Skip to content
Mills Family Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Mills Family Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$120k
Granted FY2025still arriving
6
Grants FY2025still arriving
3
States reached
$100k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
0197% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2018 to 2025.

Education$6.3MHealth$1.8MPhilanthropy$594kHuman Services$575kReligion$295kAnimals$209kYouth Development$115kRecreation & Sports$106kOther$0
02FY2025 · 6 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k4 grants · $10k
  • $10k–50k1 grant · $10k
  • $50k–250k1 grant · $100k
$2,500
Median grant
3
States reached
$902k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
STARKEY FOUNDATION INC$100,000
LAKE FOREST CHAPTER OF THE INFANT WELFARE SOCIETY OF CHICAGO$10,000
CPS LIVES NFP DBA ARTISTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS$2,500
FRIENDS OF NORTHSIDE COLLEGE PREPARATORY HIGH SCHOOL$2,500
NEW YORK ROAD RUNNERS INC$2,500
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO$2,500
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Its human-services grants (FY18–25, $551k) land where the poverty rate runs at 15%, against an area that typically sits at 10%. 99% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 10%STARKEY FOUNDATION INC: $100k → 16%ACTIVE HEROES: $3k → 9%STARKEY FOUNDATION INC: $100k → 16%STARKEY FOUNDATION INC: $60k → 16%CHARITY WATER: $10k → 17%WORKING CREDIT NFP: $3k → 14%MISERICORIA HOME: $150k → 14%MISERICORIA HOME: $100k → 14%MISERICORIA HOME: $25k → 14%MOTHER'S TRUST FOUNDATION: $783 → 8%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.

Which US states its grants reach

VT
MN
IL
NY
MA
IN
PA
NJ
CT
CA
KY
VA
MD
KS
TN
DC
OK
LA
TX
FL
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

85%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$6.3M · 13 repeat orgs$1.1M to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +49% since the first grant, against +26% for those funded once.

13 repeat relationships: 1 still active in FY2025, 12 since wound down; 5 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

13
75

Total granted

$6.3M
$1.1M

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+49%
+26%

Still filing today

85%
61%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 83% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $20k went to new ones.

50%100%’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
EducationHealthHuman ServicesAnimalsPhilanthropyArts & CultureOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • Cornell University
    2× · 2018–2019 · $2.1M · revenue +49%
  • NM
    Northwestern Memorial HealthCare
    4× · 2019–2022 · $1.4M · revenue +84%
  • Vanderbilt University
    2× · 2018–2019 · $1.0M · revenue +65%

Funded once

  • SH
    Starkey Hearing Foundationgraduated
    one grant, 2021 · $250k · revenue +195%
  • DH
    DIGESTIVE HEALTH FOUNDATION
    one grant, 2019 · $100k · revenue -95%
  • Northwestern University
    one grant, 2022 · $100k · revenue +4%
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Saint Xavier University

Saint xavier university, a catholic institution inspired by the heritage of the sisters of mercy, educates persons to search for truth, think critically, communicate effectively and serve wisely and compassionately in support of human…

Education
2
Chicago Public Education Fund

The chicago public education fund (the fund) is a nonprofit organization that improves public schools in chicago by investing in the talented educators who lead them.

Education
3
Lake Forest Graduate School of Management

Lake Forest Graduate School of Management's mission is to bring the real world to business education and leadership development.

—
4
Kipp Chicago Schools

The team at kipp chicago schools is guided by a simple, yet powerful mission: to create a network of excellent schools in chicago that teach our students the character and academic skills necessary to succeed in college and beyond, and to…

Education
5
Uchicago Medicine Network Inc

Uchicago medicine network, inc. supports and encourages health and human service by providing support, directly or indirectly to ingalls memorial hospital, the university of chicago medical center, and other related tax-exempt…

Health
6
University of Chicago

The mission of the university of chicago has been to sustain at the highest level of excellence, the communication of knowledge, the creation of knowledge and the fostering of a dynamic community of scholars and students.

Education
7
Central Indiana Corporate Partnership Inc

Central indiana corporate partnership (cicp) is an alliance of indiana's business and research university leaders coming together to foster long-term prosperity for the region. cicp's mission is to transform the economy of indiana in order…

Community Improvement
8
Columbia College Chicago

The organization's mission is to educate students for creative occupations in diverse fields of arts and media.

Education
9
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The mission of mit is to advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century.

Education
10
The Carle Foundation Hospital

To be the trusted partner in all healthcare decisions and to improve health by providing highly accessible, world-class care and services.

Health
11
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

The children's hospital of philadelphia, the oldest hospital in the united states dedicated exclusively to pediatrics, strives to be the world leader in the advancement of health care for children by integrating excellent patient care,…

Health
12
The Chicago Scholars Foundation

Chicago scholars is transforming the leadership landscape of our city by resolving the fundamental barriers to success for academically driven, first generation college students from under-resourced communities.

