The Susan and Stephen Baird Family Foundation concentrates its giving on large, general-purpose grants to a small set of recurring institutions, blending local Chicago civic and conservation causes with high-profile national philanthropy. Major interests include urban and landscape conservation, arts residency/support, and strengthening community philanthropy, delivered primarily as unrestricted support to trusted organizations.
Relatively concentrated giving: a small number of large, often repeated, unrestricted grants to trusted institutions; mix of local Chicago-focused beneficiaries and selective national recipients.
Susan and Stephen Baird Family Foundation C/o Stephen W Baird gives at a scale that includes seven-figure annual grantmaking and a clear pattern of repeat support for a small group of institutions. The largest recent awards in the record went to Harvard University, The Chicago Community Trust, and The Morton Arboretum, all described as general and unrestricted. That combination points to a funder that favors flexible support rather than project-tied grants, with Chicago-area civic institutions and conservation organizations appearing alongside national education and cultural recipients. The foundation also backs organizations tied to journalism, children’s health, and arts programming, which broadens its profile beyond a single cause area while keeping the grant strategy focused on operating support. Recurring gifts to the same grantees across multiple years suggest a relationship-based approach, especially with organizations such as The Morton Arboretum, Chicago Community Foundation, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, and Chicago Public Media. The giving pattern is consistent with a foundation that uses unrestricted dollars to strengthen established institutions rather than seed many small, one-time awards.
Urban and regional land conservation is a visible thread in the foundation’s giving. It supported The Morton Arboretum with general and unrestricted grants of $310,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and gave The Trust for Public Land $200,000 in 2025 after earlier support of $80,000 in 2024 and $77,500 in 2023. Civic philanthropy in Chicago is another core area: The Chicago Community Trust received $397,500 in 2023, while Chicago Community Foundation received $247,500 in both 2024 and 2025. The foundation also backs arts institutions, including Anderson Ranch Arts Center with $215,000 in 2023 and $190,000 in 2024. In media and community-serving work, Chicago Public Media received $155,000 in 2023, and Chicago Public Media Wbez received $120,000 in 2024 and $125,000 in 2025.
Typical grant size clusters around a median of $20,000, with the 25th percentile at $5,000 and the 75th percentile at $60,000. The recent record also shows repeated larger awards, including multiple six-figure general and unrestricted grants. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a donor-advised fund, and its top recipients recur across years, which indicates ongoing relationships instead of one-off gifts. Grant purpose language is consistently general and unrestricted, with a strong preference for flexible operating support. Individual giving and program-related investments are both excluded in the profile data.
$2.2M
$33.2M
$2.2M
$3.1M
Most grants fall between $5K and $60K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$60K
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Notable grantees: Harvard University, The Morton Arboretum, Chicago Community Foundation / The Chicago Community Trust, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, The Trust for Public Land
Grant recipients are concentrated in the United States, with 96 grants, or 100%, going to U.S. organizations in the provided record. Illinois leads by grant count, and 67% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Chicago appears frequently, alongside Lisle and other Illinois locations, while outside Illinois the foundation supports Cambridge, Snowmass Village, Cincinnati, and San Francisco. The spread suggests a regional base with selective national giving to a small number of repeat recipients.
The recent record is dominated by general and unrestricted grants. That pattern appears across large awards to institutions such as Harvard University, The Morton Arboretum, and Chicago Community Foundation, indicating a preference for flexible operating support rather than project-specific funding.
Three areas stand out: land conservation and public green space, Chicago civic philanthropy, and arts support. The record also includes media, children’s health, and higher education, but those appear alongside the stronger recurring themes rather than replacing them.
Yes. The recent grants list shows repeated support across multiple years for several recipients, including The Morton Arboretum, Chicago Community Foundation, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, The Trust for Public Land, and Chicago Public Media Wbez. That points to ongoing relationships rather than isolated gifts.
