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Illinois · Private foundation

The Christopher L & M Susan Gust Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$2.1M
Granted FY2025(still arriving)
37
Grants FY2025
32
Organizations funded FY2024
16%
First-time grantees FY2024
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2025
$20,000
Largest grant, FY2025
$525,000
Organizations funded a year
31 to 47
FY2018 to FY2024
States reached, FY2025
8
Total assets, FY2025
$88M
Applications
Takes unsolicited applications
Per its most recent filing; check its own site

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2024, 16% of the organizations The Christopher L & M Susan Gust Foundation funded were first-time grantees, receiving 4% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 96% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $63k went to new ones.

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

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

’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
HealthHuman ServicesPhilanthropyFood & NutritionInternationalHousing & ShelterOther
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 yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY2025still arriving37$2.1M38%
FY202432$1.5M16%
FY202339$1.7M13%
FY202237$1.1M24%
FY202138$2.2M24%
FY202037$2.0M24%
FY201947$748k53%
FY201831$2.9M61%
98% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.

Health$9.0MRecreation & Sports$1.6MEducation$1.4MFood & Nutrition$729kReligion$427kHuman Services$363kEmployment$290kCivil Rights$190kOther$0

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

MN
IL
MI
NY
MA
IN
PA
CA
CO
MD
DE
TN
DC
AL

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2017 to FY2025, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago$4,937,50081%
University of Michigan$2,300,000793%
Team Impact Inc$580,00071%
Concussion Legacy Foundation Inc$515,52963%
Greater Chicago Food Depository$345,00080%
Aspiritech Nfp$290,00042%
The Night Ministry$180,00060%
Have Dreams$160,00074%
Intentional Sports$150,00032%
Options for College Success$137,480716%
Show all 49 grantees
All grantees of The Christopher L & M Susan Gust Foundation by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago$4,937,50081%
University of Michigan$2,300,000793%
Team Impact Inc$580,00071%
Concussion Legacy Foundation Inc$515,52963%
Greater Chicago Food Depository$345,00080%
Aspiritech Nfp$290,00042%
The Night Ministry$180,00060%
Have Dreams$160,00074%
Intentional Sports$150,00032%
Options for College Success$137,480716%
Chicago Jets Hockey Club Inc$125,95042%
Michael Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation$75,81553%
North Chicago Public Education Foundation$75,00056%
Hephzibah Children's Association$72,50080%
Chicago Mudcats Sports & Social Club$68,241216%
Meals on Wheels$65,000612%
Haiti Nursing Foundation Inc$60,00035%
Chicago Public Media Inc$57,50070%
Medecins Sans Frontieres USA Inc$56,00070%
Chicago Mission Aaa Hockey Club$52,50011%
Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness$50,00050%
USA Hockey Foundation$50,00010%
Center for Independent Futures$35,00041%
Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc$30,00030%
Vista Grande Villa$25,00010%
Southern Poverty Law Center Inc$25,00030%
Bernie's Book Bank$21,00080%
Roosevelt University$15,00030%
American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia$15,00021%
Care for Friends$10,00010%
Chicago Hope Academy$8,44330%
Chicagoland Autism Connection Inc$5,5501n/a
Open Heart Magic$5,39710%
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Inc$5,15010%
Aspire of Illinois$5,00010%
Books for Africa Inc$5,00010%
Swim Across America Inc$5,00020%
The Art Institute of Chicago$4,50020%
Chicagoland Private Equity Hockey Charities$3,0781n/a
Mary Derosa Charity Nfp$2,500122%
Holistic Riding Equestrian Therapy$2,50011%
National Multiple Sclerosis Society$1,5001n/a
The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research$1,03010%
Meals on Wheels Chicago$1,0001n/a
Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago Inc$1,0001n/a
Israels Gifts of Hope$1,0001n/a
Lincoln Park Community Services$1,00010%
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation Inc$1,00010%
St Baldrick's Foundation Inc$51110%

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 72 recipients with no EIN on record ($4.0M), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

