The Ishbia Family Foundation makes a very small number of large, targeted gifts concentrated in athletics and urban parks. Their largest single gift supports Division I collegiate athletics at Michigan State, while repeat funding shows a clear local commitment to Chicago public parks and recreation programming. Grants are structured as sizable program support contributions rather than many small awards.
Highly concentrated giving: very few (3) but large grants, with at least one repeat grantee (Chicago Parks Foundation) and cross‑state major gifts (local Chicago focus plus significant support to Michigan State). Grants appear to be unrestricted or program support rather than small general operating grants.
A single $1.3 million grant to Michigan State Athletics defines the Ishbia Family Foundation Inc’s recent giving pattern: the foundation backs a very small number of large, targeted awards rather than a broad spread of small grants. That scale shows up again in support for Chicago Parks Foundation, which received both a $463,000 grant in 2025 and a $232,836 grant in 2024 for program services. Together, those gifts point to a funder that uses program support to move substantial resources into athletics and public-space programming. The foundation’s portfolio also reaches beyond those two anchors. Recent awards include support for Meals on Wheels, Naples Preschool of the Arts, Cubs Charities, America Gives, American Friends of Magen David Adom, and Wild Bills Warrior's. The grant descriptions are consistent: each is listed as being made to further program services. That makes the foundation easier to read as a targeted program funder than as a generalist grantmaker.
Athletics is the clearest cause area in the recent record. The foundation gave $1,305,158 to Michigan State Athletics in 2025 to further program services, a grant that stands apart from the rest of the year’s awards. Chicago parks and urban green space are another recurring theme. Chicago Parks Foundation received $463,000 in 2025 and $232,836 in 2024, both to further program services. That repeat support suggests an ongoing relationship around public parks and recreation. Other grants show a narrower but still varied set of service-oriented interests. Meals on Wheels received $100,000 in 2024, Naples Preschool of the Arts received $49,765 in 2025, and Cubs Charities received $26,231 in 2025, each for program services. The foundation also made $25,000 grants to America Gives and American Friends of Magen David Adom in 2024.
The typical grant size is in the mid-five-figure range, with a p25 of $25,000, a median of $49,765, and a p75 of $232,836. The pattern is concentrated: one very large award, a small number of mid-sized grants, and several grants at or near $25,000. The recent record also shows repeat support to the same recipient across years, most clearly with Chicago Parks Foundation. All listed grants are program support style awards made to further program services, and the foundation does not fund individuals.
$1.9M
$0
$1.9M
$1.9M
Most grants fall between $25K and $233K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$233K
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Notable grantees: Michigan State Athletics, Chicago Parks Foundation, Chicago public parks and recreation organizations (representative of local park investments)
The foundation gives nationally, and every grant in the recent sample went to a U.S. recipient. Illinois appears most often, with grants in Chicago to Chicago Parks Foundation and Cubs Charities. Other recipient cities include East Lansing, Arlington, Naples, New York, and Park City. The repeated Chicago awards make Illinois the top state by grant count, while the broader spread across Michigan, Virginia, Florida, New York, and Utah shows a national reach beyond the headquarters city.
Recent grants show a focus on athletics and public parks, especially Michigan State Athletics and Chicago Parks Foundation. The same record also includes support for Meals on Wheels, Naples Preschool of the Arts, Cubs Charities, America Gives, American Friends of Magen David Adom, and Wild Bills Warrior's, all described as program services support.
Yes. Chicago Parks Foundation received $232,836 in 2024 and $463,000 in 2025. That repeated support suggests the foundation can fund the same recipient across multiple years when the relationship fits its program priorities.
The foundation’s grant sizes cluster in the mid-five-figure to low-six-figure range. The reported p25 is $25,000, the median is $49,765, and the p75 is $232,836. The recent record also includes one much larger award of $1,305,158.
Illinois is the top state by grant count, and 33% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent Illinois recipients include organizations in Chicago, while the full sample also reaches East Lansing, Arlington, Naples, New York, and Park City.
No. The foundation’s profile indicates that it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The recent grants are all structured as program support contributions, with each listed as being made to further program services.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MICHIGAN STATE ATHLETICS | EAST LANSING, MI | $1,305,158 | 2025 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| CHICAGO PARKS FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $463,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| NAPLES PRESCHOOL OF THE ARTS | NAPLES, FL | $49,765 | 2025 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| CUBS CHARITIES | CHICAGO, IL | $26,231 | 2025 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| WILD BILLS WARRIOR'S | PARK CITY, UT | $10,179 | 2025 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| CHICAGO PARKS FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $232,836 | 2024 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| MEALS ON WHEELS | ARLINGTON, VA | $100,000 | 2024 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| AMERICA GIVES | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF MAGEN DAVID ADOM | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
MICHIGAN STATE ATHLETICS
$1,305,158TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
CHICAGO PARKS FOUNDATION
$463,000TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
NAPLES PRESCHOOL OF THE ARTS
$49,765TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
WILD BILLS WARRIOR'S
$10,179TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
MEALS ON WHEELS
$100,000TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
AMERICA GIVES
$25,000TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES