Illinois · Public charity
Openlands
OPENLANDS protects the natural and open spaces of northeastern illinois and the surrounding region to ensure cleaner air and water, protect natural habitats and wildlife, and help balance and enrich our lives.OPENLANDS' vision for the region is a landscape that includes a vast network of land and water trails, tree-lined streets, and…
- $284k
- Granted FY2024(still arriving)
- 21
- Itemized grants FY2024
- 22
- Organizations funded FY2023
- 77%
- First-time grantees FY2023
- Itemized, FY2024
- $247k
- The rest is grants the schedule does not break out
- Median grant, FY2024
- $10,000
- Largest grant, FY2024
- $56,474
- Organizations funded a year
- 16 to 26
- FY2017 to FY2023
- States reached, FY2024
- 1
- Total assets, FY2024
- $38M
How open it is to new grantees
In FY2023, 77% of the organizations Openlands funded were first-time grantees, receiving 97% of its grant dollars.
New vs renewed · share of each year
In FY2023, 3% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $1.5M went to new ones.
RenewedFirst-time
Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant
EnvironmentCommunity ImprovementFood & NutritionArts & CulturePublic BenefitEducationOther
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.
The numbers by year
| Fiscal year | Organizations funded | To those organizations | First-time grantees |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024still arriving | 21 | $247k | 76% |
| FY2023 | 22 | $1.6M | 77% |
| FY2022 | 19 | $197k | 84% |
| FY2021 | 25 | $246k | 84% |
| FY2020 | 16 | $152k | 94% |
| FY2019 | 26 | $331k | 85% |
| FY2017 | 25 | $395k | n/a |
100% classified
What it funded, over time
Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2024.
Environment$2.7MRecreation & Sports$156kFood & Nutrition$77kCommunity Improvement$57kPublic Benefit$50kArts & Culture$45kEducation$45kReligion$10kOther$0
Top grantees
Largest recipients by total granted, FY2017 to FY2024, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.
| Grantee | Total granted | Years | Share of their budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lale County Forest Preserve | $1,360,738 | 1 | n/a |
| Healthy Schools Campaign | $280,647 | 5 | 1% |
| Sierra Club | $80,000 | 4 | 0% |
| The Wetlands Initiative | $66,474 | 2 | 2% |
| Fox Valley Park District | $30,000 | 3 | n/a |
| Village of Algonquin | $30,000 | 3 | n/a |
| Farm Foundation | $29,070 | 2 | 0% |
| Chicago Park District | $23,530 | 3 | n/a |
| Village of Port Barrington | $20,000 | 2 | n/a |
| Winnebago County Forest Preserve District | $20,000 | 3 | n/a |
Show all 132 grantees
| Grantee | Total granted | Years | Share of their budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lale County Forest Preserve | $1,360,738 | 1 | n/a |
| Healthy Schools Campaign | $280,647 | 5 | 1% |
| Sierra Club | $80,000 | 4 | 0% |
| The Wetlands Initiative | $66,474 | 2 | 2% |
| Fox Valley Park District | $30,000 | 3 | n/a |
| Village of Algonquin | $30,000 | 3 | n/a |
| Farm Foundation | $29,070 | 2 | 0% |
| Chicago Park District | $23,530 | 3 | n/a |
| Village of Port Barrington | $20,000 | 2 | n/a |
| Winnebago County Forest Preserve District | $20,000 | 3 | n/a |
| Kendall County Forest Preserve District | $20,000 | 2 | n/a |
| Forest Preserve District of Kane County | $20,000 | 2 | n/a |
| Village of Downers Grove | $20,000 | 2 | n/a |
| Boone County Conservation District | $18,000 | 2 | n/a |
| Village of Lake Barrington | $17,000 | 2 | n/a |
| Town of Normal | $15,100 | 2 | n/a |
| Kleo Inc dba ClassWallet | $14,500 | 1 | n/a |
| St Charles Park District | $12,450 | 2 | n/a |
| Illinois Arborist Association Inc | $12,000 | 1 | 3% |
| Rockford Park District | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Elwood | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| City of Genoa | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Waukegan Park District | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Bannockburn | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Libertyville Township | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Star Farm Chicago | $10,000 | 1 | 2% |
| Village of Seneca | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Glencoe | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Citizens for Conservation Inc | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| University of St Francis | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Village of Glen Ellyn | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| City of Warrenville | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Forest Preserve Foundation Inc | $10,000 | 1 | 2% |
| Village of Berkeley | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Symerton | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Kane Forest Preserve Foundation | $10,000 | 1 | 18% |
| Village of Plainfield | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| City of Prospect Heights | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Orland Park | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Kane County Farm Bureau | $10,000 | 1 | 1% |
| Young Mens Educational Network | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| The Village of Prairie Grove | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Butterfield Park District | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum Inc | $10,000 | 1 | 1% |
| Lake Carroll Association | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| College of Dupage | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Gaylord Building Historic Site | $10,000 | 1 | 2% |
| City of Crystal Lake | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Franklin Park | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of University Park | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Friends of the Forest Preserves | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| City of Highland Park | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Montgomery | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Preservation Foundation of the Lake County Forest Preserves | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Village of Westmont | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| The Wilder World Trust NFP | $10,000 | 1 | 2% |
| Village of Schaumburg | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Pearl City | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| City of Hickory Hills | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| City of Berwyn | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| City of Belvidere | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Lake Bluff Open Lands Association | $10,000 | 1 | 6% |
