active annual grant programs listed for the foundation all accept unsolicited requests, and one program notes that organizations may reapply annually.
The typical grant size is $10,000 at both the 25th percentile and median, with a 75th percentile of $25,000. Recent awards also include larger grants in the $30,000 to $100,000 range.
Its grantmaking is concentrated in Illinois, which accounts for 86% of grants. Recent recipient cities include Chicago, Hillside, La Grange, Evanston, Geneva, and Waukegan.
Yes. Recent grants show repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, including The Salvation Army, Aspire, Pillars-constance Morris House, Center for Independent Futures, National Jewish Health, and Saban Center.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE SALVATION ARMY | CHICAGO, IL | $80,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| ASPIRE | HILLSIDE, IL | $75,000 | 2025 | HEALTH & WELLNESS EDUCATION |
| PILLARS-CONSTANCE MORRIS HOUSE | LA GRANGE, IL | $75,000 | 2025 | PROVIDE SHELTER, CARE, AND OUTREACH TO SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE |
| CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT FUTURES | EVANSTON, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | FUNDING FOR ELECTRONIC CURRICULUM FOR DISABLED |
| SABAN CENTER | TUSCALOOSA, AL | $50,000 | 2025 | DEVELOP A STEM EDUCATION PROGRAM |
| CHRIST THE KING COLLEGE PREP | CHICAGO, IL | $30,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| MISERICORDIA HEART OF MERCY | CHICAGO, IL | $30,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| SAN MIGUEL SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $30,000 | 2025 | MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM |
| CRISTO REY JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $30,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOOD BANK | GENEVA, IL | $30,000 | 2025 | PURCHASING FOOD FOR EMERGENCIES AND DISTRIBUTION TO FOOD PANTRIES |
| ST PATRICK HIGH SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $30,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM |
| CHICAGO JESUIT ACADEMY | CHICAGO, IL | $30,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| MERCY HOME FOR BOYS & GIRLS | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION AND CAREER RESOURCES |
| MEALS ON WHEELS | EVANSTON, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT HOMEBOUND AND DISABLED INDIVIDUALS |
| MOTHER MC AULEY HIGH SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| CLARE WOODS ACADEMY | WHEATON, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| ASPIRTECH | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM |
| ST VINCENT DE PAUL CENTER | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| FAYETTEVILLE PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND | FAYETTEVILLE, AR | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANZIATION SUPPORT |
| NATIVITY JESUIT ACADEMY | MILWAUKEE, WI | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT AND FUND TEMPORARY ACADEMIC AIDE |
| OUR LADY OF TEPEYAC HIGH SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE NEEDS BASED FINANCIAL AID PROGRAM |
| ST MALACHY SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| BROTHER RICE HS | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| EOA CHILDRENS HOUSE | SPRINGSDALE, AR | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| MOUNT CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES | GOLDEN, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM |
| HADLEY SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND | WINNETKA, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE TOVISUAL IMPARED INDIVIDUALS |
| ALLIANCE FRANCAIS DE CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | EXPAND FRENCH LANGUAGE SKILLS |
| PROVIDENCE ST MELS HIGH SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| HOLY TRINITY HIGH SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE STUDENT ASSITANCE PROGRAM |
| CHILDRENS ADVOCACY CENTER | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT TO CHILDREN FROM SEXUAL ABUSE |
| KOLBE HOUSE | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | ASSIST PEOPLE IMPACTED BY INCARCERATION |
| THE JONES CENTER | SPRINGDALE, AR | $20,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| LITTLE FRIENDS OF THE ELDERLY | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | TO RELIEVE ISOLATION AND LONELINESS FOR SNIOR CITIZENS |
| THE BOULEVARD | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | PROVIDE SERVICES TO HOMELESS PEOPLE |
| LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| COMMON PANTRY | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | NONPROFIT FOOD PANTRY |
| CHILDRENS RESEARCH TRIANGLE | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | SUMMER CAMP FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES |
