The Sidley Austin Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on legal services and access to justice, funding organizations that provide civil legal aid to low-income and vulnerable populations. Its single recorded grant to the Legal Aid Society suggests a strategic, mission-aligned commitment tied to the foundation’s law‑firm roots and expertise in supporting public-interest legal representation.
Highly concentrated giving — a single, large grant focused on legal services rather than many small or diversified awards. Likely favors mission-aligned, organization-level support to established legal-service providers.
Notable grantees: Legal Aid Society
The Sidley Austin Foundation C/o Timothy F Bergen gives most often to legal aid organizations, with repeated general-support grants to groups such as Legal Aid Society and Legal Aid Chicago. That pattern fits a foundation tied to law-firm roots and to civil legal services for low-income and vulnerable people. In the latest grant list, the largest award was $305,000 to Legal Aid Society in New York, followed by $264,600 to the same grantee in the prior year, showing a multi-year relationship rather than a one-off gift. The foundation also backs legal-services infrastructure and public-interest law organizations, including Equal Justice Works and the Legal Services Corporation, alongside broader community and institutional grantees. Its giving is not limited to one city: recent awards reached New York, Chicago, Washington, DC, and other US locations. The grant list shows a mix of six-figure support at the top and many smaller awards below that level, all recorded as general support. Across the 2024 file, the foundation continued to direct funds to organizations working in access to justice, legal representation, and related community support.
Civil legal aid is the clearest thread in the foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $250,000 in 2024 to Legal Aid Chicago for general support and $245,000 in 2023 for the same purpose. In Washington, DC, it supported Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia with $82,956 in 2024 and $54,080 in 2023, both as general support. The foundation also funds public-interest legal infrastructure. Equal Justice Works received $74,000 in 2024 and $74,000 in 2023, while Legal Services Corporation received $50,000 in 2024. Those grants point to support for the broader legal-aid system, not just direct client services. Beyond legal aid, the foundation has made general-support grants to organizations with broader civic or community missions. Recent examples include Metropolitan Family Services, Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc.
Typical grants are modest to mid-sized: p25 is $500, the median is $5,000, and p75 is $10,000. At the same time, the recent list includes several larger general-support awards in the $50,000 to $305,000 range, so the distribution is wide. The pattern is recurring rather than one-off in several cases: Legal Aid Society, Legal Aid Chicago, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, Equal Justice Works, Metropolitan Family Services, and Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia all appear across multiple years. The foundation is classified as a regular funder, not a DAF and not an individual-giving vehicle.
$4M
$16.9M
$13.7M
$4M
Most grants fall between $500 and $10K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$500
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$10K
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
The foundation gives nationally, with all recorded grants going to US recipients. Illinois is its top state by grant count, and 26% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent grants land most often in New York, Chicago, and Washington, DC, with other awards in Coral Gables, Arlington, and beyond. The recipient map is broad, but the largest cluster is in Illinois and the major legal-aid hubs of New York and Washington, DC.
Its grantmaking is centered on civil legal aid, access to justice, and public-interest legal representation. Recent grants went to Legal Aid Society, Legal Aid Chicago, Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, Equal Justice Works, Legal Services Corporation, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc.
The grant-size distribution is p25 $500, median $5,000, and p75 $10,000. The recent list also includes larger awards, such as $305,000 to Legal Aid Society and $250,000 to Legal Aid Chicago, so the foundation makes both small and substantial general-support grants.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Legal Aid Society, Legal Aid Chicago, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago Inc, Equal Justice Works, Metropolitan Family Services, and Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia. That suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated gifts.
Illinois is the top state by grant count, and 26% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent awards also reached New York, Washington, DC, Coral Gables, and Arlington, showing a national footprint rather than a single-city focus.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PUBLIC COUNSEL | LOS ANGELES, CA | $517,408 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LEGAL AID SOCIETY | NEW YORK, NY | $393,750 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LEGAL AID CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $150,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KABOOM INC | BETHESDA, MD | $101,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNITED WAY OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO INC | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI | MIAMI, FL | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORTHWESTERN MEMORIAL FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | WASHINGTON, DC | $90,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BUSINESS COUNCIL FOR INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING INC | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND INC | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COMMERCIAL CLUB CIVIC COMMITTEE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $60,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| METROPOLITAN FAMILY SERVICES | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KIND INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HNBA VIA - VISION IN ACTION - FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KABOOM INC | BETHESDA, MD | $49,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHICAGO LAWYERS COMMITTEE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS UNDER LAW INC | CHICAGO, IL | $45,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS | WASHINGTON, DC | $41,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS | WASHINGTON, DC | $41,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN LAW INSTITUTE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $40,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHILDRENS LAW CENTER INCORPORATED | WASHINGTON, DC | $40,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KABOOM INC | BETHESDA, MD | $36,250 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BAR FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $32,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL VETERANS LEGAL SERVICES PROGRAM INC | ARLINGTON, VA | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHICAGO VOLUNTEER LEGAL SERVICES FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SHARSHERET INC | TEANECK, NJ | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DALLAS BAR ASSOCIATION COMMUNITY SERVICE FUND | DALLAS, TX | $25,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEW YORK CARES INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YOUTH RENEWAL FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNITED WAY OF NEW YORK CITY | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TEXAS LAWBOOK FOUNDATION | DALLAS, TX | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ANN & ROBERT H LURIE CHILDRENS HOSPITAL OF CHICAGO FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE WASHINGTON LEGAL CLINIC FOR THE HOMELESS INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHICAGO BAR FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF WASHINGTON INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BREAKING GROUND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FUND CORPORATION | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KABOOM INC | BETHESDA, MD | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RAND CORPORATION | SANTA MONICA, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LAWYERS ALLIANCE FOR NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE AMERICAN FRIENDS OF JAMAICA | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHICAGO COUNCIL ON GLOBAL AFFAIRS | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LEGAL AID AT WORK | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| STREETWISE PARTNERS INCORPORATED | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LAWYERS FOR GOOD GOVERNMENT INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BREAD FOR THE CITY INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GIVE2ASIA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PREP FOR PREP | NEW YORK, NY | $16,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE YOUNG CENTER FOR IMMIGRANT CHILDRENS RIGHTS | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
UNITED WAY OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO INC
GENERAL SUPPORT
NORTHWESTERN MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND INC
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
COMMERCIAL CLUB CIVIC COMMITTEE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
$60,000GENERAL SUPPORT
METROPOLITAN FAMILY SERVICES
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HNBA VIA - VISION IN ACTION - FUND
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BAR FOUNDATION
$32,500GENERAL SUPPORT
NATIONAL VETERANS LEGAL SERVICES PROGRAM INC
$30,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DALLAS BAR ASSOCIATION COMMUNITY SERVICE FUND
$25,500GENERAL SUPPORT
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TEXAS LAWBOOK FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF WASHINGTON INC
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
RAND CORPORATION
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT