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Illinois · Private foundation

Northern Trust 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.

$2.5M
Granted FY2021
70
Itemized grants FY2021
69
Organizations funded FY2021
Read the full brief

Read this first · the figures below need context

64% of Northern Trust Foundation’s FY2025 grant dollars went to Robert R Mccormick Foundation, not to grantees.

Its money now reaches organizations through that sponsor, which does not report who recommended each grant. FY2025 names 8 organizations directly, so a portfolio cannot be read from it. Everything below is therefore FY2021, the last year Northern Trust Foundation named its own grantees at scale: 56 organizations, $2M. It is dated, not current.

Organizations named directly on the return

0
’20
56
’21
36
’22
4
’23
0
’24
8
’25

Amber years are those where most dollars went to a sponsor.

Itemized, FY2021
$2.1M
The rest is grants the schedule does not break out
Median grant, FY2021
$25,000
Largest grant, FY2021
$100,000
States reached, FY2021
4
Total assets, FY2021
$82M
Applications
Preselected organizations only
Per its most recent filing; check its own site
96% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2020 to 2025.

Philanthropy$6.7MFood & Nutrition$1.1MHealth$735kEducation$665kCommunity Improvement$610kHousing & Shelter$513kHuman Services$426kYouth Development$315kOther$0

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2021 to FY2025, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
The Commercial Club Foundation$500,00012%
Nourishing Hope$400,00012%
United Way of Metropolitan Chicago Inc$400,00021%
The Global FoodBanking Network$315,44842%
The Barack Obama Foundation$200,0001n/a
All Chicago Making Homelessness History$150,00020%
Feeding America$125,00010%
Greater Chicago Food Depository$100,00010%
Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere Inc$91,87510%
World Central Kitchen Inc$91,70620%
Show all 79 grantees
All grantees of Northern Trust Foundation by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
The Commercial Club Foundation$500,00012%
Nourishing Hope$400,00012%
United Way of Metropolitan Chicago Inc$400,00021%
The Global FoodBanking Network$315,44842%
The Barack Obama Foundation$200,0001n/a
All Chicago Making Homelessness History$150,00020%
Feeding America$125,00010%
Greater Chicago Food Depository$100,00010%
Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere Inc$91,87510%
World Central Kitchen Inc$91,70620%
Options for Youth$90,00025%
Rush University Medical Center$90,00020%
United States Fund for Unicef$81,89310%
La Rabida Children's Hospital$80,00020%
One Family Illinois$80,00020%
Howard Brown Health Center$80,00020%
Chicago Furniture Bank$75,00021%
Pacific Garden Mission$72,5002n/a
Inspiration Corporation$70,00021%
Center for Housing and Health$70,00020%
American National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches$63,52610%
Erie Family Health Center Inc$60,00020%
Imentor Inc$60,00020%
Chicago Cred Inc$60,00020%
Youth Outreach Services Inc$60,00020%
Community Food Bank Of New Jersey Inc$50,00010%
The Salvation Army$47,5002n/a
City Colleges of Chicago Foundation$45,00020%
Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund$45,00021%
The Night Ministry$40,00010%
Facing Forward to End Homelessness$40,00011%
Braven Inc$40,00010%
Esperanza Health Centers$40,00010%
College Mentoring Experience$40,00029%
Advocate Health and Hospitals Corp$40,00010%
Lawndale Christian Health Center$40,00010%
Noble Network of Charter Schools$40,00010%
mRelief$40,00012%
The Cara Program$40,00020%
The Chicago Scholars Foundation$40,00011%
A Safe Haven Foundation$40,00010%
American Friends of Magen David Adom$38,87310%
Dominican University$30,00010%
College Possible Inc$30,00010%
Center for Companies That Care$30,00018%
Chicago State Foundation$25,00011%
Institute for Nonviolence Chicago$25,00010%
Court Appointed Special Advocates of Cook County$25,00012%
Presence Behavioral Health$25,00010%
Glenwood Academy$25,00010%
Americares Foundation Inc$25,00010%
Westside Health Authority$25,00010%
Youth Guidance$25,00010%
Depaul University$25,00010%
Center on Halsted$25,00010%
Academy for Urban School Leadership$25,00010%
Horizons for Youth$25,00011%
Onegoal$25,00010%
Covenant House Illinois Inc$25,00011%
Metropolitan Family Services$25,00010%
Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Rights$25,00010%
PrimeCare Community Health Inc$25,00010%
Friends of the World Food Program Inc$25,00010%
The YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago$25,00010%
Greater West Town Community Development Project$25,00010%
The Resurrection Project$22,50020%
Communities in Schools of Chicago$20,00010%
The Posse Foundation Inc$20,00010%
Christian Community Health Center$20,00010%
Perspectives Charter Schools$20,00010%
Legal Council for Health Justice$20,00011%
Hamdard Health Alliance$20,00010%
Children's Home & Aid Society of Ill$20,00010%
New Moms Inc$20,00010%
Center for Independence through Conductive Education Inc$20,00011%
Lake Forest College$20,00010%
Deborah's Place$20,00010%
Misericordia Foundation$10,00010%
Project Hope - the People-To-People Health Foundation Inc$5,37510%

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 23 recipients with no EIN on record ($883k), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

Each grantee by its size and the share of its budget Northern Trust Foundation supplied at peak.

