The Moller Family Foundation concentrates its giving in Illinois with a clear emphasis on higher education, local public media, and basic needs/health services. Major gifts go to universities and public media producers, while smaller repeat grants support hunger relief, reproductive health, and campus sustainability — indicating a mix of civic, educational, and community service priorities. The foundation favors a handful of repeat grantees in the Chicago/Southern Illinois region rather than highly diversified national funding.
A defining feature of the Moller Family Foundation’s grantmaking is its repeated support for Southern Illinois University and related university entities, including a $100,679 grant in 2023, an $85,500 grant in 2024, and a $55,000 grant in 2025. That pattern sits alongside substantial support for Chicago public media, with a $129,916 grant to PBS Blair Thomas Company in 2023. Taken together, the foundation’s recent giving shows a mix of higher education, media, and community-serving nonprofits concentrated in Illinois. The foundation also appears to use a combination of larger institutional gifts and smaller repeat awards. Beyond the headline university and media grants, recent recipients include Planned Parenthood of Illinois, Beyond Hunger, and Loyola Sustainability. The overall picture is of a family foundation that supports organizations tied to education, civic life, health access, and local services, with much of its activity centered in the Chicago and southern Illinois regions.
Higher education is a central theme in the Moller Family Foundation’s recent grantmaking. Southern Illinois University received $100,679 in 2023, and Southern Illinois University Foundation received $85,500 in 2024 and $55,000 in 2025, showing continued support for the same institutional ecosystem. Public media is another visible area. In 2023, the foundation gave $129,916 to PBS Blair Thomas Company in Chicago and $5,500 to Wbez Chicago Public Radio. The foundation also supports basic needs and health-related work. It granted $35,000 in 2024 and $10,000 in both 2023 and 2025 to Planned Parenthood of Illinois, while Beyond Hunger received $32,750 in 2024, $32,400 in 2025, and $25,000 in 2023. Loyola Sustainability also received $20,000 in 2024.
Typical grant size is modest: the 25th percentile is $500, the median is $1,312, and the 75th percentile is $5,000. The distribution suggests a base of smaller awards with a smaller number of larger institutional grants. The same organizations appear across multiple years, including Southern Illinois University Foundation, Beyond Hunger, Planned Parenthood of Illinois, Chicago Giving Circle, and Three Pillars Institute, which points to recurring support rather than one-time giving. The foundation is a family foundation by name, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments. No application process is stated in the data.
$195K
$3.9M
$1.5M
$260K
Most grants fall between $500 and $5K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$500
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$5K
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Relatively concentrated: a small portfolio of mid-to-large grants with several repeat recipients. Funding skews regional (Chicago/Southern Illinois), combines multi-thousand-dollar gifts to institutions and targeted grants to local nonprofits, and prioritizes sustained relationships over one-off, widely distributed small grants.
Notable grantees: Southern Illinois University Foundation / Southern Illinois University, PBS Blair Thomas Company, Beyond Hunger, Planned Parenthood of Illinois, Loyola University sustainability program
Grantmaking is strongly concentrated in Illinois: 79% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state, and Illinois is also the top state by grant count. Chicago and Oak Park appear repeatedly, with additional grants in Carbondale, Brookfield, Addison, and River Forest. Outside Illinois, only a small number of grants go elsewhere, including New York, Vermont, and California. All recorded recipient-country activity is in the United States.
Recent grants show steady support for higher education, public media, and community-serving nonprofits. Southern Illinois University and Southern Illinois University Foundation received multiple awards, PBS Blair Thomas Company received a $129,916 grant, and organizations such as Beyond Hunger and Planned Parenthood of Illinois also appear repeatedly.
The grant-size distribution is compact: the 25th percentile is $500, the median is $1,312, and the 75th percentile is $5,000. That suggests many smaller grants, alongside a smaller set of larger institutional gifts.
Yes. Southern Illinois University Foundation appears in 2024 and 2025, Beyond Hunger appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025, Planned Parenthood of Illinois appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Chicago Giving Circle appears in both 2024 and 2025.
Illinois dominates the portfolio. 79% of grants go to recipients in the headquarters state, and Illinois is the top state by grant count. Chicago and Oak Park are frequent recipient cities, with additional grants in Carbondale and other Illinois locations.
