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Thierer Family Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Thierer Family Foundation

Its FY2024 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$639k
Granted FY2024still arriving
13
Grants FY2024still arriving
4
States reached
$400k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
0199% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2024.

Food & Nutrition$1.5MArts & Culture$889kHealth$276kHousing & Shelter$255kEducation$207kCommunity Improvement$91kHuman Services$86kEmployment$22kOther$0
02FY2024 · 13 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2024

  • Under $10k6 grants · $26k
  • $10k–50k5 grants · $110k
  • $50k–250k1 grant · $103k
  • $250k+1 grant · $400k
$10,000
Median grant
4
States reached
$6.4M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
FOOD ACCESS PROJECT$400,000
SINAI HEALTH SYSTEM$102,527
NOURISHING HOPE$35,000
LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO$25,377
GREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY$25,000
CHICAGO BOTANICAL GARDENS$15,000
GREENLIGHT FUND INC$10,000
MANNA FOOD BANK$5,000
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FOOD BANK$5,000
COLLABORATIVE ARTS INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO$5,000
LITTLE HEROES LEAGUE$5,000
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY$5,000
MPN RESEARCH FOUNDATION$1,000
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 (FY17–22, $317k) land where the poverty rate runs at 13%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 83% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 11%MARBRIDGE FOUNDATION: $10k → 10%LOAVES AND FISHES COMMUNITY SERVICES: $20k → 7%LOAVES AND FISHES COMMUNITY SERVICES: $15k → 7%LOAVES & FISHES: $10k → 7%INSPIRATION CORPORATION: $35k → 14%INSPIRATION CORPORATION: $15k → 14%INSPIRATION CORPORATION: $5k → 14%INSPIRATION CORPORATION: $1k → 14%COVENANT HOUSE ILLINOIS: $25k → 14%CRADLES TO CRAYONS: $50k → 14%CRADLES TO CRAYONS: $20k → 14%CIRCLE URBAN MINISTRIES: $1k → 14%IGNITE: $60k → 14%IGNITE: $50k → 14%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

WA
IL
NY
MA
IA
PA
NJ
CA
AR
TN
NC
DC
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.

86%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$2.9M · 24 repeat orgs$478k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +102% since the first grant, against +66% for those funded once.

24 repeat relationships: 8 still active in FY2024, 16 since wound down; 5 grantees were first funded in FY2024 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

24
45

Total granted

$2.9M
$442k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+102%
+66%

Still filing today

88%
53%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 94% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $36k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

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

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
Food & NutritionArts & CultureHuman ServicesHealthEducationHousing & 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.

Backed again, and grew

  • FA
    FOOD ACCESS PROJECT
    3× · 2022–2024 · $1.1M · revenue +374% · 62% of their budget
  • NH
    NOURISHING HOPE
    6× · 2018–2024 · $261k · revenue +260%
  • LO
    Lyric Opera of Chicago
    7× · 2017–2024 · $251k · revenue +33%

Funded once

  • UO
    UNIVERSITY OF TENNESEE
    one grant, 2022 · $61k
  • DC
    DIONS CHICAGO DREAM INC NFPgraduated
    one grant, 2022 · $50k · revenue +354%
  • WP
    WINGS PROGRAM INCgraduated
    one grant, 2018 · $40k · revenue +122%
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
University of Chicago Medical Center

Our mission at the university of chicago medicine is to provide superior health care through rigorous research, innovative education, and comprehensive care and healing. in partnership with our colleagues, we pursue life-changing…

Health
2
Northern Illinois Food Bank

With the support of our community, we provide over 90 million meals annually through our network of over 900 member food pantries and programs across thirteen counties, currently reaching over a half million individuals each month with…

Food & Nutrition
3
Chicago Opera Theater

Chicago opera theater expands the tradition of opera as a living art form by engaging lovers of music and storytelling through innovative experiences, predominantly of new and rarely performed works.