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetThe Commercial Club Foundation: $500,000 over 1y, 2.3% of budgetNourishing Hope: $400,000 over 1y, 2.0% of budgetUnited Way of Metropolitan Chicago Inc: $400,000 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetThe Global FoodBanking Network: $315,448 over 4y, 1.8% of budgetAll Chicago Making Homelessness History: $150,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetFeeding America: $125,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetGreater Chicago Food Depository: $100,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere Inc: $91,875 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetWorld Central Kitchen Inc: $91,706 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetOptions for Youth: $90,000 over 2y, 4.6% of budgetRush University Medical Center: $90,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetUnited States Fund for Unicef: $81,893 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLa Rabida Children's Hospital: $80,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetOne Family Illinois: $80,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetHoward Brown Health Center: $80,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetChicago Furniture Bank: $75,000 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetInspiration Corporation: $70,000 over 2y, 0.8% of budgetCenter for Housing and Health: $70,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetAmerican National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches: $63,526 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetErie Family Health Center Inc: $60,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetImentor Inc: $60,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetChicago Cred Inc: $60,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetYouth Outreach Services Inc: $60,000 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetCommunity Food Bank Of New Jersey Inc: $50,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCity Colleges of Chicago Foundation: $45,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetDaniel Murphy Scholarship Fund: $45,000 over 2y, 0.6% of budgetThe Night Ministry: $40,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetFacing Forward to End Homelessness: $40,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetBraven Inc: $40,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetEsperanza Health Centers: $40,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCollege Mentoring Experience: $40,000 over 2y, 9.0% of budgetAdvocate Health and Hospitals Corp: $40,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLawndale Christian Health Center: $40,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetNoble Network of Charter Schools: $40,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetmRelief: $40,000 over 1y, 1.8% of budgetThe Cara Program: $40,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetThe Chicago Scholars Foundation: $40,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetA Safe Haven Foundation: $40,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetAmerican Friends of Magen David Adom: $38,873 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetDominican University: $30,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCollege Possible Inc: $30,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCenter for Companies That Care: $30,000 over 1y, 8.2% of budgetChicago State Foundation: $25,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetInstitute for Nonviolence Chicago: $25,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetCourt Appointed Special Advocates of Cook County: $25,000 over 1y, 1.6% of budgetPresence Behavioral Health: $25,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetGlenwood Academy: $25,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetAmericares Foundation Inc: $25,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 76.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

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.

Robert R McCormick Fo…United Way of Metropo…The Chicago Community…Circle of Service Fou…Arie and Ida Crown Me…Polk Bros Foundation …Michael Reese Health …Lloyd a Fry FoundationVisiting Nurse Associ…George M Eisenberg Fo…Jewish Federation of …AIDS Foundation of Ch…
Robert R McCormick FoundationIL68.5× affinity31 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Robert R McCormick Foundation · United Way of Metropolitan Chicago Inc · The Chicago Community Trust · Circle of Service Foundation · Arie and Ida Crown Memorial · Polk Bros Foundation Inc · Michael Reese Health Trust · Lloyd a Fry Foundation · Visiting Nurse Association of Chicago (Aka) Vna Foundation · George M Eisenberg Foundation for Charities · Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago · AIDS Foundation of Chicago

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.

Compare Northern Trust Foundation with peer funders

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to Northern Trust Foundation?

Find your warmest path to Northern Trust Foundation through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

About Northern Trust Foundation

How much does Northern Trust Foundation give?
Northern Trust Foundation reported 70 itemized grants totaling $2,078,500, out of $2,485,000 in total grant expense reported on the return in its FY2021 IRS filing.
What does Northern Trust Foundation fund?
By grant dollars over FY2021 to FY2025, its largest causes are Philanthropy (34%), Food & Nutrition (6%), Health (4%).
Who are Northern Trust Foundation's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2021 to FY2025: The Commercial Club Foundation ($500k), Nourishing Hope ($400k), United Way of Metropolitan Chicago Inc ($400k).
Does Northern Trust Foundation accept unsolicited applications?
Its most recent filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and does not take unsolicited requests. Check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.
Which funders back the same organizations as Northern Trust Foundation?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include Robert R McCormick Foundation, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago Inc, The Chicago Community Trust.
Where is Northern Trust Foundation based?
Northern Trust Foundation is based in IL.

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 103 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 2021, released 2021. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Northern’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