| Pleasant Dale Park District | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Neighborspace | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Dekalb Park District | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Campton Township | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Crystal Lake Park District | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff | $10,000 | 1 | 2% |
| Academy for Global Citizenship Charter School | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Gardeneers | $10,000 | 1 | 1% |
| McHenry County Conservation District | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Riverdale Park District | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| South Holland Public Library | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Winfield | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Theosophical Society in America | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Village of Davis Junction | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Dundee Township | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Lake Bluff | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Long Grove Business & Community | $10,000 | 1 | 1% |
| Bee Haven | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| McHenry County | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Lombard Park District | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Lake Forest Open Lands Association | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Hampshire Township Park District | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Bolingbrook Police Department | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| City of Highwood | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Lena | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Freeport Fire Department | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Governors State University Foundation | $10,000 | 1 | 1% |
| DeKalb County Forest Preserve District | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Niles Township Government | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Niles | $9,975 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of German Valley | $9,760 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Orland Hills | $9,711 | 1 | n/a |
| City Bureau Nfp | $9,500 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Northbrook | $9,418 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Tower Lakes | $9,400 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Buffalo Grove | $9,350 | 1 | n/a |
| Dixon Park District | $9,316 | 1 | n/a |
| York Center Park District | $9,069 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Waterman | $9,034 | 2 | n/a |
| Village of Lake Zurich | $9,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Outerbelt Alliance Nfp | $9,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Romeoville Fire Academy Aka Village Of Romeoville | $9,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Mettawa | $9,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Schiller Park | $9,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Lindenhurst | $9,000 | 1 | n/a |
| City of Aurora Illinois | $9,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Oak Lawn Park District | $8,528 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Round Lake | $8,500 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Deer Park | $8,030 | 1 | n/a |
| Palatine Township Road District | $8,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Chicago Parks Foundation | $7,851 | 1 | 0% |
| Lincoln Park Zoological Society | $7,847 | 1 | 0% |
| City of Woodstock | $7,500 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Homer Glen | $7,460 | 1 | n/a |
| Berwyn Park District | $7,241 | 1 | n/a |
| City of Countryside | $7,160 | 1 | n/a |
| Park Ridge Park District | $7,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Fremont Township | $6,295 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Lincolnshire | $6,182 | 1 | n/a |
| Buffalo Grove Park District | $6,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Prospect Heights Park District | $6,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Glen Ellyn Park District | $6,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Community High School District 128 | $5,253 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Machesney Park | $5,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of River Forest | $5,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Palos Park | $5,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Bolingbrook Park District | $5,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Bourbonnais Township Park District | $3,600 | 1 | n/a |
| Village of Grant Park | $3,000 | 2 | n/a |
Where it is load-bearing
Each grantee by its size and the share of its budget Openlands supplied at peak.
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 28.
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 Morton ArboretumIL86.2× affinity40 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →
Open a dossier: The Morton Arboretum · Metropolitan Mayors Caucus · Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation · The Lumpkin Family Foundation · Forefront · Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation · Walder Foundation · Field Foundation of Illinois · Oberweiler Foundation · Harold M & Adeline S Morrison Family Foundation · Advocate Health and Hospitals Corp · The Chicago Community Trust
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.
About Openlands
- How much does Openlands give?
- Openlands reported 21 itemized grants totaling $246,854, out of $283,913 in total grant expense reported on the return in its FY2024 IRS filing. It funded between 16 and 26 organizations a year over FY2017 to FY2023.
- What does Openlands fund?
- By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2024, its largest causes are Environment (85%), Recreation & Sports (5%), Food & Nutrition (2%).
- Who are Openlands's largest grantees?
- By total granted over FY2017 to FY2024: Lale County Forest Preserve ($1.4M), Healthy Schools Campaign ($281k), Sierra Club ($80k).
- Does Openlands fund new organizations?
- In FY2023, 77% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
- Which funders back the same organizations as Openlands?
- Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include The Morton Arboretum, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation.
- Where is Openlands based?
- Openlands is based in IL.
Play a game based on Openlands’ 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