The Robert Galvin Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on a single beneficiary: an Institute of Technology, receiving all recorded grants. Giving suggests a focus on supporting higher-education STEM and technology programs, likely tied to technical research, capital needs, or student support at a tech-focused university. The foundation's activity is highly targeted and institution-specific rather than broadly distributed across causes.
Highly concentrated: all funds went to one repeat grantee (three grants) totaling $3.725M — large, focused gifts to a single institution rather than many small or diverse grants.
Robert Galvin Foundation’s giving is centered on a single beneficiary: an Institute of Technology in Chicago, which received the foundation’s three largest recorded grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That repeated pattern is the clearest signal in the record and shows a sustained commitment to a tech-focused higher-education institution rather than a broad portfolio of grantees. The foundation also makes substantial grants to a small set of national organizations and research-oriented nonprofits. Among those are Rare in Arlington, Virginia; UCSF School of Medicine in San Francisco; Theodore Roosevelt Conservation; and the National Academy of Engineering. The mix suggests support for science, engineering, conservation, and related institutional or research work. Other grants point to local and regional ties in Illinois, including Northwestern University, Northshore Foundation, Weitzman Institute of Science, Max Mcgraw Wildlife Foundation, and Development in Chicago. The grant record is concentrated in public charities, with recurring awards appearing across multiple years for several recipients. Overall, the pattern is highly targeted, with one institution dominating the foundation’s recent giving and a limited number of other recipients receiving repeated support.
A major thread in the record is higher education and science. Robert Galvin Foundation gave $275,000 to Northwestern University in 2024, and it also supported the National Academy of Engineering with $200,000 in 2024 and $200,000 in 2023. Medical and human-development causes appear as well. UCSF School of Medicine received $300,000 in 2023 and $300,000 in 2024, while the Institute for Achievement of Human Potential received $100,000 in both 2024 and 2023. The foundation also supports conservation and environmental work. Theodore Roosevelt Conservation received $275,000 in 2023, $275,000 in 2024, and $250,000 in 2025. Max Mcgraw Wildlife Foundation received $100,000 in 2023 and again in 2025. Arts and public engagement show up through The Kennedy Center, which received $250,000 in 2024, and Kidspace Museum in Pasadena, which received $200,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Typical grant size is $11,250 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $200,000 at the 75th percentile. The record includes both one-time grants and repeated awards across multiple years: several recipients appear in 2023, 2024, and 2025, including the Institute of Technology, Rare, UCSF School of Medicine, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation, Kidspace Museum, Santa Fe Institute, Max Mcgraw Wildlife Foundation, and Weitzman Institute of Science. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its giving is through public charities.
$3.8M
$57.7M
$12.9M
$5.6M
Most grants fall between $11K and $200K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$11K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$200K
Top 3 recipient countries by grant volume for Robert Galvin Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 87 | $11.9M | 96.7% |
| 2 | United Kingdom |
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Notable grantees: INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Grant recipients are overwhelmingly in the United States, with 87 grants there, plus 2 in the UK and 1 in Canada. Illinois is the top state by grant count and accounts for 58% of grants in the foundation’s recent record. Chicago appears repeatedly, alongside Evanston and Dundee Township in Illinois. Outside Illinois, grants land in Washington, DC; San Francisco; Arlington, Virginia; Santa Fe; Pasadena; New York; and Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania.
The record points to a narrow set of interests: a technology-focused higher-education institution, science and engineering, conservation, and some medical and human-development work. Named recipients include Northwestern University, the National Academy of Engineering, UCSF School of Medicine, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation, and the Institute for Achievement of Human Potential.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including the Institute of Technology in Chicago, Rare, UCSF School of Medicine, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation, Kidspace Museum, Santa Fe Institute, Max Mcgraw Wildlife Foundation, and Weitzman Institute of Science.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is $11,250 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $200,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent grants in the record range from $100,000 to $1,275,000.
