The Sue Ling Gin Foundation concentrates on large, strategic investments in Chicago-based civic institutions, public safety and violence-prevention initiatives, and services for Chinese/Asian-American communities. Its grants favor operational support and program scaling for a small set of high-capacity organizations — spanning civic leadership (Commercial Club/Police Leadership Academy), youth violence interruption and reentry (Chicago CRED, CARA Collective, UChicago Crime Lab), cultural/educational institutions (The Field Museum, DePaul University), and local health/social services (Rush, Chinese American Service League). The foundation appears focused on system-level impact within Chicago rather than broad national giving.
A $10 million grant to the Commercial Club Foundation for the Chicago Police Leadership Academy signals how the Sue Ling Gin Foundation Trust uses large, targeted gifts to shape systems in Chicago. The trust pairs public-safety work with youth violence intervention, higher education, and support for Chinese/Asian-American communities, usually through operating or program support rather than small, scattered awards. Its 2025 grants also show sustained backing for Chicago CRED and Cara Collective, alongside major support for The Field Museum and DePaul University’s Sue Gin Scholars Initiative. That mix points to a funder focused on a small circle of high-capacity organizations with citywide reach. The foundation’s giving also extends to health and civic institutions. Rush University Medical Center received multiple awards for general operations, the Chicago Encounter, and the College of Nursing Health Clinic, while the Chinese American Service League received general operating support. In addition to these larger commitments, the trust made smaller sponsorships and program gifts to organizations such as Navy Pier Inc, the National Museum of Mexican Art, and the Lycee Francais De Chicago. Across the portfolio, the pattern is concentrated, Chicago-centered grantmaking with a few out-of-state exceptions tied to fellowship, restoration, and special initiatives.
Public safety and violence prevention are central themes in the Sue Ling Gin Foundation Trust’s recent grantmaking. It gave $10,000,000 to the Commercial Club Foundation for the Chicago Police Leadership Academy, $7,000,000 to Chicago CRED Inc. for general operations, and $5,000,000 to Cara Collective for general operations. The University of Chicago Crime Lab also received $1,000,000 for the Unengaged Youth Project. The trust also supports education and fellowships. DePaul University received $3,000,000 for the Sue Gin Scholars Initiative, and Greater Jamaica Development Corp. received $305,000 for Sue Ling Gin Fellowships. In community health, Rush University Medical Center received $958,086 for general operations, plus additional awards for the Chicago Encounter and the College of Nursing Health Clinic. Cultural and civic support appears through The Field Museum’s general operations grant and the University of Chicago’s Office of Civic Engagement donation.
$71.6M
$57.6M
$11M
$72M
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Highly concentrated, few but very large grants focused on Chicago-area organizations; primarily multi-million-dollar, unrestricted or general operations funding to established institutions and repeat/core strategic partners rather than many small grants.
Notable grantees: Commercial Club Foundation (Chicago Police Leadership Academy), Chicago CRED, CARA Collective, The Field Museum, DePaul University (Sue Gin Scholars Initiative)
The foundation’s recent grants range from $3,000 up to $10,000,000, with a median award of $25,000 and a third-quartile level of $550,000. That spread reflects a portfolio anchored by a few very large operating and program grants, then a long tail of smaller sponsorships and general operating support. The 2025 list is heavily concentrated in one year, and the recipient set is mostly repeat-oriented within that year through multiple awards to the same organizations, including Rush University Medical Center and Chicago-area institutions. The funder is a private foundation, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments.
Giving is overwhelmingly Chicago-centered: the grants list shows 25 U.S. grants, all to recipients in the United States, and 0% to recipients in Illinois is listed in the HQ-state field despite the Chicago concentration in the recent awards. Chicago recipients include the Commercial Club Foundation, The Field Museum, DePaul University, Rush University Medical Center, and the Chinese American Service League. Outside Chicago, the trust gave to Greater Jamaica Development Corp. in Jamaica, New York; Peacetrees Vietnam in Seattle; and One Tree Planted in Shelburne, Vermont.
Recent grants go to police leadership training, violence prevention and youth re-engagement, higher education scholarships, health care, civic institutions, and Chinese/Asian-American community services. Examples include the Chicago Police Leadership Academy, Chicago CRED, DePaul University’s Sue Gin Scholars Initiative, Rush University Medical Center, The Field Museum, and the Chinese American Service League.
In the recent grants list, awards range from $3,000 to $10,000,000, with a median of $25,000 and a third quartile of $550,000. The portfolio includes both very large operating grants and smaller sponsorship-style gifts.
Most recent grants are to Chicago recipients, but not all. The list also includes Greater Jamaica Development Corp. in Jamaica, New York; Peacetrees Vietnam in Seattle; One Tree Planted in Shelburne, Vermont; and the North American Word Game Players Association in Dallas.
