About Square One Foundation
Square One Foundation makes a small number of very large, unrestricted gifts focused on Chicago-based institutional partners. Its giving is concentrated in two distinct areas: major Jewish communal organizations and the University of Chicago, suggesting priorities of sustaining local Jewish life and supporting a flagship university. Grants are general-purpose, indicating trust-based funding rather than project-restricted support.
Focus Areas
Chicago Jewish communal support and federation-level philanthropy (Jewish United Fund / Jewish Federation of Chicago)General operating support for the University of Chicago (including broad campus priorities)Major institutional/challenge gifts to University of Chicago initiatives (e.g., Odyssey Challenge / fundraising matches)
Who They Fund
general public/communitiesnonprofit organizations (unspecified)
Giving Approach
Highly concentrated: very few, large unrestricted grants split between repeat institutional grantees. Funding is local (Chicago), trust-based (general purpose), and skewed toward established organizations rather than many small or grassroots awards.
About Square One Foundation
Square One Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by large general-purpose grants to Chicago’s Jewish communal institutions and to the University of Chicago. A $1.5 million grant to Jewish United Fund (JUF) in 2025 and a $1 million grant to Jewish Federation of Chicago in 2023 show sustained support for major communal infrastructure. The foundation also backs the University of Chicago at scale, including a $760,000 gift in 2023 and a $590,000 gift in 2025, plus a $500,000 challenge grant to University of Chicago Odyssey Challenge in 2024. Beyond those flagship recipients, the grant record points to a Chicago-centered pattern of unrestricted support for institutions working in education, civic life, and economic opportunity. Recent recipients include National Louis University, City Bureau, Palenque LSNA, Chicago United for Equity, and Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights. The awards are generally not highly restricted to specific projects, and several are labeled general purpose or general charitable purpose, which suggests a preference for flexible institutional support rather than narrow program funding.
What Square One Foundation Funds
Square One Foundation’s program areas now center on education, democracy, and inclusive economic opportunity in Chicago. In education, it gave $207,500 to National Louis University in 2025 for general purpose support, alongside other education-oriented grants to the same institution in prior years. In democracy work, it awarded $200,000 to The Election Center in 2025 for general purpose support and $200,000 to the Brennan Center for Justice in 2023 for general charitable purpose, signaling interest in civic participation and accountable democratic systems. Its economic-justice portfolio includes $110,000 to the Shriver Center on Urban Poverty in 2024 for general purpose support and $92,500 to the Latino Policy Forum in 2024 for general purpose support. The foundation also funds community-facing media and civic organizations, including City Bureau and South Side Weekly, through general-purpose grants.
How Square One Foundation Gives
Typical grants cluster tightly around $45,000 at the 25th percentile, a $55,000 median, and $75,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record also includes several much larger institutional gifts, showing that Square One sometimes makes outsized awards to core partners. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a DAF, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments. Its grantmaking looks recurring rather than one-off: the same institutions appear across multiple years, including University of Chicago and National Louis University. Active grant programs rely on general operating support and project support, and the renewal processes are reserved for current grantees rather than open to unsolicited applicants.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$7.2M
Total Assets
$76.5M
Total Revenue
$16.1M
Total Expenses
$9.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $45K and $75K, with a median of $55K.
25th Percentile
$45K
Median
$55K
75th Percentile
$75K
Geographic Reach
Local10 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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