Arts & Culture
4
Chicago's Green City Market Program

Green city market is securing the future of food by deepening support for sustainable farmers, educating our community, and expanding access to locally-grown food.

Food & Nutrition
5
Feeding Illinois

Feeding illinois is a coalition of eight feeding america food banks that provide food to over 2,400 food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters that feed nearly 1.4 million residents across the entire state of illinois.

Food & Nutrition
6
True Chicago
Arts & Culture
7
Ageguide Northeastern Illinois Area On Aging

We strive to make aging easier through the development of a network of services for older persons designed to optimize the quality of their lives.

Food & Nutrition
8
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
9
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
10
Columbia College Chicago

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

Education
11
Alternatives Inc

Alternatives, inc.'s mission is to facilitate personal development,strengthen family relationships and enhance the community's well being. serving over 3,000 youth and families annually, the organization offers a range of counseling and…

Health
12
Central Pennsylvania Food Bank

Our mission is to solve hunger in central pennsylvania by ensuring that everyone struggling with hunger has access to enough wholesome food every day. we will achieve this bold goal with the help of our generous donors, volunteers and…

Food & Nutrition
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Nourishing Hope; the most unlike its peers is Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago. 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

49 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. 49 of the 74 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)
20
Early backer (in before they grew)
49/49
Grantees still filing
45/49
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

FOOD ACCESS PROJECT: $1,065,500 · Food & NutritionFOOD ACCESS PROJECTDIONS CHICAGO DREAM INC NFP: $50,000 · Food & NutritionGREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY: $47,500 · Food & Nutrition+4 more: $41,000 · Food & NutritionLyric Opera of Chicago: $250,517 · Arts & CultureLyric Opera of ChicagoChicago Symphony Orchestra: $230,000 · Arts & CultureChicago Symphony Orchestr…URBAN GATEWAYS: $200,500 · Arts & CultureURBAN GATEWAYSCollaborative Arts Institute of Chicago: $54,955 · Arts & CultureCollaborative Arts Instit…+3 more: $24,500 · Arts & CultureNOURISHING HOPE: $261,000 · OtherNOURISHING HOPEUNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE: $98,000 · OtherUNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEEUNIVERSITY OF TENNESEE: $60,850 · OtherUNIVERSITY OF TENNESEEIndividual grant recipient: $55,000 · OtherIndividual grant recipi…AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY: $30,000 · OtherBREAKTHROUGH T1D (FKA JDRF): $25,183 · OtherALL STARS PROJECT CHICAGO: $25,000 · Other+31 more: $163,629 · Other+31 moreIGNITE: $110,000 · Human ServicesIGNITECRADLES TO CRAYONS INC: $70,000 · Human ServicesCRADLES TO…Inspiration Corporation: $56,400 · Human ServicesInspiratio…LOAVES & FISHES COMMUNITY SERVICES: $45,000 · Human ServicesLOAVES & F…COVENANT HOUSE ILLINOIS INC: $25,000 · Human ServicesCOVENANT H…+2 more: $11,000 · Human ServicesTHE CHICAGO HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS: $103,500 · EducationONE MILLION DEGREES: $40,000 · EducationTHE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO: $10,000 · EducationTHE GEORGE AND BARBARA BUSH FOUNDATION: $10,000 · EducationRINGLING COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN INC: $6,000 · EducationSINAI HEALTH SYSTEM: $104,127 · HealthAmerican Heart Association Inc: $20,456 · HealthJEFFREY PRIDE FOUNDATION INC: $17,500 · HealthBREAKTHROUGH T1D: $15,000 · Health+2 more: $6,000 · HealthWINGS PROGRAM INC: $40,000 · Housing & ShelterALL CHICAGO MAKING HOMELESSNESS HISTORY: $20,000 · Housing & ShelterCHICAGO COALITION TO END HOMELESSNESS: $4,000 · Housing & Shelter+1 more: $1,000 · Housing & Shelter
Food & Nutrition$1,204,000Arts & Culture$760,472Other$718,662Human Services$317,400Education$169,500Health$163,083Housing & Shelter$65,000

