Greater Chicago Food Depository
ActivePublic CharityFood, Agriculture & Nutrition
About Greater Chicago Food Depository
Our mission is to end hunger. We believe food is a basic human right.
Focus Areas
Emergency food distributionHunger reliefNutrition educationBenefits outreach (SNAP/Medicaid assistance)Programs for families and older adultsPartner network support (food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters)
Who They Fund
food-insecure individualslow-income familieshomeless individuals
Funding Style
direct serviceemergency reliefin-kind support
About Greater Chicago Food Depository
The Greater Chicago Food Depository’s grantmaking is built around emergency food assistance delivered through a local network of community-based organizations. Its largest recent grant, $21,840,983 in 2024 to the City of Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications, shows how the depository uses grants to move food to people through public and nonprofit distribution partners rather than through individuals. Recent awards also include $15,583,511 to Grace and Peace Church in 2024 and $8,654,314 to Nourishing Hope, both for “DISTRIBUTE TO THE HUNGRY.” The foundation’s public mission is straightforward: ending hunger, with food treated as a basic human right. That mission aligns with its active programs, which support food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, meal programs, and other nonprofit partners across Cook County and the Greater Chicago area. The recent grant list is heavily concentrated in Chicago and nearby communities such as Harvey, South Barrington, Skokie, Dolton, and South Holland, indicating a grantmaker focused on local food access and direct service. Its work also includes support for nutrition and food access through partner agencies, not just one-time emergency awards.
What Greater Chicago Food Depository Funds
Emergency food distribution is the clearest theme in the grant record. The Greater Chicago Food Depository awarded $8,689,044 in 2023 to New Life Centers - Lawndale and $4,640,330 in 2024 to New Life Centers of Chicagoland Nfp, both marked “DISTRIBUTE TO THE HUNGRY.” The foundation also backs food access through neighborhood-based organizations. It gave $7,287,548 in 2023 to Nourishing Hope and $3,840,184 to Nourishing Hope-sheridan in the same year, pointing to sustained support for local food delivery. Another cluster centers on shelter and pantry operations: $5,711,728 in 2024 to Restoration Ministries in Harvey, IL, and $2,684,389 in 2024 to Care for Real in Chicago, IL. Family-focused food support appears as well. The depository awarded $2,678,092 in 2024 to American Association of Single Parents in Dolton, IL, also under the same distribution purpose.
How Greater Chicago Food Depository Gives
Typical grant size ranges from $15,717 at the 25th percentile to a median of $53,366, with a 75th percentile of $203,140. The recent grant list, however, includes much larger distribution awards tied to food delivery operations, showing that the organization can make very large payments alongside smaller grants. The pattern is recurring rather than one-off: several recipients appear in multiple years, including Grace and Peace Church, Nourishing Hope, Restoration Ministries, Mission of Our Lady of the Angels, Shepherd's Hope, Niles Township Food Pantry, and Willow Creek Community Care Center. It is a Public Charity and a Pure DAF Provider, and the active programs indicate both unsolicited and non-unsolicited pathways depending on the program.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$504.7M
Total Assets
$222.1M
Total Revenue
$275.9M
Total Expenses
$261.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $16K and $203K, with a median of $53K.
25th Percentile
$16K
Median
$53K
75th Percentile
$203K
Geographic Reach
Local6 states funded
About 99% of grants go to recipients in IL.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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