The Rice Foundation focuses its philanthropic dollars on major cultural and educational institutions in the Chicago/Illinois area, with particularly large investments in natural history and botanical organizations as well as scholarship and schooling programs. Grants skew to a small number of sizable awards, often funding capital or core support for museums, gardens, and local education-related nonprofits, while also supporting niche causes like services for people with Down syndrome and a military academy.
Rice Foundation’s grantmaking is defined by large, repeated commitments to Chicago-area cultural and educational institutions, with Field Museum and Chicago Botanic Garden standing out among the most visible beneficiaries. The foundation also backs scholarship and youth-serving work, including a major award to Glenview Club Scholarship Foundation, showing that its support is not limited to museums and gardens. In the recent grants list, several awards reach six or seven figures, and those dollars are concentrated among a relatively small set of Illinois organizations. Beyond the flagship cultural grantees, the foundation has also funded services for people with Down syndrome, military-style secondary education, local health care, and conservation-related organizations. That mix places Rice Foundation at the intersection of education, community support, and environmental stewardship in Illinois. The pattern suggests a funder that returns to the same institutions over time, often with support large enough to matter for core operations, programs, or major projects. Its giving is local, and the grant record shows an especially strong orientation toward Chicago and nearby suburbs.
One clear theme is support for science, nature, and public learning spaces. Rice Foundation gave $1,150,000 in 2023, $1,100,000 in 2024, and $600,000 in 2025 to Field Museum in Chicago, indicating sustained backing across multiple years. Botanical and conservation work is another recurring area. The foundation awarded $1,100,000 in 2023 and $177,500 in 2025 to Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, along with $100,000 in 2024 and $100,000 in 2025 to Morton Arboretum in Lisle. Community and youth support also appears in the record. Rice Foundation gave $1,500,000 in 2023 to Glenview Club Scholarship Foundation for charitable purposes, and it funded By the Hand Club for Kids in Chicago with $100,000 in 2023 and another $100,000 in 2025.
Rice Foundation’s typical grant size sits at a $10,000 p25, $15,000 median, and $50,000 p75, while the recent grant list also includes several awards in the hundreds of thousands and above. The pattern is concentrated rather than diffuse: a small group of recipients reappears across multiple years, including Field Museum, Chicago Botanic Garden, Marine Military Academy, NorthShore Univer Health System Fnd, Ducks Unlimited Inc, Morton Arboretum, By the Hand Club for Kids, and Lincoln Park Zoo. The foundation is a private foundation rather than an individual funder, does not make program-related investments, and its grantmaking is local.
$4M
$67.3M
$5.8M
$5.2M
Most grants fall between $10K and $50K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Concentrated, high-dollar giving to a small set of regional institutions with repeat funding (multiple grants to Field Museum); favors large, multi-thousand-dollar awards over many small grants.
Notable grantees: Field Museum, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glenview Club Scholarship Foundation, Gigi's Playhouse, Marine Military Academy
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly Illinois-centered: 95% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and the broader geographic scope is local. Chicago appears frequently, along with nearby suburbs and other Illinois cities such as Glencoe, Lisle, Evanston, Hoffman Estates, Des Plaines, Naperville, Dundee, Springfield, and Golf. Outside Illinois, the recent grants list includes Harlingen, Texas, and Gresham, Wisconsin, but the recipient country distribution remains entirely U.S.-based.
The recent grant record points to cultural, educational, and conservation institutions in Illinois. Field Museum, Chicago Botanic Garden, Morton Arboretum, Lincoln Park Zoo, and The Nature Conservancy in Illinois all appear in the grants list, alongside youth scholarship and community-serving nonprofits.
The typical grant-size distribution is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $15,000 at the median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also include much larger grants, including $1,500,000 to Glenview Club Scholarship Foundation and multiple seven-figure grants to Field Museum and Chicago Botanic Garden.
Yes. The foundation’s scope is local, and 95% of grants go to recipients in Illinois, the HQ state. Recent grants cluster in Chicago and nearby places such as Glencoe, Lisle, Evanston, Hoffman Estates, Des Plaines, Naperville, and Springfield.
