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Illinois · Public charity

The Morton Arboretum

To collect, study, display, and conserve trees and other plants from around the world to inspire learning, foster enjoyment, benefit communities, encourage action, and enhance the environment.

$1.5M
Granted FY2024(still arriving)
48
Itemized grants FY2024
32
Organizations funded FY2023
75%
First-time grantees FY2023
Read the full brief
Itemized, FY2024
$1.1M
The rest is grants the schedule does not break out
Median grant, FY2024
$24,750
Largest grant, FY2024
$75,000
Organizations funded a year
10 to 38
FY2017 to FY2023
States reached, FY2024
5
Total assets, FY2024
$368M

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2023, 75% of the organizations The Morton Arboretum funded were first-time grantees, receiving 61% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2023, 39% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $409k went to new ones.

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

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

’18’19’20’21’22’23
EnvironmentCommunity ImprovementReligionEducationOther
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
FY2024still arriving47$1.1M72%
FY202332$667k75%
FY202235$770k54%
FY202110$228k60%
FY202020$393k5%
FY201922$303k82%
FY201838$567k84%
FY201714$329kn/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$4.3MScience & Tech$61kHealth$31kFood & Nutrition$28kArts & Culture$18k

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

VT
WA
IL
WI
MI
OH
CT
CA
VA
AZ
AL
GA
FL

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2017 to FY2024, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Openlands$277,86061%
Davey Resource Group$200,0002n/a
City of Chicago$180,0274n/a
The Atlanta Botanical Garden Inc$178,82640%
Forest Preserve District of Cook County$132,2576n/a
University of Connecticut$113,6404n/a
Davey Tree Expert Co$109,8182n/a
Montgomery Botanical Center$99,97531%
Chicago Park District$99,9021n/a
University of Vermont and State Agricultural College$96,6263n/a
Show all 148 grantees
All grantees of The Morton Arboretum by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Openlands$277,86061%
Davey Resource Group$200,0002n/a
City of Chicago$180,0274n/a
The Atlanta Botanical Garden Inc$178,82640%
Forest Preserve District of Cook County$132,2576n/a
University of Connecticut$113,6404n/a
Davey Tree Expert Co$109,8182n/a
Montgomery Botanical Center$99,97531%
Chicago Park District$99,9021n/a
University of Vermont and State Agricultural College$96,6263n/a
Botanic Gardens Conservation International US Inc$80,391319%
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County$77,20952%
Roselle Park District$73,4431n/a
Hawthorn Woods$71,0004n/a
Chicago Horticultural Society$70,49410%
Village of Westchester$65,0001n/a
The Lake Country Forest Preserve District$60,0001n/a
City of Ottawa$56,9503n/a
City of Joliet$50,0003n/a
Kendall County Forest Preserve District$50,0001n/a
City of Naperville$45,0002n/a
City of Springfield$44,7502n/a
Faith in Place$44,62531%
Village of Park Forest$40,0373n/a
McDonough Co Public Transportation$40,0003n/a
Friends of the Forest Preserve District of Dupage County$40,000119%
Village of Glenview$38,0002n/a
US Geological Survey$31,8172n/a
City of Chicago Hghts$31,0772n/a
McHenry County Conservation District$30,0003n/a
Village of Franklin Park$30,0002n/a
Village of Deer Park$30,0002n/a
Village of Winthrop Harbor$29,8752n/a
Village of Montgomery$29,2502n/a
Village of Alsip$28,0002n/a
Belvidere Park District$27,9331n/a
Village of Bartlett$27,8152n/a
Village of Beckemeyer$27,3311n/a
City of Galesburg Transit$25,7302n/a
Village of Glendale Heights$25,0001n/a
Village of Deerfield$25,0001n/a
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County$25,0001n/a
City of West Chicago$25,0001n/a
Village of Bannockburn$25,0001n/a
Village of Mokena$25,0001n/a
Village of Palatine$25,0001n/a
Field Museum of Natural History$25,00010%
Village of Oswego$25,0001n/a
Village of Grayslake$25,0001n/a
City of Rockford$25,0001n/a
Village of Lake Bluff$25,0001n/a
Neighborspace$24,27311%
Village of Stickney$24,0002n/a
University of Wisconsin Madison$23,9601n/a
Monroe County Health Department$23,6502n/a
Southwest Collective$23,27814%
The Conservation Foundation$22,63730%
Village of Minooka$22,5002n/a
Village of Round Lake$22,5002n/a
Blue Island Fire Department$22,4601n/a
City of Bloomington$22,1002n/a
Prospect Heights Park District$21,8752n/a
Urban Forest Carbon Registry$21,00013%
Village of La Grange$20,0001n/a
Village of Carol Stream$20,0001n/a
Dekalb Park District$20,0002n/a
Bensenville Park District$20,0001n/a
City of Berwyn$20,0001n/a
Village of Rantoul$20,0001n/a
Town of Normal$20,0002n/a
Village of Hillside$19,7841n/a
University of Arizona$19,3921n/a
Village of Brookfield$18,5001n/a
Henry E Huntington Library and Art Gallery$18,32410%
Village of Midlothian$18,3001n/a
Winnebago County Forest Preserve District$18,1702n/a
Village of Cerro Gordo$18,0002n/a
Village of Richton Park$17,7001n/a
Libertyville Township$15,0311n/a
City of Aurora Illinois$15,0001n/a
City of Carbondale$15,0001n/a
City of Evanston$15,0001n/a
Village of Riverside$15,0001n/a
Village of Lagrange$15,0001n/a
St Clair Township$15,0001n/a
NatureServe$15,00010%
Dupage County Department of Human Services$15,0001n/a
City of Urbana$15,0001n/a
Village of Sadorus$15,0001n/a
Village of Huntley$15,0001n/a
Village of Glencoe$15,0001n/a
Crystal Lake Park District$15,0001n/a
Village of Bensenville$15,0001n/a
Village of Granville$14,8001n/a
Village of Schaumburg$14,7281n/a
Village of Wilmette$14,5101n/a
Village of Northfield$14,2841n/a
Village of Lake Zurich$13,3311n/a
Village of Orland Hills$13,3001n/a
Conserve Lake County$13,14417%
City of St Charles Finance Director$13,0001n/a
Oswegoland Park District$13,0001n/a
Lewis & Clark Community College$11,8751n/a
Joliet Junior College$11,8461n/a
Village of Trout Valley$11,7381n/a
The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois$11,5131n/a
Deerfield Park District$11,2501n/a
City of Belvidere$11,1621n/a
Village of Buffalo Grove$11,0001n/a
Plainfield Park District$10,9251n/a
Village of Orland Park$10,1251n/a
Park District of la Grange$10,0501n/a
City of Collinsville$10,0491n/a
Buffalo Grove Park District$10,0001n/a
Village of Schiller Park$10,0001n/a
Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church$10,0001n/a
University of Florida$10,0001n/a
Young Mens Educational Network$10,00011%
St Agatha Parish$10,0001n/a
City of Princeton$10,0001n/a
Village of South Barrington$9,5001n/a
The Village of Forest Park$9,3751n/a
Berwyn Park District$8,7751n/a
Village of Bartonville$8,7591n/a
Channahon Park District$8,5001n/a
Community Park District of Lagrange Park$8,2651n/a
Mundelein Park Dist$8,0001n/a
Des Plaines Park District$7,7771n/a
Village of Hazel Crest$7,7771n/a
Waukegan Park District$7,7771n/a
Frankfort Sq Park District$7,7771n/a
Zion Park District$7,7771n/a
Village of Tinley Park$7,7771n/a
Homewood Flossmoor Park$7,7771n/a
Village of Skokie$7,7771n/a
Village of Mundelein$7,7771n/a
Village of River Forest$7,6511n/a
Skokie Park District$7,6351n/a
Village of Indian Head Park$7,6131n/a
Village of Peotone$7,5201n/a
Quail Botanical Gardens Foundation$7,51010%
Michigan State University$7,4021n/a
Huntsville Madison County Botanical Garden Society Inc$7,38610%
Glencoe Park District$7,2501n/a
City of Moline$6,0001n/a
Auburn University$5,9161n/a
Winnebago County Forest Preserve District$5,0421n/a
White Oak Township$3,1001n/a

