About Invest for Kids
Invest For Kids is dedicated to supporting highly impactful nonprofit organizations that serve Chicago area youth in low-income circumstances. We host an annual investment conference where industry leaders share their best ideas; co-founders underwrite conference expenses so all proceeds are awarded to nonprofit partners and ongoing initiatives.
Focus Areas
EducationMentoringEnrichmentCollege accessCareer readinessHealth & physical fitnessSocial servicesYouth development
Who They Fund
tax‑exempt nonprofitsorganizations carrying out exempt purposes
Funding Style
general operating support
About Invest for Kids
Invest for Kids Inc. channels annual conference proceeds into Chicago-area youth-serving nonprofits, with awards built to have high impact for smaller organizations. The structure is unusual in that co-founders underwrite the conference expenses, so the money raised through the event is awarded to nonprofit partners and ongoing initiatives rather than absorbed by the event itself. In the recent grants list, multiple recipients received $200,000 awards, including Legal Prep Charter Academies and College Possible Chicago, both in Chicago. Other large awards went to Great Lakes Academy Inc., Metro Squash, and Project VISION Inc., showing a consistent pattern of support for organizations serving youth through education, mentoring, enrichment, and related services. The foundation’s grantmaking is closely tied to Chicago-area youth in low-income circumstances, and the named recent grantees point to a mix of charter schools, college-access organizations, and youth development programs. Its grant descriptions repeatedly frame support as aid to exempt purposes, and the active programs include annual grantmaking, conference-linked awards, and sponsored education-related recognitions. Benjamin Kovler is listed in leadership, and the latest 990 year on file is 2025.
What Invest for Kids Funds
Education-related work appears throughout the recent grants. Invest for Kids Inc. awarded $200,000 to Legal Prep Charter Academies for exempt-purpose support and another $200,000 to College Possible Chicago for the same purpose, both in Chicago. Mentoring and youth development are also present in the portfolio. The foundation gave $200,000 to Mikva Challenge Grant Foundation in Chicago, and $200,000 to Atlas Fellows Inc. in Chicago, both aligned with youth-serving programming. The grant list also includes enrichment and physical activity. Metro Squash received $200,000 in Chicago, while Beat the Streets Chicago received $200,000, indicating support for programs that combine youth engagement with structured activities. College access and career readiness show up in several named awards. One Million Degrees received $200,000, and Code Nation ScriptEd Inc. received $200,000, each listed as aid to exempt purpose.
How Invest for Kids Gives
The typical grant size is large relative to the portfolio: p25 is $22,500, the median is $103,000, and p75 is $200,000. Recent grants cluster at the top end, with many awards at $200,000. The funder is a regular funder rather than a DAF, and its active annual programs are open to unsolicited applications. Grantmaking is recurring, with named grantees appearing across multiple years, including 2023, 2024, and 2025. The pattern is also mission-linked: conference proceeds are the source of annual awards, and the organization targets smaller nonprofits where the funding can have high impact.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.4M
Total Assets
$719K
Total Revenue
$2.2M
Total Expenses
$2.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $23K and $200K, with a median of $103K.
25th Percentile
$23K
Median
$103K
75th Percentile
$200K
Geographic Reach
Local3 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Benjamin Kovler
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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