About Julian Grace Foundation
The Julian Grace Foundation is an entrepreneurial private foundation that does high-engagement grantmaking to create a just, unified, and hopeful world, prioritizing communities of color and systemic change.
Focus Areas
ImmigrationHuman RightsCultural Heritage PreservationHealthEducation / Educational OpportunityEnvironmental ProtectionYouth & Next Generation leadership
Funding Style
general operating supportunrestricted supportcore operational funding
Topics
organizational capacity/core operations
About Julian Grace Foundation
Julian Grace Foundation’s giving is shaped by high-engagement, invitation-only relationships that can last up to five years, with a strong emphasis on general operating support. The foundation funds organizations working at the intersection of socio-economic mobility, community healing, and innovation, and its recent grants show a clear pattern of support for immigration and human rights, youth leadership, cultural heritage, health, and educational opportunity. Among the larger awards, Mano a Mano Family Resource Center received $400,000 for general operating support, while Depaul University received $370,710 for the same purpose. The foundation also backed immigrant-rights work through Tahirih Justice Center, including a $306,000 grant in 2024 and a $302,000 grant in 2025. Its portfolio includes both Chicago-area organizations and groups outside the region, but the grants consistently reflect operating support rather than restricted project funding. The presence of youth-led grantmaking alongside core invitational cycles adds a distinctive layer to how the foundation engages nonprofit partners, since youth boards help recommend one-year grants through a separate program. Across the recent awards, the foundation’s choices point to an interest in long-term organizational strength and community-based institutions rather than short-term, narrowly defined projects.
What Julian Grace Foundation Funds
Immigration and human rights are prominent in the foundation’s recent giving. It gave $306,000 to Tahirih Justice Center in 2024 and $302,000 in 2025, both for general operating support, and also awarded $108,500 to The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights in 2025. Cultural heritage preservation appears in support for the Field Museum of Natural History, which received $125,000 in 2025. Health is another recurring area: the foundation gave $120,000 to the American Headache Association in 2025 and $109,000 to Fenix Family Health Center in the same year. Youth and education show up through Chicago Freedom School, which received $122,380 in 2024 and $107,500 in 2025, both as general operating support.
How Julian Grace Foundation Gives
Typical grants cluster in the mid-five-figure to low-six-figure range, with p25 at $30,000, a median of $54,000, and p75 at $89,000. The recent list shows repeated support to some organizations across multiple years, including Mano a Mano Family Resource Center, Depaul University, Tahirih Justice Center, Chicago Freedom School, Chinese American Service League, Beyond Legal Aid, and Vietnamese Association of Illinois. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a donor-advised fund, and its active programs describe invitation-only, relationship-driven grantmaking. One program is youth board-led and awards one-year, non-renewable grants; the core grantmaking programs can extend up to five years of engagement.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$8.1M
Total Assets
$87M
Total Revenue
$8.4M
Total Expenses
$11M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $30K and $89K, with a median of $54K.
25th Percentile
$30K
Median
$54K
75th Percentile
$89K
Geographic Reach
Regional13 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where Julian Grace Foundation Funds
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Julian Grace Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 323 | $22.5M | 98.2% |
| 2 | Honduras |
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