Where it is load-bearing

Each grantee by its size and the share of its budget The Morton Arboretum supplied at peak.

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetOpenlands: $277,860 over 6y, 1.1% of budgetThe Atlanta Botanical Garden Inc: $178,826 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetMontgomery Botanical Center: $99,975 over 3y, 1.1% of budgetBotanic Gardens Conservation International US Inc: $80,391 over 3y, 19% of budgetThe Land Conservancy of McHenry County: $77,209 over 5y, 2.1% of budgetChicago Horticultural Society: $70,494 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetFaith in Place: $44,625 over 3y, 0.6% of budgetFriends of the Forest Preserve District of Dupage County: $40,000 over 1y, 19% of budgetField Museum of Natural History: $25,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNeighborspace: $24,273 over 1y, 1.0% of budgetSouthwest Collective: $23,278 over 1y, 4.0% of budgetThe Conservation Foundation: $22,637 over 3y, 0.3% of budgetUrban Forest Carbon Registry: $21,000 over 1y, 3.4% of budgetHenry E Huntington Library and Art Gallery: $18,324 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNatureServe: $15,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetConserve Lake County: $13,144 over 1y, 6.9% of budgetYoung Mens Educational Network: $10,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetQuail Botanical Gardens Foundation: $7,510 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetHuntsville Madison County Botanical Garden Society Inc: $7,386 over 1y, 0.1% 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 19.

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.

OpenlandsIL86.2× affinity40 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Openlands · Metropolitan Mayors Caucus · Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation · Ageoptions Inc (Fka Suburban Area Agency on Aging) · National Fish and Wildlife Foundation · Forefront · Trees Forever Inc · The Experimental Station · Greater Chicago Food Depository · The Dupage Community Foundation · Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation · Fulk Family Foundation Inc

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 Morton Arboretum with peer funders

About The Morton Arboretum

How much does The Morton Arboretum give?
The Morton Arboretum reported 48 itemized grants totaling $1,141,397, out of $1,465,749 in total grant expense reported on the return in its FY2024 IRS filing. It funded between 10 and 38 organizations a year over FY2017 to FY2023.
What does The Morton Arboretum fund?
By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2024, its largest causes are Environment (97%), Science & Tech (1%), Health (1%).
Who are The Morton Arboretum's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2017 to FY2024: Openlands ($278k), Davey Resource Group ($200k), City of Chicago ($180k).
Does The Morton Arboretum fund new organizations?
In FY2023, 75% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Which funders back the same organizations as The Morton Arboretum?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include Openlands, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation.
Where is The Morton Arboretum based?
The Morton Arboretum 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 149 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 e-file return for fiscal year 2024, released 2024. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

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