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 budgetFOOD ACCESS PROJECT: $1,065,500 over 3y, 62% of budgetNOURISHING HOPE: $261,000 over 6y, 1.4% of budgetLyric Opera of Chicago: $250,517 over 7y, 0.1% of budgetChicago Symphony Orchestra: $230,000 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetURBAN GATEWAYS: $200,500 over 3y, 3.3% of budgetIGNITE: $110,000 over 2y, 1.4% of budgetSINAI HEALTH SYSTEM: $104,127 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetTHE CHICAGO HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS: $103,500 over 2y, 0.8% of budgetCRADLES TO CRAYONS INC: $70,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetInspiration Corporation: $56,400 over 3y, 0.9% of budgetCollaborative Arts Institute of Chicago: $54,955 over 5y, 23% of budgetDIONS CHICAGO DREAM INC NFP: $50,000 over 1y, 3.8% of budgetGREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY: $47,500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetLOAVES & FISHES COMMUNITY SERVICES: $45,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetONE MILLION DEGREES: $40,000 over 4y, 0.3% of budgetCOVENANT HOUSE ILLINOIS INC: $25,000 over 1y, 1.8% of budgetAmerican Heart Association Inc: $20,456 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetALL CHICAGO MAKING HOMELESSNESS HISTORY: $20,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetJEFFREY PRIDE FOUNDATION INC: $17,500 over 4y, 1.9% of budgetCLASSIC LYRIC ARTS INC: $17,000 over 5y, 4.0% of budgetMOVE FOR HUNGER INC: $15,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetBREAKTHROUGH T1D: $15,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetPickles Group Inc: $15,000 over 1y, 2.7% of budgetTOP BOX FOODS: $15,000 over 1y, 1.9% of budgetILLINOIS ARTS ALLIANCE: $10,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetTHE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLittle Heroes League: $10,000 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetGREENLIGHT FUND INC: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetMARBRIDGE FOUNDATION INC: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetTHE THRESHOLDS: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF ILLINOIS INC: $7,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetRINGLING COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN INC: $6,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBEYOND HUNGER: $6,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetCOMMON PANTRY: $5,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetPEOPLE'S RESOURCE CENTER: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetI AM ALS: $5,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetTRILOGY INC: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNORTHWEST ARKANSAS FOOD BANK: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetWEST SUBURBAN COMMUNITY PANTRY INC: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetTHE ADLER PLANETARIUM: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMANNA FOOD BANK INC: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCHICAGO COALITION TO END HOMELESSNESS: $4,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetARTSMART: $2,500 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetCIRCLE URBAN MINISTRIES: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetTHE MPN RESEARCH FOUNDATION: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% 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.

John D and Catherine …The Chicago Community…Circle of Service Fou…Polk Bros Foundation …Arie and Ida Crown Me…Jpmorgan Chase Founda…ForefrontRobert R McCormick Fo…Greater Chicago Food …United Way of Metropo…Cuore e Mani Foundati…The Pierce Family Cha…
John D and Catherine T Macarthur FoundationIL33.1× affinity15 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation · The Chicago Community Trust · Circle of Service Foundation · Polk Bros Foundation Inc · Arie and Ida Crown Memorial · Jpmorgan Chase Foundation · Forefront · Robert R McCormick Foundation · Greater Chicago Food Depository · United Way of Metropolitan Chicago Inc · Cuore e Mani Foundation · The Pierce Family Charitable 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 Thierer Family Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Thierer Family Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 20%5%19%42%75%funder's share of their income ↑0%15%30%45%60%share of the org’s income from government →median 2%
  • Cradles to Crayons Inc: 2% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
2get 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 · 0–60%
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 74 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 2024, released 2024. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Thierer 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