How large are the foundation’s typical grants?

Typical grant size is $9,188 at the 25th percentile, $12,000 at the median, and $25,000 at the 75th percentile. Some programs are smaller, such as awards of $500–$1,000 for the Laura Southwick Award, while others can reach $15,000–$20,000 through Women Leaders in Philanthropy grants.

Does the foundation fund only local organizations?

Its geographic scope is local, with most grants going to Illinois recipients. The foundation’s work centers on Oak Park, River Forest, West Cook County, and nearby communities, and 92% of grants go to recipients in Illinois.

Are there grants that accept unsolicited applications?

Yes. The Laura Southwick Award, Russell & Josephine Kott Memorial Charitable Trust grant, Dring Language Fellowship, and Tom Neumann Summer Learning Fund all accept unsolicited applications. Other programs listed, including Fund Futures and General Grants, do not accept unsolicited applications.

Does the foundation make repeated grants to the same organizations?

Yes. Several grantees appear in multiple recent years, including Heph Foundation, University of Notre Dame, Animal Care League, Thrive Counseling Center, and Seven Generations Ahead. That pattern suggests ongoing support rather than strictly one-time awards.

Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation

Name: Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation — grants, 990 financials & funding data
Creator: Kindora

ActivePhilanthropy & Voluntarism

OAK PARK, ILWebsite7088481560

About Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation

Unite community members to mobilize resources to advance a racially just society and equitable outcomes for residents of Oak Park, River Forest and surrounding communities.

Focus Areas

Racial equity and justiceYouth mental and behavioral healthEducation and scholarshipsCommunity safety and belongingArts and cultural programmingEnvironmental sustainability

Who They Fund

nonprofit organizations (unspecified)general/unspecified public or communities

Funding Style

general operating supportunrestricted supportmulti-purpose/general program funding

About Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation

Oak Park-river Forest Community Foundation has built a local grantmaking pattern that reaches from youth mental health to arts, education, and community safety in Oak Park, River Forest, and nearby West Cook County. Among the foundation’s recent commitments, recurring support for Heph Foundation stands out: it received $500,000 in 2023, $402,500 in 2024, and $400,000 in 2025. That scale sits alongside a broader portfolio of community grants that includes support for organizations such as Animal Care League, Thrive Counseling Center, and Seven Generations Ahead. The foundation’s work is organized around racial equity and justice, youth mental and behavioral health, education and scholarships, community safety and belonging, arts and cultural programming, and environmental sustainability. It also operates as a mixed community foundation, which aligns with a grantmaking model that combines broad community support with named program funds. Recent grants show both general operating support and project-specific charitable purposes, suggesting a flexible approach that can sustain established local nonprofits while also backing targeted initiatives. The recipient base is overwhelmingly Illinois-centered, reflecting a strong emphasis on the Oak Park-River Forest area and surrounding communities.

What Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation Funds

Youth-focused giving appears in several parts of the foundation’s portfolio. The Future Philanthropists Fund is a youth-led collective giving model for programs that explicitly involve or benefit youth and young adults in Oak Park, River Forest, and West Cook County. The Fund Futures program also invests in youth and future leaders through grants or funded initiatives for young people in the OPRF community. Arts and enrichment show up through the Laura Southwick Award, which provides $500–$1,000 to encourage work in the fine and applied arts, and the Tom Neumann Summer Learning Fund, which supports academic, cultural, or travel enrichment between junior and senior year of high school. Community well-being is another clear theme. The Community Grants Cohort has prioritized mental and behavioral health for youth and young adults, including workforce pipeline development and access to services, while the Emerging Needs Fund supports new projects and emerging needs serving neighbors in the greater West Side.

How Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation Gives

Financial Snapshot

Annual Giving

$2.6M

Total Assets

$61M

Total Revenue

$6.8M

Total Expenses

$5.5M

Typical Grant Size

Most grants fall between $9K and $25K, with a median of $12K.

