The Yagan Family Foundation concentrates on funding research-driven, policy-focused institutions and initiatives that advance education, economic opportunity, civic discourse, and urban policy. Their grants favor major universities and think tanks (often for research centers or policy labs), as well as nonprofits working on early childhood outcomes and metropolitan planning. They prioritize evidence-generation and policy translation over small local service delivery.
Yagan Family Foundation gives repeated six-figure support to research and policy institutions that shape education, civic life, and metropolitan policy. One clear pattern is its multi-year backing of Harvard University-Opportunity Insights, which received $200,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation also returned to the University of Chicago Center for Free Expression with $300,000 in both 2024 and 2025, showing sustained support for academic work tied to public discourse. Its grantmaking reaches beyond universities into organizations translating research into policy and practice. The Institute for Political Innovation received $250,000 in 2025, while Yale University’s Budget Policy Lab Fund received $200,000 in both 2024 and 2025. In Chicago, the foundation supported Start Early FKA Ounce of Prevention and the Metropolitan Planning Council, alongside grants to groups working on democratic reform, economic mobility, early childhood systems, and urban planning. The giving profile points to a funder that favors institutional partners, often with research or policy functions, and often at a scale meant to support ongoing work rather than one-off projects.
Education is a major theme in the foundation’s recent grants. It gave $300,000 in 2025 to the University of Chicago Center for Free Expression and $220,000 in 2024 to Start Early FKA Ounce of Prevention, both reflecting support for education-related institutions and systems work. Civic engagement and democratic reform also appear prominently. The Institute for Political Innovation received $250,000 in 2025, while Issue One received $100,000 in 2023 for political reform and Fund for Constitutional Government received $100,000 in 2024 for democracy. Urban and metropolitan policy is another recurring area. Metropolitan Planning Council received $175,000 in 2023 for urban growth, and Yale University’s Budget Policy Lab Fund received $200,000 in 2024 and again in 2025. The foundation also backed humanitarian aid through Boys Hope Girls Hope International and Karam Foundation, each at $100,000 in the recent-grants list.
Typical grant size sits at $20,000 at the 25th percentile, with both the median and 75th percentile at $100,000, which signals a strong concentration around six-figure awards. The recent list also includes several larger grants at $200,000 to $300,000. Recipients appear across multiple years, including Harvard University-Opportunity Insights, University of Chicago Center for Free Expression, Start Early FKA Ounce of Prevention, and Unite America Institute Inc. The foundation is classified as a regular funder and also makes program-related investments. No unsolicited application process is shown in the provided data.
$2M
$50.7M
$4.1M
$2.7M
Most grants fall between $20K and $100K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$100K
About 5% of grants go to recipients in IL.
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Concentrated, large grants to a small set of national institutions and repeat grantees; funding is primarily directed to research and policy initiatives rather than many small community-level awards.
Notable grantees: University of Chicago Center for Free Expression, Harvard University - Opportunity Insights, Yale University (Budget Policy Lab Fund), The Institute for Political Innovation, Start Early (formerly Ounce of Prevention)
Grant recipients are all in the United States. Chicago, IL appears repeatedly and is the clearest center of activity, with additional grants to Milwaukee, WI; Cambridge, MA; New Haven, CT; Washington, DC; and Denver, CO. Illinois is the top state by grant count, and 5% of grants go to recipients in Colorado. The recipient footprint is national, but the listed awards cluster heavily around Midwest and East Coast institutions.
The recent grants show a strong emphasis on universities, research centers, and policy institutions. Examples include Harvard University-Opportunity Insights, Yale University’s Budget Policy Lab Fund, the University of Chicago Center for Free Expression, and the Metropolitan Planning Council. The pattern favors research, policy translation, and institutional work.
Recent grants point to education, civic engagement and political reform, urban growth and metropolitan planning, and humanitarian aid. The list also includes support for free expression and public discourse, plus research tied to economic opportunity and early childhood systems.
The grant-size distribution centers on six-figure awards. The 25th percentile is $20,000, while both the median and 75th percentile are $100,000. Recent grants also include larger awards of $200,000 and $300,000.
Yes. Several recipients appear in more than one year, including Harvard University-Opportunity Insights in 2023, 2024, and 2025; the University of Chicago Center for Free Expression in 2024 and 2025; Start Early FKA Ounce of Prevention in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Unite America Institute Inc in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The giving is national, with all recent grants going to U.S. recipients. Illinois is the top state by grant count, and Chicago appears repeatedly among recipient cities. Other recipient locations include Milwaukee, Cambridge, New Haven, Washington, DC, Denver, Florence, Stanford, Bridgeton, and Lake Forest.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Chicago Center for Free Expression | Chicago, IL | $300,000 | 2025 | Education |
| The Institute for Political Innovation | Milwaukee, WI | $250,000 | 2025 | Civic Engagement |
| Harvard University-Opportunity Insights | Cambridge, MA | $200,000 | 2025 | Research |
| Yale University | New Haven, CT | $200,000 | 2025 | Budget Policy Lab Fund |
| Lawndale Christian Legal Center | Chicago, IL | $150,000 | 2025 | Public charity support |
| The Honeycomb Project | Chicago, IL | $128,820 | 2025 | Volunteer support |
| Represent US | Florence, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | Education |
| Unite America Institute Inc | Denver, CO | $100,000 | 2025 | Civic Engagement |
| Start Early FKA Ounce of Prevention | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | Education |
| Urban Initiatives | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | Public charity support |
| Fund for Constitutional Government | Washington, DC | $100,000 | 2025 | Democracy |
| Overdose Crisis Response Fund | Hinsdale, IL | $79,921 | 2025 | Humanitarian aid |
| Invest for Better | Oakland, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | Financial Education |
| One Goal | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | Education |
| Rush University Medical Center | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | Medical |
| Social Ventures Partners Chicago | Chicago, IL | $35,000 | 2025 | Public charity support |
| Vocal Justice | Oakland, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | Social Change |
| Jersey County Arts Council | Jerseyville, IL | $6,000 | 2025 | Support for the Arts |
| City of Jerseyville | Jerseyville, IL | $6,000 | 2025 | Community development |
| Jerseyville Public Library | Jerseyville, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | Education |
| District 100 Foundation | Jerseyville, IL | $3,000 | 2025 | Education |
| National Center for Family Philanthropy | Washington, DC | $1,500 | 2025 | Public charity support |
| #TeamSeas - Ocean Conservancy | Washington, DC | $75 | 2025 | Environmental support |
| University of Chicago Center for Free Expression | Chicago, IL | $300,000 | 2024 | Education |
| Start Early FKA Ounce of Prevention | Chicago, IL | $220,000 | 2024 | Education |
| Harvard University-Opportunity Insights | Cambridge, MA | $200,000 | 2024 | Research |
| Yale University | New Haven, CT | $200,000 | 2024 | Budget Policy Lab Fund |
| Lawndale Christian Legal Center | Chicago, IL | $150,000 | 2024 | Public charity support |
| Karam Foundation | Lake Forest, IL | $100,000 | 2024 | Humanitarian aid |
| Boys Hope Girls Hope International | Bridgeton, MO | $100,000 | 2024 | Humanitarian aid |
| Unite America Institute Inc | Denver, CO | $100,000 | 2024 | Civic Engagement |
| The Honeycomb Project | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2024 | Volunteer support |
| Urban Initiatives | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2024 | Public charity support |
| Fund for Constitutional Government | Washington, DC | $100,000 | 2024 | Democracy |
| Represent US | Florence, MA | $100,000 | 2024 | Education |
| One Goal | Chicago, IL | $94,000 | 2024 | Education |
| Invest for Better | Oakland, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | Financial Education |
| Social Ventures Partners Chicago | Chicago, IL | $30,000 | 2024 | Public charity support |
| Rush University Medical Center | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | Medical |
| Impact Assets | Bethesda, MD | $25,000 | 2024 | Impact Investing |
| Jersey County Arts Council | Jerseyville, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | Support for the Arts |
| Metropolitan Planning Council | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | Urban growth |
| Vocal Justice | Oakland, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | Social Change |
| District 100 Foundation | Jerseyville, IL | $5,000 | 2024 | Education |
| Otter Creek Historical Society Inc | Otterville, IL | $5,000 | 2024 | Support for the Arts |
| Harvard University-Opportunity Insights | Cambridge, MA | $200,000 | 2023 | Research |
| Metropolitan Planning Council | Chicago, IL | $175,000 | 2023 | Urban growth |
| University of Chicago Center for Free Enterprise | Chicago, IL | $150,000 | 2023 | Education |
| Lawndale Christian Legal Center | Chicago, IL | $150,000 | 2023 | Public charity support |
| Honeycomb Project | Chicago, IL | $150,000 | 2023 | Volunteerism |
University of Chicago Center for Free Expression
$300,000Education
The Institute for Political Innovation
$250,000Civic Engagement
Yale University
$200,000Budget Policy Lab Fund
Volunteer support
Overdose Crisis Response Fund
$79,921Humanitarian aid
Invest for Better
$50,000Financial Education
Social Ventures Partners Chicago
$35,000Public charity support
Jersey County Arts Council
$6,000Support for the Arts
City of Jerseyville
$6,000Community development
Jerseyville Public Library
$5,000Education
District 100 Foundation
$3,000Education
University of Chicago Center for Free Expression
$300,000Education
Harvard University-Opportunity Insights
$200,000Research
Yale University
$200,000Budget Policy Lab Fund
Boys Hope Girls Hope International
$100,000Humanitarian aid
Invest for Better
$50,000Financial Education
Social Ventures Partners Chicago
$30,000Public charity support
Jersey County Arts Council
$10,000Support for the Arts
District 100 Foundation
$5,000Education
Otter Creek Historical Society Inc
$5,000Support for the Arts