The J S Frank Foundation is a concentrated education-focused funder, prioritizing K–12 innovation and charter school growth in the Chicago area along with higher education and scholarship support. They make large, strategic gifts—often repeat awards—to school networks, charter-support organizations, and a few civic arts and legal-service partners, suggesting an interest in both system-building for urban education and community-serving institutions in the Chicago region.
J S Frank Foundation’s clearest pattern is its use of very large general fundraising grants to help education organizations build and scale. The largest recent award in the data is $13,565,000 to Intrinsic Schools in 2025, followed by multi-million-dollar support for Build, another Deerfield-based recipient, across 2023 and 2025. That concentration points to a funder that backs school networks and the organizations that support charter-school development rather than spreading grants broadly across many fields. The foundation also makes sustained higher-education commitments: Dartmouth College appears multiple times, including a $3,702,783 grant in 2025 and prior awards in 2023 and 2024. In Chicago, the foundation also supports institutions tied to public education and student access, including the University of Chicago and the Evans Scholars Foundation. Alongside these education grants, the portfolio includes civic and community-serving organizations such as TimeLine Theater and Lawndale Christian Legal, showing that its giving extends beyond schools while still remaining centered on local institutional support.
A major theme is charter-school infrastructure and operator growth. In 2025, J S Frank Foundation gave $5,085,000 and $4,050,000 to Build, and in 2024 it gave $3,750,000 to Intrinsic Schools; both recipients are tied to school development and expansion. The foundation also funds policy and ecosystem support around public education. It gave $750,000 to Chicago Public Education Fund in 2024 and $700,000 to Illinois Network of Charter Schools in 2025, indicating attention to the broader charter and public-education environment. Higher education is another clear area: the foundation supported Dartmouth College with $3,702,783 in 2025 and $1,452,000 in 2023, while also giving $1,525,000 to the University of Chicago in 2025 and $825,000 to University of Chicago Mbsd Development. Community-facing legal and arts institutions appear as well, including $1,100,000 to Lawndale Christian Legal and $4,100,000 to Time Line Theater.
Typical grant size is centered at $25,000, with a lower quartile of $6,250 and an upper quartile of $60,000. The recent record also includes several much larger strategic awards in the millions, showing a long tail above the usual size. The pattern is recurring rather than one-off: Dartmouth College, Build, Intrinsic Schools, University of Chicago, and Jewish United Fund each appear in more than one year. J S Frank Foundation is a regular funder, and the grants in the data are consistently labeled general fundraising, suggesting a restriction to fundraising-related support rather than unrestricted operating or project-specific awards.
$34.9M
$117.9M
$5.3M
$35.1M
Most grants fall between $6K and $60K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$6K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$60K
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants with multiple repeat investments in a small set of core education and higher-education institutions; primarily unrestricted/general fundraising support rather than project-restricted funding.
Notable grantees: Intrinsic Schools, BUILD, Dartmouth College, TimeLine Theater, Chicago Public Education Fund
Giving is heavily concentrated in Illinois, which accounts for 90% of grants and is also the top state by grant count. Chicago is a major recipient city, with grants to Time Line Theater, University of Chicago, Lawndale Christian Legal, A Better Chicago, Illinois Network of Charter Schools, and Civic Consulting Alliance. Deerfield also appears frequently as a recipient location, reflecting multiple awards to local or nearby organizations such as Intrinsic Schools, Build, and Project Unloaded. Outside Illinois, the data shows recurring grants to Hanover, New Hampshire through Dartmouth College, and the full recipient-country distribution in the file is U.S.-only.
The foundation most often funds education-related organizations, especially charter-school networks, school-development groups, public-education intermediaries, and higher-education institutions. Recent examples include Intrinsic Schools, Build, Dartmouth College, the University of Chicago, and Illinois Network of Charter Schools.
The typical grant size centers at $25,000, with the 25th percentile at $6,250 and the 75th percentile at $60,000. The recent grants list also includes several awards above $1 million, so the distribution has a long upper tail.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Dartmouth College, Build, Intrinsic Schools, University of Chicago, Evans Scholars Foundation, and Jewish United Fund. That repetition suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated gifts.