| THE INFANT WELFARE SOCIETY | OAK PARK, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| OLIVER SOCCER FC | FAYETTEVILLE, AR | $15,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT UNDERPRIVILEGED TO PLAY SOCCER |
| HOME HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| NORTHSIDE HOUSING | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | PROVIDING CRUCIAL SERVICES TO THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS |
| SOUTHWEST CHICAGO PADS | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM |
| ROSELAND TRAINING CENTER | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | PARENT/CHILD TUTORING PROGRAM |
| MERCY HOUSING LAKEFRONT | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| ONWARD NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING | CHICAGO, IL | $12,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| OPERATION WARM | PHILDELPHIA, PA | $12,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| MARTIN AVENUE APARTMENTS | NAPERVILLE, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT |
| HOME OF THE SPARROW | MC HENRY, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN WHO ARE HOMELESS |
| THE NIGHT MINISTRY | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE INTERIM HOUSING PROGRAM |
THE SALVATION ARMY
$80,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
PILLARS-CONSTANCE MORRIS HOUSE
$75,000PROVIDE SHELTER, CARE, AND OUTREACH TO SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
SABAN CENTER
$50,000DEVELOP A STEM EDUCATION PROGRAM
CHRIST THE KING COLLEGE PREP
$30,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
MISERICORDIA HEART OF MERCY
$30,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
SAN MIGUEL SCHOOL
$30,000MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM
CRISTO REY JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL
$30,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
PURCHASING FOOD FOR EMERGENCIES AND DISTRIBUTION TO FOOD PANTRIES
ST PATRICK HIGH SCHOOL
$30,000FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
CHICAGO JESUIT ACADEMY
$30,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
MERCY HOME FOR BOYS & GIRLS
$25,000EDUCATION AND CAREER RESOURCES
MEALS ON WHEELS
$25,000SUPPORT HOMEBOUND AND DISABLED INDIVIDUALS
MOTHER MC AULEY HIGH SCHOOL
$25,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
CLARE WOODS ACADEMY
$25,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
ASPIRTECH
$25,000EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM
ST VINCENT DE PAUL CENTER
$25,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
NATIVITY JESUIT ACADEMY
$25,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT AND FUND TEMPORARY ACADEMIC AIDE
OUR LADY OF TEPEYAC HIGH SCHOOL
$25,000SUPPORT THE NEEDS BASED FINANCIAL AID PROGRAM
ST MALACHY SCHOOL
$25,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
BROTHER RICE HS
$25,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
EOA CHILDRENS HOUSE
$25,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
MOUNT CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL
$25,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
$25,000SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
SUPPORT TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE TOVISUAL IMPARED INDIVIDUALS
ALLIANCE FRANCAIS DE CHICAGO
$25,000EXPAND FRENCH LANGUAGE SKILLS
HOLY TRINITY HIGH SCHOOL
$25,000SUPPORT THE STUDENT ASSITANCE PROGRAM
CHILDRENS ADVOCACY CENTER
$20,000SUPPORT TO CHILDREN FROM SEXUAL ABUSE
KOLBE HOUSE
$20,000ASSIST PEOPLE IMPACTED BY INCARCERATION
THE JONES CENTER
$20,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
TO RELIEVE ISOLATION AND LONELINESS FOR SNIOR CITIZENS
THE BOULEVARD
$20,000PROVIDE SERVICES TO HOMELESS PEOPLE
LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR
$20,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
COMMON PANTRY
$15,000NONPROFIT FOOD PANTRY
THE INFANT WELFARE SOCIETY
$15,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
OLIVER SOCCER FC
$15,000SUPPORT UNDERPRIVILEGED TO PLAY SOCCER
HOME HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES
$15,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
NORTHSIDE HOUSING
$15,000PROVIDING CRUCIAL SERVICES TO THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS
SOUTHWEST CHICAGO PADS
$15,000SUPPORT CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
ROSELAND TRAINING CENTER
$15,000PARENT/CHILD TUTORING PROGRAM
ONWARD NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING
$12,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
OPERATION WARM
$12,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
MARTIN AVENUE APARTMENTS
$10,000UNRESTRICTED ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
HOME OF THE SPARROW
$10,000PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN WHO ARE HOMELESS