The recent list shows general operations, program support, sponsorships, and named initiatives or fellowships. Examples include general operations for Chicago CRED, program funding for the Chicago Police Leadership Academy, sponsorships for Navy Pier Inc. and Lycee Francais De Chicago, and fellowships through Greater Jamaica Development Corp.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMMERCIAL CLUB FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000,000 | 2025 | THE CHICAGO POLICE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY |
| CHICAGO CRED INC | CHICAGO, IL | $7,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| THE FIELD MUSEUM | CHICAGO, IL | $5,200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| CARA COLLECTIVE | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| DEPAUL UNIVERSITY | CHICAGO, IL | $3,000,000 | 2025 | SUE GIN SCHOLARS INITIATIVE |
| UNIV OF CHICAGO CRIME LAB | CHICAGO, IL | $1,000,000 | 2025 | UNENGAGED YOUTH PROJECT |
| RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER | CHICAGO, IL | $958,086 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| CHINESE AMERICAN SERVICE LEAGUE | CHICAGO, IL | $550,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER | CHICAGO, IL | $500,000 | 2025 | CHICAGO ENCOUNTER |
| RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER | CHICAGO, IL | $400,000 | 2025 | COLLEGE OF NURSING HEALTH CLINIC |
| GREATER JAMAICA DEVELOPMENT CORP | JAMAICA, NY | $305,000 | 2025 | SUE LING GIN FELLOWSHIPS |
| UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $160,000 | 2025 | OFFICE OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT DONATION |
| AUTOMOTIVE MENTORING GROUP | BEDFORD PARK, IL | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| MIDWEST GLOBAL ALLIANCE | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | MIDWEST GOOD MATTERS CAMPAIGN |
| NAVY PIER INC | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | SPONSORSHIP |
| BRAIN RESEARCH FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| PEACETREES VIETNAM | SEATTLE, WA | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| NORTH AMERICAN WORD GAME PLAYERS ASSOCIATION | DALLAS, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | COLLEGIATE SCRABBLE CHAMPIONSHIP |
| ONE TREE PLANTED | SHELBURNE, VT | $5,500 | 2025 | WILDFIRE RESTORATION IN CA |
| THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MEXICAN ART | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| FRIENDS OF ALZHEIMER'S CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| MEALS ON WHEELS CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| LYCEE FRANCAIS DE CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $4,750 | 2025 | SPONSORSHIP |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| THE FIELD MUSEUM | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| COMMERCIAL CLUB FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $3,035,050 | 2024 | THE CHICAGO POLICE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY |
| WTTW - WINDOW TO THE WORLD COMMUNICATIONS INC | CHICAGO, IL | $200,000 | 2024 | GRANT - GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| AUTOMOTIVE MENTORING GROUP | BEDFORD PARK, IL | $150,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| CHICAGO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $90,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE DISBURSEMENTS - GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SERVICES ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION | ATLANTA, GA | $45,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| NAVY PIER INC | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | SPONSORSHIP |
| LYCEE FRANCAIS DE CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $23,000 | 2024 | SPONSORSHIP |
| SAN DIEGO CHINESE HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND MUSEUM | SAN DIEGO, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | SPONSORSHIP |
| TEA THE ENTREPRENEAUR ACADEMY | SAN DIEGO, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| MUSIC INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO | EVANSTON, IL | $5,000 | 2024 | GRANT - GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE OCEAN CLEANUP FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $4,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| TEA THE ENTREPRENEUR ACADEMY | SAN DIEGO, CA | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| CHICAGO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $4,476,721 | 2023 | CHARITABLE DISBURSEMENTS - GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| CHINESE AMERICAN SERVICE LEAGUE | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
CHICAGO CRED INC
$7,000,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
UNIV OF CHICAGO CRIME LAB
UNENGAGED YOUTH PROJECT
RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
$500,000CHICAGO ENCOUNTER
GREATER JAMAICA DEVELOPMENT CORP
$305,000SUE LING GIN FELLOWSHIPS
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
$160,000OFFICE OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT DONATION
MIDWEST GLOBAL ALLIANCE
$25,000MIDWEST GOOD MATTERS CAMPAIGN
PEACETREES VIETNAM
$20,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
NORTH AMERICAN WORD GAME PLAYERS ASSOCIATION
$10,000COLLEGIATE SCRABBLE CHAMPIONSHIP
FRIENDS OF ALZHEIMER'S CHICAGO
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
MEALS ON WHEELS CHICAGO
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
LYCEE FRANCAIS DE CHICAGO
$4,750SPONSORSHIP
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF CHICAGO
$3,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
WTTW - WINDOW TO THE WORLD COMMUNICATIONS INC
$200,000GRANT - GENERAL OPERATIONS
CHICAGO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$90,000CHARITABLE DISBURSEMENTS - GENERAL OPERATIONS
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SERVICES ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION
$45,000SCHOLARSHIPS
LYCEE FRANCAIS DE CHICAGO
$23,000SPONSORSHIP
SAN DIEGO CHINESE HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND MUSEUM
$10,000SPONSORSHIP
TEA THE ENTREPRENEAUR ACADEMY
$5,000SCHOLARSHIPS
TEA THE ENTREPRENEUR ACADEMY
$1,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
CHICAGO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$4,476,721CHARITABLE DISBURSEMENTS - GENERAL OPERATIONS