Illinois is the top state by grant count, and 58% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state of Illinois. Chicago appears frequently in the recipient list, along with Evanston and Dundee Township.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| 2 |
| $10K |
2.2% |
| 3 | Canada | 1 | $50K | 1.1% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | CHICAGO, IL | $1,275,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| RARE | ARLINGTON, VA | $300,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE | NEW YORK, NY | $275,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| DEVELOPMENT | CHICAGO, IL | $250,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| THEODORE ROOSEVELT CONSERVATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $250,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| KIDSPACE MUSEUM | PASADENA, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| SANTA FE INSTITUTE | SANTA FE, NM | $150,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| UCSF SCHOOL OF MEDICINE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| INSTITUTE FOR ACHIEVEMENT OF HUMAN POTENTIAL | WYNDMOOR, PA | $100,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| ATLANTIC SALMON FEDERATION | BRUNSWICK, ME | $100,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| BONEFISH & TARPON TRUST | MIAMI, FL | $100,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| MAX MCGRAW WILDLIFE FOUNDATION | DUNDEE TOWNSHIP, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| WEITZMAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| ILLINOIS MATH & SCIENCE ACADEMY | AURORA, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| BRAIN RESEARCH FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS | DORCHESTER, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| UNITED NEGRO COLLEGE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| SHEDD AQUARIUM | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| SUMMIT SCHOOL | SUMMIT, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| THE FIELD MUSEUM | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| OPEN THE BOOKS | CHICAGO, IL | $7,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| ADLER PLANETARIUM | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY | EVANSTON, IL | $2,150 | 2025 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | CHICAGO, IL | $1,225,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| UCSF SCHOOL OF MEDICINE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $300,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| RARE | ARLINGTON, VA | $300,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY | EVANSTON, IL | $275,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| SANTA FE INSTITUTE | SANTA FE, NM | $275,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| THEODORE ROOSEVELT CONSERVATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $275,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| THE KENNEDY CENTER | WASHINGTON, DC | $250,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING | WASHINGTON, DC | $200,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| KIDSPACE MUSEUM | PASADENA, CA | $200,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| WEITZMAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| INSTITUTE FOR ACHIEVEMENT OF HUMAN POTENTIAL | WYNDMOOR, PA | $100,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| MAX MCGRAW WILDLIFE FOUNDATION | DUNDEE TOWNSHIP, IL | $100,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| UNITED NEGRO COLLEGE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $80,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| ILLINOIS MATH & SCIENCE ACADEMY | AURORA, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| HARVARD KENNEDY CPL | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $50,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS | DORCHESTER, MA | $50,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| BONEFISH & TARPON TRUST | MIAMI, FL | $50,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| BRAIN RESEARCH FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| WTTW | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| SHEDD AQUARIUM | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
| SUMMIT SCHOOL | SUMMIT, IL | $20,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC CHARITY |
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
$1,275,000PUBLIC CHARITY
DEVELOPMENT
$250,000PUBLIC CHARITY
THEODORE ROOSEVELT CONSERVATION
$250,000PUBLIC CHARITY
KIDSPACE MUSEUM
$200,000PUBLIC CHARITY
UCSF SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
$100,000PUBLIC CHARITY
INSTITUTE FOR ACHIEVEMENT OF HUMAN POTENTIAL
$100,000PUBLIC CHARITY
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING
$100,000PUBLIC CHARITY
MAX MCGRAW WILDLIFE FOUNDATION
$100,000PUBLIC CHARITY
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY
$100,000PUBLIC CHARITY
WEITZMAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE
$100,000PUBLIC CHARITY
ILLINOIS MATH & SCIENCE ACADEMY
$50,000PUBLIC CHARITY
PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS
$50,000PUBLIC CHARITY
SHEDD AQUARIUM
$25,000PUBLIC CHARITY
CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM
$25,000PUBLIC CHARITY
SUMMIT SCHOOL
$20,000PUBLIC CHARITY
THE FIELD MUSEUM
$10,000PUBLIC CHARITY
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
$1,225,000PUBLIC CHARITY
UCSF SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
$300,000PUBLIC CHARITY
WEITZMAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE
$100,000PUBLIC CHARITY
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY
$100,000PUBLIC CHARITY
INSTITUTE FOR ACHIEVEMENT OF HUMAN POTENTIAL
$100,000PUBLIC CHARITY
MAX MCGRAW WILDLIFE FOUNDATION
$100,000PUBLIC CHARITY
ILLINOIS MATH & SCIENCE ACADEMY
$50,000PUBLIC CHARITY
HARVARD KENNEDY CPL
$50,000PUBLIC CHARITY
PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS
$50,000PUBLIC CHARITY
WTTW
$50,000PUBLIC CHARITY
CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM
$25,000PUBLIC CHARITY
SUMMIT SCHOOL
$20,000PUBLIC CHARITY