Illinois is the dominant geography, with 90% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state and the top state by grant count also listed as IL. Chicago and Deerfield show up frequently among recipient locations, and the recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
In the recent grants list, the grants are consistently labeled general fundraising. That indicates support tied to fundraising activity rather than a mix of unrestricted operating grants, program awards, or capital gifts.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INTRINSIC SCHOOLS | DEERFIELD, IL | $13,565,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| TIME LINE THEATER | CHICAGO, IL | $4,100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| BUILD | DEERFIELD, IL | $4,050,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| DARTMOUTH COLLEGE | HANOVER, NH | $3,702,783 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $1,525,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| EVANS SCHOLARS FOUNDATION | GLENVIEW, IL | $1,074,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE | HANOVER, NH | $1,053,600 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| A BETTER CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $1,024,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MBSD DEVELOPMENT | CHICAGO, IL | $825,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| ILLINOIS NETWORK OF CHARTER SCHOOLS | CHICAGO, IL | $700,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| JEWISH UNITED FUND | CHICAGO, IL | $350,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| PROJECT UNLOADED | DEERFIELD, IL | $285,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| CIVIC CONSULTING ALLIANCE | CHICAGO, IL | $199,998 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| CHICAGO CHILDREN'S MUSEUM | CHICAGO, IL | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| TEACH FOR AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $125,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| SB HOLOCAUST EDUCATION CENTER | SKOKIE, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| HYDE PARK INSTITUTE | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| BGA | CHICAGO, IL | $99,900 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY SUPPORT | NEW YORK, NY | $99,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER | DEERFIELD, IL | $95,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| CHICAGO PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND | DEERFIELD, IL | $90,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO BOOTH SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $90,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| INVEST FOR KIDS | DEERFIELD, IL | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| ASPEN VALLEY HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | DEERFIELD, IL | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| ADVANCE ILLINOIS | DEERFIELD, IL | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| THRESHOLDS | DEERFIELD, IL | $65,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| WRITERS THEATER | GLENCOE, IL | $65,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE | LAGUNA BEACH, CA | $57,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| NORTHSHORE UNIVERSITY HEALTHSYSTEM | EVANSTON, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS | COSTA MESA, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| SAIC-OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT | DEERFIELD, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| MARINE CORP SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION | DEERFIELD, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| DANIEL MURPHY SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| NATIONAL PANCREAS FOUNDATION INC | BETHESDA, MD | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| ART INSTITUTE | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE | CHICAGO, IL | $45,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| CLARION PROJECT | NEW YORK, NY | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| CROHNS AND COLITIS | DEERFIELD, IL | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| FOUNDATION DEFENSE DEMOCRACY | WASHINGTON, DC | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| INGENUITY | DEERFIELD, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY | EVANSTON, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| ANDERSON RANCH ARTS CENTER | SNOWMASS VILLAGE, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| ASPEN INSTITUTE | DEERFIELD, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| BRAIN RESEARCH FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| BUDDY PROGRAM | DEERFIELD, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| CHIARTS FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| CHICAGO SCHOLARS | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| WWCI | DEERFIELD, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| PRAEGER UNIVERSITY | SHERMAN OAKS, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
| COLLEGE POSSIBLE CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND RAISING |
BUILD
$4,050,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
$3,702,783GENERAL FUND RAISING
EVANS SCHOLARS FOUNDATION
$1,074,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
$1,053,600GENERAL FUND RAISING
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MBSD DEVELOPMENT
$825,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
PROJECT UNLOADED
$285,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
SB HOLOCAUST EDUCATION CENTER
$100,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY SUPPORT
$99,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
CHICAGO PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND
$90,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
INVEST FOR KIDS
$75,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
ADVANCE ILLINOIS
$75,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
THRESHOLDS
$65,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
WRITERS THEATER
$65,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS
$50,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
SAIC-OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT
$50,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
MARINE CORP SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
NATIONAL PANCREAS FOUNDATION INC
$50,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE
$45,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
CROHNS AND COLITIS
$35,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
INGENUITY
$25,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
ASPEN INSTITUTE
$25,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
BUDDY PROGRAM
$25,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
CHICAGO SCHOLARS
$25,000GENERAL FUND RAISING
WWCI
$25,000GENERAL FUND RAISING