No. The foundation’s profile indicates it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Illinois Univeristy Founda | CARBONDALE, IL | $51,000 | 2026 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
| Beyond Hunger | Oak Park, IL | $47,000 | 2026 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Three Pillars Institute | Oak Park, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Chicago Giving Circle | Chicago, IL | $20,000 | 2026 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
| Planned Parenthood of Illinois | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
| Good Samaritan Carbondale Homeless | Carbondale, IL | $5,000 | 2026 | Same as Organization 1 |
| WSIU Radio TV | Carbondale, IL | $5,000 | 2026 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Southern Illinois Alumni Associatio | Carbondale, IL | $3,500 | 2026 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
| PBS News Hour | Arlington, VA | $2,500 | 2026 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
| Survivors Empowerment Center | Carbondale, IL | $2,500 | 2026 | Same as organization 1 |
| Woodlawn Community Food Pantry | Chicago, IL | $2,500 | 2026 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Nourishing Hope | Chicago, IL | $2,500 | 2026 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Wbez Radio | Chicago, IL | $2,500 | 2026 | Same as Organization 1. |
| Rails to Trails | Washington, DC | $2,500 | 2026 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Wttw Public Radio | Chicago, IL | $2,500 | 2026 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
| SIU RSO | Carbondale, IL | $2,000 | 2026 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Build Chicago | Chicago, IL | $1,500 | 2026 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
| Tufts University | Medford, MA | $1,000 | 2026 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
| On the Rise Boston | Cambridge, MA | $1,000 | 2026 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Electonic Frontier Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $1,000 | 2026 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Digs With Dignity | Chicago, IL | $1,000 | 2026 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Pro Bono Lawyers Network | Oak Park, IL | $1,000 | 2026 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Democracy Now | New York, NY | $1,000 | 2026 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
| Rosies Place Boston | Boston, MA | $1,000 | 2026 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
| Museum of Contemporary Art | Chicago, IL | $325 | 2026 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Southern Illinois Univeristy Founda | CARBONDALE, IL | $55,000 | 2025 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
| Beyond Hunger | Oak Park, IL | $32,400 | 2025 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Chicago Giving Circle | Chicago, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
| Three Pillars Institute | Oak Park, IL | $12,500 | 2025 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Planned Parenthood of Illinois | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
| Chicago International Puppet Festiv | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | Same as Organization 1 |
| PBS News Hour | Arlington, VA | $2,500 | 2025 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
| Nourishing Hope | Chicago, IL | $1,575 | 2025 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Build Chicago | Chicago, IL | $1,500 | 2025 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
| Woodlawn Community Food Pantry | Chicago, IL | $1,500 | 2025 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Rails to Trails | Washington, DC | $1,500 | 2025 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Waypoint Comservatory | Cedar Rapids, IA | $1,000 | 2025 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Wttw Public Radio | Chicago, IL | $1,000 | 2025 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
| WSIU Radio TV | Carbondale, IL | $1,000 | 2025 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Tufts University | Medford, MA | $1,000 | 2025 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
| Field Museum Natural History | Chicago, IL | $1,000 | 2025 | Same as organization 1 |
| Pro Bono Lawyers Network | Oak Park, IL | $1,000 | 2025 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Survivor Empowerment Center | Carbondale, IL | $1,000 | 2025 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Museum Contemporary Art | Chicago, IL | $500 | 2025 | ALL CONTRIBUTIONS MADE FOR UNRESTIRCTED USE OF CHARITY |
| Chicago Architecture Foundation | Chicago, IL | $465 | 2025 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
| Griffin Museum of Science and Indus | Chicago, IL | $300 | 2025 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Chicago History Museum | Chicago, IL | $250 | 2025 | Same as Organization 1 |
| MACC Fund | Wawatosa, WI | $200 | 2025 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
| American Heart Association | Dallas, TX | $100 | 2025 | Same as Organization 1 |
| Southern Illinois Univeristy Founda | CARBONDALE, IL | $85,500 | 2024 | SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1 |
Southern Illinois Univeristy Founda
$51,000SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1
Three Pillars Institute
$25,000Same as Organization 1
Chicago Giving Circle
$20,000SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1
Good Samaritan Carbondale Homeless
$5,000Same as Organization 1
WSIU Radio TV
$5,000Same as Organization 1
Southern Illinois Alumni Associatio
$3,500SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1
PBS News Hour
$2,500SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1
Woodlawn Community Food Pantry
$2,500Same as Organization 1
Wbez Radio
$2,500Same as Organization 1.
Wttw Public Radio
$2,500SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1
SIU RSO
$2,000Same as Organization 1
Build Chicago
$1,500SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1
Tufts University
$1,000SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1
On the Rise Boston
$1,000Same as Organization 1
Electonic Frontier Foundation
$1,000Same as Organization 1
Digs With Dignity
$1,000Same as Organization 1
Pro Bono Lawyers Network
$1,000Same as Organization 1
Museum of Contemporary Art
$325Same as Organization 1
Southern Illinois Univeristy Founda
$55,000SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1
Chicago Giving Circle
$20,000SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1
Three Pillars Institute
$12,500Same as Organization 1
Chicago International Puppet Festiv
$10,000Same as Organization 1
PBS News Hour
$2,500SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1
Build Chicago
$1,500SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1
Woodlawn Community Food Pantry
$1,500Same as Organization 1
Waypoint Comservatory
$1,000Same as Organization 1
Wttw Public Radio
$1,000SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1
WSIU Radio TV
$1,000Same as Organization 1
Tufts University
$1,000SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1
Pro Bono Lawyers Network
$1,000Same as Organization 1
Museum Contemporary Art
$500ALL CONTRIBUTIONS MADE FOR UNRESTIRCTED USE OF CHARITY
Griffin Museum of Science and Indus
$300Same as Organization 1
Chicago History Museum
$250Same as Organization 1
Southern Illinois Univeristy Founda
$85,500SAME AS ORGANIZATION 1