The Christopher L & M Susan Gust Foundation supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 1 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 43 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetRehabilitation Institute of Chicago: $4,937,500 over 8y, 0.7% of budgetUniversity of Michigan: $2,300,000 over 7y, 93% of budgetTeam Impact Inc: $580,000 over 7y, 1.1% of budgetConcussion Legacy Foundation Inc: $515,529 over 6y, 2.6% of budgetGreater Chicago Food Depository: $345,000 over 8y, 0.0% of budgetAspiritech Nfp: $290,000 over 4y, 1.8% of budgetThe Night Ministry: $180,000 over 6y, 0.5% of budgetHave Dreams: $160,000 over 7y, 3.7% of budgetIntentional Sports: $150,000 over 3y, 2.0% of budgetOptions for College Success: $137,480 over 7y, 16% of budgetChicago Jets Hockey Club Inc: $125,950 over 4y, 2.5% of budgetMichael Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation: $75,815 over 5y, 2.6% of budgetNorth Chicago Public Education Foundation: $75,000 over 5y, 6.3% of budgetHephzibah Children's Association: $72,500 over 8y, 0.1% of budgetChicago Mudcats Sports & Social Club: $68,241 over 2y, 16% of budgetMeals on Wheels: $65,000 over 6y, 12% of budgetHaiti Nursing Foundation Inc: $60,000 over 3y, 4.5% of budgetChicago Public Media Inc: $57,500 over 7y, 0.1% of budgetMedecins Sans Frontieres USA Inc: $56,000 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetChicago Mission Aaa Hockey Club: $52,500 over 1y, 1.4% of budgetChicago Coalition to End Homelessness: $50,000 over 5y, 0.3% of budgetUSA Hockey Foundation: $50,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetCenter for Independent Futures: $35,000 over 4y, 0.6% of budgetPlanned Parenthood Federation of America Inc: $30,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetVista Grande Villa: $25,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetSouthern Poverty Law Center Inc: $25,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetBernie's Book Bank: $21,000 over 8y, 0.1% of budgetRoosevelt University: $15,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetAmerican Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia: $15,000 over 2y, 0.8% of budgetCare for Friends: $10,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetChicago Hope Academy: $8,443 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetOpen Heart Magic: $5,397 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetPancreatic Cancer Action Network Inc: $5,150 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAspire of Illinois: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetBooks for Africa Inc: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSwim Across America Inc: $5,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetThe Art Institute of Chicago: $4,500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetMary Derosa Charity Nfp: $2,500 over 1y, 22% of budgetHolistic Riding Equestrian Therapy: $2,500 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetThe Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research: $1,030 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLincoln Park Community Services: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetThe Breast Cancer Research Foundation Inc: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSt Baldrick's Foundation Inc: $511 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 43.

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.

AbbVie FoundationIL17.4× affinity9 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: AbbVie Foundation · Baxter International Foundation · The Chicago Community Trust · Circle of Service Foundation · John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation · Fred J Brunner Foundation · WP & HB White Foundation · Cme Group Community Foundation F/K/A Nymex Foundation · The Coleman Foundation Inc · Helen V Brach Foundation · Polk Bros Foundation Inc · Motorola Solutions 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.

Compare The Christopher L & M Susan Gust Foundation with peer funders

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to The Christopher L & M Susan Gust Foundation?

Find your warmest path to The Christopher L & M Susan Gust 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 The Christopher L & M Susan Gust Foundation

How much does The Christopher L & M Susan Gust Foundation give?
The Christopher L & M Susan Gust Foundation reported 37 grants totaling $2,050,906 in its FY2025 IRS filing. It funded between 31 and 47 organizations a year over FY2018 to FY2024.
What does The Christopher L & M Susan Gust Foundation fund?
By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2025, its largest causes are Health (62%), Recreation & Sports (11%), Education (10%).
Who are The Christopher L & M Susan Gust Foundation's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2017 to FY2025: Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago ($4.9M), University of Michigan ($2.3M), Team Impact Inc ($580k).
Does The Christopher L & M Susan Gust Foundation fund new organizations?
In FY2024, 16% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Does The Christopher L & M Susan Gust Foundation accept unsolicited applications?
Its most recent filing reports that it accepts unsolicited grant applications.
Which funders back the same organizations as The Christopher L & M Susan Gust Foundation?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include AbbVie Foundation, Baxter International Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust.
Where is The Christopher L & M Susan Gust Foundation based?
The Christopher L & M Susan Gust 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 121 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

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