The First Spoke Foundation concentrates its giving on Chicago-area higher education and community institutions while also funding national Jewish life, environmental/climate science and public-safety or policy advocacy. Its portfolio blends a small number of very large, institution-building gifts with a broader set of mid-size grants to advocacy organizations and intermediaries, reflecting both local civic investment and national issue engagement. The foundation frequently channels support through donor-advised or intermediary vehicles and makes repeat grants to several core recipients.
The First Spoke Foundation’s largest recent gift was a $5.25 million general operating grant to the University of Illinois Foundation, paired with a $3.75 million grant to The ARK in Chicago. Those two awards capture the foundation’s pattern of backing both higher education and community-based institutions with large unrestricted support. Its recent giving also includes substantial support for Jewish communal infrastructure, with grants to Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Birthright Israel Foundation, and The Jewish Federations of North America. Environmental and public-safety advocacy appear alongside those priorities, through grants to Carbon Mapper Inc and Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund. The foundation’s portfolio is built around nonprofit core operations, administrative infrastructure, and program delivery support, rather than project-only funding. Repeat grants appear in the recent record, suggesting sustained relationships with some recipients across multiple years. Leadership is listed as Rose Jagust.
In higher education, the foundation gave $5.25 million to University of Illinois Foundation for general operating support and $75,000 to Yale University for general operating support. That mix shows an interest in both Illinois institutions and broader academic support. Jewish life and identity are another visible thread: grants went to Birthright Israel Foundation for general operating support and to Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago for general operating support. The foundation also funded climate and environmental work through Carbon Mapper Inc for general operating support, and policy-oriented public-safety work through Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund. Chicago-area service organizations also appear, including The ARK, Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, All Chicago Making Homelessness History, and Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center.
Typical grants cluster around a $35,000 p25, $100,000 median, and $250,000 p75, with a small number of much larger institution-building awards. Most recent grants are described as general operating support, and several recipients appear more than once across 2023 and 2024, indicating repeat funding rather than one-off gifts. The foundation is a private grantmaker with no indication that it funds individuals or makes program-related investments. The pattern is consistent with unrestricted support to established nonprofits and intermediaries.
$3.3M
$0
$2.4M
$3.3M
Most grants fall between $35K and $250K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$35K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$250K
Rose Jagust
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Concentrated giving: a few very large multi-million dollar gifts anchor the portfolio alongside numerous repeat and mid-size grants. Funding mixes local institution-building (big capital/endowment gifts in Chicago/Illinois) with national policy and advocacy grants often routed through intermediaries or repeat grantees.
Notable grantees: University of Illinois Foundation, The ARK, Birthright Israel Foundation, Carbon Mapper Inc, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
Grants are concentrated in the United States, with 45 grants, or 100%, going to U.S. recipients. Chicago is a major landing point, alongside other Illinois locations such as Urbana, Evanston, Harvey, Northbrook, Wheeling, and Elgin. New York and Washington, DC also appear frequently among recipient locations. The giving map therefore shows a strong Illinois base for recipients, plus selected national organizations in New York, DC, and other states.
The recent grants point to higher education institutions, Jewish communal organizations, climate and environmental groups, public-safety advocacy organizations, and Chicago-area human services providers. Examples include University of Illinois Foundation, Birthright Israel Foundation, Carbon Mapper Inc, Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, and The ARK.
Yes. The recent grants listed are all labeled general operating support, including large awards to University of Illinois Foundation, The ARK, and Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. That pattern suggests the foundation often funds core organizational needs rather than narrow projects.
The typical grant size is $35,000 at the 25th percentile, $100,000 at the median, and $250,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record also includes larger outliers, including a $5.25 million grant and several grants in the $500,000 range.
Yes, recipients in Illinois account for 60% of grants. Chicago appears often, and other Illinois recipient cities in the recent list include Urbana, Evanston, Harvey, Northbrook, Wheeling, and Elgin.
Yes. Several organizations appear in both 2023 and 2024, including Birthright Israel Foundation, Carbon Mapper Inc, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, The Jewish Federations of North America, United States Energy Foundation, and Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partnership Project | Washington, DC | $650,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Birthright Israel Foundation | New York, NY | $500,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Carbon Mapper Inc | Pasadena, CA | $500,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Secure Community Network Inc | Chicago, IL | $277,500 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| United States Energy Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $250,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago, IL | $150,497 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| New Venture Fund | Washington, DC | $100,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| All Chicago Making Homelessness History | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| The Jewish Federations of North America | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Yale University | New Haven, CT | $75,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Family Christian Health Center | Harvey, IL | $70,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Northshore University HealthSystem | Evanston, IL | $60,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Children First Fund The Chicago Public Schools Foundation | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| National-Louis University | Wheeling, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| City Colleges of Chicago Foundation | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| University of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Chicago Family Health Center Inc | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Chicago Cares | Chicago, IL | $20,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Christian Community Health Center | Chicago, IL | $20,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Beloved Community Family Wellness Center | Chicago, IL | $16,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| TCA Health Inc NFP | Chicago, IL | $16,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Enlace Chicago | Chicago, IL | $15,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| CARA Program | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| University of Illinois Foundation | Urbana, IL | $5,250,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| The ARK | Chicago, IL | $3,750,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago, IL | $835,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Birthright Israel Foundation | New York, NY | $550,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Carbon Mapper Inc | Pasadena, CA | $500,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors | New York, NY | $500,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| The Jewish Federations of North America | New York, NY | $400,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Michael Reese Health Trust | Elgin, IL | $225,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| United States Energy Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $150,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights | Chicago, IL | $110,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Resource Media A Nonprofit Corporation | Beaverton, OR | $100,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Chicago Children's Advocacy Center | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Lake County Community Foundation | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Jewish Community Centers of Chicago JCC | Northbrook, IL | $77,500 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Comp-U-Dopt | Houston, TX | $35,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Chicago Community Foundation | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| United Way of Lake County | Mentor, OH | $20,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago, IL | $20,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Dion's Chicago Dream Inc NFP | Matteson, IL | $10,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
General Operating Support
National-Louis University
$50,000General Operating Support
Beloved Community Family Wellness Center
$16,000General Operating Support
TCA Health Inc NFP
$16,000General Operating Support
Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights
$110,000General Operating Support
Chicago Community Foundation
$25,000General Operating Support