25th Percentile

$9K

Median

$12K

75th Percentile

$25K

Geographic Reach

Local13 states funded

Funding intensity

Low

High

Headquarters

Leadership

ANTONIO MARTINEZ JR

Accepts unsolicited proposals

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Recipient	Location	Amount	Year	Purpose
LAWRENCE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY	SOUTHFIELD, MI	$535,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
HEPH FOUNDATION	OAK PARK, IL	$487,332	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
ANIMAL CARE LEAGUE	OAK PARK, IL	$169,717	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
CHICAGO PUBLIC MEDIA INC	CHICAGO, IL	$125,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
THRIVE COUNSELING CENTER	OAK PARK, IL	$107,480	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
PARK DISTRICT OF OAK PARK	OAK PARK, IL	$101,112	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
SEVEN GENERATIONS AHEAD	OAK PARK, IL	$81,014	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS FUND	CHICAGO, IL	$52,441	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH AND SCHOOL	RIVER FOREST, IL	$42,250	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST FOUNDATION	AMHERST, MA	$40,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
THE FIREHOUSE DREAM INC	MAYWOOD, IL	$34,750	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
BEYOND HUNGER	OAK PARK, IL	$33,450	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
HEPHZIBAH CHILDREN'S ASSOCIATION	OAK PARK, IL	$30,726	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
CHICAGO COALITION TO END HOMELESSNESS	CHICAGO, IL	$30,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
OAK PARK PUBLIC LIBRARY	OAK PARK, IL	$25,757	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
HOUSING FORWARD	MAYWOOD, IL	$25,425	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
YOUTH EDUCATIONAL MENTORING BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION	OAK PARK, IL	$25,250	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
CATHOLIC BISHOP OF CHICAGO ST LUKE AND ST BERNARDINE PARISH	RIVER FOREST, IL	$25,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
GROWING COMMUNITY MEDIA NFP	OAK PARK, IL	$22,562	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
OAK-LEYDEN DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES INC	OAK PARK, IL	$22,500	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
AUSTIN CHILDCARE PROVIDERS NETWORK	CHICAGO, IL	$22,500	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
YOUTH OUTREACH SERVICES	CHICAGO, IL	$21,500	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
YOUTH CROSSROADS INC	BERWYN, IL	$20,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
BRADLEY JORDAN FOUNDATION INC	WASHINGTON ISLAND, WI	$20,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
THE NEHEMIAH COMMUNITY PROJECT	MAYWOOD, IL	$20,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
SAINT IGNATIUS COLLEGE PREP OF CHICAGO	CHICAGO, IL	$19,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
SPECULATIVE LITERATURE FOUNDATION	OAK PARK, IL	$17,955	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
THE CATECHESIS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD INC	SCOTTSDALE, AZ	$17,686	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY	RIVER FOREST, IL	$17,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
AUSTIN COMING TOGETHER	CHICAGO, IL	$15,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
FAMILY SERVICE AND MENTAL HEALTH CENTER OF CICERO	CICERO, IL	$15,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
BUILD INCORPORATED	CHICAGO, IL	$15,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
THE KEHREIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS FOUNDATION	CHICAGO, IL	$15,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
RADIANT HEARTS COLLECTIVE INC	AUSTIN, TX	$15,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
CHILDREN'S RESEARCH TRIANGLE	CHICAGO, IL	$15,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
RACE CONSCIOUS DIALOGUES	OAK PARK, IL	$15,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
FRONT PORCH ARTS CENTER	CHICAGO, IL	$15,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO	CHICAGO, IL	$14,916	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
SARAH'S INN	OAK PARK, IL	$12,722	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
NEW MOMS INC	CHICAGO, IL	$12,500	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
MAYWOOD FINE ARTS ASSOCIATION	MAYWOOD, IL	$11,750	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
OAK PARK TEMPLE B'NAI ABRAHAM ZION	OAK PARK, IL	$11,400	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
AND RISE WOMEN INC (AKA &RISE)	CHICAGO, IL	$11,236	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
COMMUNITY RECREATION ASSOCIATION	DALTON, MA	$11,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
FRIENDS OF THE OAK PARK CONSERVATORY	OAK PARK, IL	$10,998	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
PROVIDING INSTRUMENTS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION	OAK PARK, IL	$10,337	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
SPLASH INTERNATIONAL	SEATTLE, WA	$10,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
KINFOLK COLAB	OAK PARK, IL	$10,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
A GREATER GOOD FOUNDATION	GARY, IN	$10,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES
HARMONY COMMUNITY CARES	CHICAGO, IL	$10,000	2026	TO SUPPORT GENERAL PROGRAM SERVICES

Recipient

Location

Amount

Year

Purpose

LAWRENCE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

SOUTHFIELD, MI

$535,000

2026