Several recipients appear in multiple years, which suggests repeated support rather than isolated one-off gifts. Field Museum, Chicago Botanic Garden, Marine Military Academy, NorthShore Univer Health System Fnd, Ducks Unlimited Inc, Morton Arboretum, By the Hand Club for Kids, and Lincoln Park Zoo all recur in the recent grants list.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field Musuem | Chicago, IL | $600,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Gigi's Playhouse | Hoffman Estates, IL | $500,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Marine Military Academy | Harlingen, TX | $350,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation | Dundee, IL | $250,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Chicago Botanic Garden | Glencoe, IL | $177,500 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Operation North Pole | Des Plaines, IL | $150,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Illinois Conservation Foundation | Springfield, IL | $130,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| North Shore Center the Performing A | Skokie, IL | $130,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Ducks Unlimited Inc | Naperville, IL | $125,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Morton Arboretum | Lisle, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Lincoln Park Zoo | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| The Nature Conservancy in Illinois | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Medicine Fish | Gresham, WI | $100,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| By the Hand Club for KidsFormerly K | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Mobile Care Chicago | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Equestrian Connection | Lake Forest, IL | $70,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Camp Manito-wish YMCA | Boulder Junction, WI | $70,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Northeastern IL Public Safety Train | Glenview, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Driven Foundation The | Glenview, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Madonna Mission | Winnetka, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Wisconsin Department of Natural Res | Madison, WI | $47,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| LEAP | Chicago, IL | $35,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Touched by an Animal | Chicago, IL | $25,900 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Meals on Wheels Northeast- Meals at | Evanston, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Kohl Children's Museum | Glenview, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Willow House | Riverwoods, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Nourishing Hope | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Rebuilding Together North SuburbChi | Glenview, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Chicago Lighthouse The | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Shore | Skokie, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Ravinia | Highland Park, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Glenview Club Scholarship Foundatio | Golf, IL | $23,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Midtown Educational Foundation | Chicago, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Music Theater Works | Wilmette, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Tuesday's Child CO Gordon Tech HS | Chicago, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Maine Niles Assoc of Special Recrea | Morton Grove, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Illinois Equine Humane Center | Maple Park, IL | $16,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Little Sisters of the Poor - St Mar | Chicago, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Blue Cap | Blue Island, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Friends of Fisher House Illinois | Addison, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| McGaw YMCA | Evanston, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Center for Enriched Living | Riverwoods, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Boulevard The | Chicago, IL | $14,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Kids Above All | Chicago, IL | $12,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| CommunityHealth | Chicago, IL | $12,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Career Transitions Center of Chicag | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Canine Therapy Corps | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Harbour The | Park Ridge, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Elyssa's Mission | Northbook, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
Gigi's Playhouse
$500,000Charitable
Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation
$250,000Charitable
Chicago Botanic Garden
$177,500Charitable
Operation North Pole
$150,000Charitable
North Shore Center the Performing A
$130,000Charitable
Ducks Unlimited Inc
$125,000Charitable
Lincoln Park Zoo
$100,000Charitable
Medicine Fish
$100,000Charitable
By the Hand Club for KidsFormerly K
$100,000Charitable
Mobile Care Chicago
$100,000Charitable
Camp Manito-wish YMCA
$70,000Charitable
Northeastern IL Public Safety Train
$50,000Charitable
Driven Foundation The
$50,000Charitable
Madonna Mission
$50,000Charitable
Wisconsin Department of Natural Res
$47,000Charitable
LEAP
$35,000Charitable
Touched by an Animal
$25,900Charitable
Meals on Wheels Northeast- Meals at
$25,000Charitable
Willow House
$25,000Charitable
Rebuilding Together North SuburbChi
$25,000Charitable
Chicago Lighthouse The
$25,000Charitable
Shore
$25,000Charitable
Ravinia
$25,000Charitable
Tuesday's Child CO Gordon Tech HS
$20,000Charitable
Maine Niles Assoc of Special Recrea
$20,000Charitable
Illinois Equine Humane Center
$16,000Charitable
Little Sisters of the Poor - St Mar
$15,000Charitable
Blue Cap
$15,000Charitable
Friends of Fisher House Illinois
$15,000Charitable
Boulevard The
$14,000Charitable
Kids Above All
$12,000Charitable
Career Transitions Center of Chicag
$10,000Charitable
Canine Therapy Corps
$10,000Charitable
Elyssa's Mission
$10,000Charitable