Education
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Make-a-Wish Foundation of Illinois Inc; the most unlike its peers is Starkey Hearing Foundation. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

63 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 63 of the 95 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

1
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
13
Early backer (in before they grew)
63/63
Grantees still filing
45/63
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA: $2,600,000 · EducationTRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIACornell University: $2,150,000 · EducationCornell UniversityVanderbilt University: $1,000,000 · EducationVanderbilt UniversityLAKE FOREST ACADEMY: $400,000 · EducationLAKE FOREST ACADEMY+8 more: $32,500 · EducationNorthwestern Memorial HealthCare: $1,400,000 · HealthNorthwestern Memor…Starkey Hearing Foundation: $250,000 · HealthStarkey Hearing Fo…+8 more: $29,125 · HealthZACHARIAS CENTER: $235,000 · OtherZACHARIAS CE…GLENKIRK FOUNDATION: $170,000 · OtherGLENKIRK FOU…DIGESTIVE HEALTH FOUNDATION: $100,000 · OtherDIGESTIVE HE…FURRY FRIENDS: $100,000 · OtherFURRY FRIEND…NOBLE SCHOOLS: $100,000 · OtherNOBLE SCHOOL…BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF CHICAGO: $65,000 · OtherBOYS AND GIR…+50 more: $315,800 · Other+50 moreMISERICORDIA HOME: $275,000 · Human ServicesSTARKEY FOUNDATION INC: $260,000 · Human Services+4 more: $15,783 · Human ServicesJEWISH UNITED FUND OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO: $200,000 · PhilanthropyThe Chicago Community Trust: $125,000 · PhilanthropyUNITED WAY OF LAKE COUNTY INC: $95,000 · Philanthropy+2 more: $6,500 · PhilanthropyFurry Friends Humane Inc: $75,000 · AnimalsLINCOLN PARK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY: $25,000 · AnimalsCITY DOGS RESCUE INC: $5,000 · Animals+2 more: $3,500 · AnimalsNorthwestern University: $100,000 · Recreation & Sports
Education$6,182,500Health$1,679,125Other$1,085,800Human Services$550,783Philanthropy$426,500Animals$108,500Recreation & Sports$100,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetTRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA: $2,600,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetCornell University: $2,150,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetNorthwestern Memorial HealthCare: $1,400,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetVanderbilt University: $1,000,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetLAKE FOREST ACADEMY: $400,000 over 2y, 0.6% of budgetMISERICORDIA HOME: $275,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetSTARKEY FOUNDATION INC: $260,000 over 3y, 45% of budgetStarkey Hearing Foundation: $250,000 over 1y, 13% of budgetJEWISH UNITED FUND OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO: $200,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetThe Chicago Community Trust: $125,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetDIGESTIVE HEALTH FOUNDATION: $100,000 over 1y, 2.8% of budgetNorthwestern University: $100,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetUNITED WAY OF LAKE COUNTY INC: $95,000 over 5y, 0.4% of budgetFurry Friends Humane Inc: $75,000 over 1y, 1.3% of budgetBOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF CHICAGO: $65,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetLINCOLN PARK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY: $25,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBIG BROTHERS-BIG SISTERS OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO: $12,500 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetDREXEL UNIVERSITY: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCHARITY GLOBAL INC: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetWATERKEEPER ALLIANCE INC: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetRECIPE FOR CHANGE: $10,000 over 1y, 3.0% of budgetELAWA FARM FOUNDATION: $10,000 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetHEARING HEALTH FOUNDATION: $10,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetDANIEL MURPHY SCHOLARSHIP FUND: $9,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetUNITING VOICES: $7,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetTHE MULTIPLE MYELOMA RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetFoundation for Special Education District of Lake County: $5,000 over 1y, 1.3% of budgetMONTESSORI SCHOOL OF LAKE FOREST: $5,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetACADEMY FOR URBAN SCHOOL LEADERSHIP: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCITY DOGS RESCUE INC: $5,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetCHILDREN'S HEART FOUNDATION: $4,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCHILDREN'S TUMOR FOUNDATION: $2,625 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetK9S FOR WARRIORS INC: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCPS LIVES NFP: $2,500 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetWorking Credit NFP: $2,500 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL INC: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetFINANCIAL HEALTH NETWORK INC: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLOYOLA UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetGLENWOOD ACADEMY: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetACTIVE HEROES INC: $2,500 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetGREAT LAKES ACADEMY INC: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF ILLINOIS INC: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBRAINUP INC: $2,500 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetCOLLEGE BOUND INC: $2,500 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetFRIENDS OF NORTHSIDE COLLEGE PREPARATORY HIGH SCHOOL: $2,500 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetThe Global FoodBanking Network: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBELIEVE IN TOMORROW NATIONAL CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION: $2,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetRole Model Movement Inc (NFP): $2,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

The Chicago Community…AbbVie FoundationCircle of Service Fou…The Ayco Charitable F…Jewish Federation of …Jpmorgan Chase Founda…Lavin Family Foundati…John and Kathleen Sch…Baird Foundation IncRobert R McCormick Fo…The Blackbaud Giving …Baxter International …
The Chicago Community TrustIL27.4× affinity17 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Chicago Community Trust · AbbVie Foundation · Circle of Service Foundation · The Ayco Charitable Foundation · Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago · Jpmorgan Chase Foundation · Lavin Family Foundation · John and Kathleen Schreiber Foundation D/B/A Schreiber Philanthropy · Baird Foundation Inc · Robert R McCormick Foundation · The Blackbaud Giving Fund · Baxter International Foundation

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Mills Family Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Mills Family Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 50%1%5%11%20%funder's share of their income ↑0%23%45%68%90%share of the org’s income from government →median 13%
  • Vermont Foodbank: 13% of income from government
  • K9S for Warriors Inc: 0% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
5get no government money at all
20report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
0rely on government for over half their income
⤢ axis zoomed · 0–90%
typical government reliance, FY20–25
How this is measured
Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 95 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Mills Family’s filings →

More from the funding graph

The unnamed billions
grants reported with no recipient in the public record
The regranting layer
51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
The DAF merry-go-round
$9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
The endowment market
who holds foundation money, and what just moved
The camps
funders cluster by geography, not ideology
By state
where grant money is based, and what stays home