The Sheila Reynolds Berner Foundation appears to prioritize support for Catholic theological education and broader Chicago-area philanthropy. The majority of its recent giving is a single large grant to the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, with a smaller gift routed through the Chicago Community Foundation, suggesting an interest in faith-based higher education and local community impact in the Chicago region.
Highly concentrated giving: very few, large grants with one dominant recipient (roughly 80% to a single seminary) and occasional gifts channeled through a community foundation; appears focused rather than widely distributed.
A single grant to Catholic Theological Union at Chicago accounts for most of the Sheila Reynolds Berner Foundation’s recent giving, making Catholic theological education the clearest thread in its grant record. In 2023, the foundation awarded $179,900 to the Chicago seminary, followed by a $43,300 grant to the Chicago Community Foundation, which points to a second pathway: supporting Chicago-area philanthropy through a local intermediary. Its recent grants also include direct support for Catholic and faith-linked institutions such as Chicago Jesuit Academy, the Archdiocese of Chicago, and Fairfield University. The pattern suggests a funder that backs institutions tied to Catholic education, clergy formation, and community-serving organizations, rather than individuals or program-related investments. Recent grants also reach beyond one institution type, with gifts to a health center and a community school alongside theological and Catholic organizations. The result is a compact but varied portfolio centered on Chicago and adjacent regional relationships, with a strong emphasis on institutional support.
Catholic theological education is the foundation’s most visible priority. It gave $179,900 to Catholic Theological Union at Chicago for charitable purposes, a grant that stands out as the largest in the recent record and anchors its support for seminary education and clergy training. Chicago-based Catholic institutions appear repeatedly in the grant list: Chicago Jesuit Academy received $17,500, and the Archdiocese of Chicago received $15,000, both as charitable gifts. The foundation also supported broader faith-based higher education through a $15,000 grant to Fairfield University. Beyond education and church-related institutions, it made a $24,073 charitable grant to Fenix Family Health Center Inc, showing that its giving extends into community-facing services as well. These grants point to a mix of theological, educational, and local service-oriented support.
The grant-size profile is clustered around mid-five-figure awards: p25 is $15,000, median is $17,500, and p75 is $24,073. That said, the distribution is skewed by one much larger grant of $179,900, showing that the foundation can make a single institutional award far above its typical range. The recent record is entirely charitable and shows no individuals or program-related investments. The available grants are all from 2023, so the pattern here reflects a single-year snapshot rather than a multi-year sequence. The foundation appears to favor direct institutional grants and occasional routing through a community foundation.
$319K
$0
$2K
$320K
Most grants fall between $15K and $24K, with a median of $18K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$18K
75th Percentile
$24K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in IL.
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Notable grantees: Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, Chicago Community Foundation
The foundation’s giving is concentrated in Illinois, especially Chicago. Chicago recipients include Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, Chicago Community Foundation, Chicago Jesuit Academy, and the Archdiocese of Chicago. Outside Illinois, the recent record reaches Jackson, Wyoming through Jackson Hole Community School and Fairfield, Connecticut through Fairfield University. Recipient-country data shows all 9 grants stayed in the United States, and 0% of grants went to recipients in the foundation’s New York headquarters state.
Its recent grants center on Catholic theological education and seminary support, especially through Catholic Theological Union at Chicago. The record also includes support for Chicago-area community philanthropy via the Chicago Community Foundation, plus grants to Catholic and faith-linked educational institutions and a health center.
Typical grants are in the mid-five-figure range. The p25 grant size is $15,000, the median is $17,500, and the p75 is $24,073. One 2023 grant of $179,900 sits well above that cluster.
Yes. In the recent grant list, it funded recipients in Jackson, Wyoming and Fairfield, Connecticut. Even so, Illinois is the top state by grant count, with Chicago appearing multiple times in the recipient list.
No. The provided data indicates that it funds individuals is false and makes program-related investments is false. The recent grants shown are charitable institutional grants instead.
Recent grantees include Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, Chicago Community Foundation, Fenix Family Health Center Inc, Jackson Hole Community School, Chicago Jesuit Academy, Fairfield University, Archdiocese of Chicago, University of Notre Dame, and Top Box Foods.
2023
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2023.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CATHOLIC THEOLOGICAL UNION AT CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $179,900 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| CHICAGO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $43,300 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| FENIX FAMILY HEALTH CENTER INC | HIGHWOOD, IL | $24,073 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| JACKSON HOLE COMMUNITY SCHOOL | JACKSON, WY | $20,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| CHICAGO JESUIT ACADEMY | CHICAGO, IL | $17,500 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY | FAIRFIELD, CT | $15,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME | CHICAGO, IL | $4,300 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| TOP BOX FOODS | CHICAGO, IL | $127 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
CATHOLIC THEOLOGICAL UNION AT CHICAGO
$179,900CHARITABLE
CHICAGO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$43,300CHARITABLE
FENIX FAMILY HEALTH CENTER INC
$24,073CHARITABLE
JACKSON HOLE COMMUNITY SCHOOL
$20,000CHARITABLE
CHICAGO JESUIT ACADEMY
$17,500CHARITABLE
FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY
$15,000CHARITABLE
ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO
CHARITABLE
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
$4,300CHARITABLE
TOP BOX FOODS
$127CHARITABLE