Illinois receives the largest share of grants, with 67% going to recipients in the HQ state. Chicago is a frequent recipient city, and the broader record also includes grants to Lisle, Cambridge, Snowmass Village, Cincinnati, and San Francisco.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HARVARD UNIVERSITY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $335,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| THE MORTON ARBORETUM | LISLE, IL | $310,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| CHICAGO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $247,500 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| FIDELITY CHARITABLESHURWOOD FUND | CINCINNATI, OH | $170,900 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| CHICAGO PUBLIC MEDIA WBEZ | CHICAGO, IL | $125,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| FIDELITY CHARITABLEBAIRD & WARNER GOOD WILL WORKS | CINCINNATI, OH | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| FIDELITY CHARITABLELUCY BAIRD GIFT FUND | CINCINNATI, OH | $85,210 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| FIDELITY CHARITABLEGASTEVICH FAMILY GIVING FUND | CINCINNATI, OH | $85,210 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| CAROLE ROBERTSON CENTER FOR LEARNING | CHICAGO, IL | $65,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| ALLIES FOR COMMUNITY BUSINESS | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| ASPEN INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| EVERGREEN CLIMATE INNOVATIONS | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| CHICAGO MEDIA PROJECT | CHICAGO, IL | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| AMERICAN RIVERS | WASHINGTON, DC | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| UC BERKELEY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM | BERKELEY, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| ROARING FORK PUBLIC RADIO INC - ASPEN PUBLIC RADIO | ASPEN, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| ERIE FAMILY HEALTH FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| PROOFING STATION | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| MOTHER JONES | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| VOCEL VIEWING OUR CHILDREN AS EMERGING LEADERS NFP | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING | EMERYVILLE, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| ANDERSON RANCH ARTS CENTER | SNOWMASS VILLAGE, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| ENVIRONMENTAL LAW & POLICY CENTER | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| WRITERS THEATRE INC | GLENCOE, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| ELEVATE ENERGY | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| SOLVE MECFS | GLENDALE, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| WORKING IN THE SCHOOLS | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| VIVERY COMMUNITY | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| WTTW WINDOW TO THE WORLD COMMUNICATIONS | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| LITTLE VILLAGE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATION | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| ANN & ROBERT H LURIE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS FOUNDATION | CHAMPAIGN, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY | EVANSTON, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| HARVARD UNIVERSITY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $335,000 | 2024 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| THE MORTON ARBORETUM | LISLE, IL | $310,000 | 2024 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| CHICAGO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $247,500 | 2024 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| ANDERSON RANCH ARTS CENTER | SNOWMASS VILLAGE, CO | $190,000 | 2024 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| FIDELITY CHARITABLETHE SHURWOOD FUND | CINCINNATI, OH | $161,900 | 2024 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| FIDELITY CHARITABLEBAIRD & WARNER GOOD WILL WORKS | CINCINNATI, OH | $150,000 | 2024 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| CHICAGO PUBLIC MEDIA WBEZ | CHICAGO, IL | $120,000 | 2024 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $80,000 | 2024 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| ANN & ROBERT H LURIE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $60,000 | 2024 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| CHICAGO MEDIA PROJECT | CHICAGO, IL | $60,000 | 2024 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| EVERGREEN CLIMATE INNOVATIONS | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| CAROLE ROBERTSON CENTER FOR LEARNING | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| ALLIES FOR COMMUNITY BUSINESS | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| AMERICAN RIVERS | WASHINGTON, DC | $30,000 | 2024 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
| UC BERKELEY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM | BERKELEY, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED |
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
$335,000GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED
CHICAGO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$247,500GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED
FIDELITY CHARITABLESHURWOOD FUND
$170,900GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED
CHICAGO PUBLIC MEDIA WBEZ
$125,000GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED
FIDELITY CHARITABLEBAIRD & WARNER GOOD WILL WORKS
$100,000GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED
FIDELITY CHARITABLELUCY BAIRD GIFT FUND
$85,210GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED
FIDELITY CHARITABLEGASTEVICH FAMILY GIVING FUND
$85,210GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED
UC BERKELEY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM
$25,000GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED
PROOFING STATION
$25,000GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED
CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
$20,000GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED
ANDERSON RANCH ARTS CENTER
$20,000GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED
WRITERS THEATRE INC
$10,000GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED
VIVERY COMMUNITY
$10,000GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED
WTTW WINDOW TO THE WORLD COMMUNICATIONS
$10,000GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
$335,000GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED
CHICAGO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$247,500GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED
FIDELITY CHARITABLETHE SHURWOOD FUND
$161,900GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED
FIDELITY CHARITABLEBAIRD & WARNER GOOD WILL WORKS
$150,000GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED
UC BERKELEY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM
$25,000GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED