About University of Illinois Foundation
The Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization, is an independent and separate nonprofit entity from the University of Illinois. Our mission is to encourage and administer private gifts and serve the UI System by working closely with alumni, faculty, corporations, foundations, and development staff to create fundraising programs and opportunities that benefit the University of Illinois.
Focus Areas
Higher educationScholarships and student supportResearch supportCampus programs and infrastructureEndowed funds
Who They Fund
University of Illinois (institution)university studentsfaculty and researcherscampus community
Funding Style
institutional supportgeneral/unrestricted support
About University of Illinois Foundation
The largest recent grants are two extraordinary support payments to the University of Illinois: $266,975,468 in 2024 and $236,461,793 in 2023. That pattern makes the University of Illinois Foundation read less like a conventional grantmaker and more like the university’s central private-giving vehicle, moving major institutional support through a single-institution structure. Its published mission is to encourage and administer private gifts and to serve the UI System by working with alumni, faculty, corporations, foundations, and development staff. Beyond those flagship transfers, the foundation also routes support to university-affiliated organizations and partner institutions on behalf of the University of Illinois. In the recent-grants list, the University of Illinois Alumni Association appears in both 2023 and 2024, while grants also reach the Orthopterists Society, Princeton University, Stanford, Washington State University Foundation, Southernmost Illinois Delta Empowerment Zone, Carle Development Foundation, and Cunningham Children's Home. The recipient mix shows how the foundation can support academic, research, alumni, and campus-related activity while keeping the University of Illinois at the center of its grantmaking.
What University of Illinois Foundation Funds
A clear share of the foundation’s grantmaking supports alumni and institutional infrastructure around the university. It gave $1,804,712 in 2023 and $1,692,973 in 2024 to the University of Illinois Alumni Association, both described as support on behalf of the University of Illinois. Research and scholarly activity also appear in the recent grants. The foundation awarded $220,000 in 2024 and $182,000 in 2023 to the Orthopterists Society, again on behalf of the university. Its list further includes support tied to broader academic and community connections. Princeton University received $106,313 in 2024, Washington State University Foundation received $21,083 in 2024, and the Southernmost Illinois Delta Empowerment Zone received $100,000 in 2024. These entries show a grantmaking pattern that reaches beyond campus while still serving University of Illinois purposes.
How University of Illinois Foundation Gives
Typical grant size is $57,500 at the 25th percentile, $144,156 at the median, and $1,720,908 at the 75th percentile, which reflects a wide spread between routine support and very large institutional transfers. The recent record shows repeated recipients across years, especially the University of Illinois and the University of Illinois Alumni Association, indicating ongoing support rather than one-off awards. The foundation is a regular funder, not a donor-advised fund, and it does not make program-related investments. Its public mission emphasizes administering private gifts for the UI System.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$507.7M
Total Assets
$3.3B
Total Revenue
$450.3M
Total Expenses
$334.5M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $57K and $1.7M, with a median of $144K.
25th Percentile
$57K
Median
$144K
75th Percentile
$1.7M
Geographic Reach
Regional4 states funded
About 75% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
James H Moore Jr
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