The Brinson Foundation
Historical FunderChicago, Illinois · EIN 68-0656415 · Private foundation · Website
Grants paid (2024)$8.5M
Organizations funded138
Typical grant$50,000
Total assets$236.7M
Half of its grants to organizations were between $35,000 and $75,000.
From the return
How to apply
The foundation filed the following application information (Form 990-PF Part XV, tax year 2024):
| Contact | CHRISTY UCHIDA |
|---|---|
| Address | 737 N MICHIGAN AVENUE SUITE 1850, CHICAGO IL 60611 |
| Phone | 3127994500 |
| MAIL@BRINSONFOUNDATION.ORG | |
| Form and materials | WWW.BRINSONFOUNDATION.ORG |
| Deadlines | NONE |
| Restrictions | HTTPS://BRINSONFOUNDATION.ORG/GRANT-SEEKERS/LIMITATIONS-AND-OTHER-CONSIDERAT IONS/ |
Copied as filed. Deadlines on a tax return describe the foundation's usual process; they are not confirmation of a current open cycle.
What it funds
Share of grant lines on the latest return, classified from the purpose each grant states.
Where it gives
39% of grants went outside Illinois.
Grants paid in tax year 2024
| Recipient | Location | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| St John's Health Foundation | Jackson, WY | Hitching post workforce housing redevelopment | $600,000 |
| Chicago Community Foundation Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities | Chicago, IL | Scaling community violence intervention for a safer chicago | $200,000 |
| Eisenhower Health | Rancho Mirage, CA | Cardiovascular institute | $200,000 |
| University of Chicago Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics | Chicago, IL | Brinson astrophysics fellowship program, brinson lecture, and pdta | $141,700 |
| Carnegie Institution for Science Carnegie Observatories Instrumentation Pro | Pasadena, CA | Carnegie-Caltech brinson postdoctoral fellowship in observational astronomy | $120,000 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, MA | Brinson prize fellowship in observational cosmology | $120,000 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, MA | Brinson prize fellowship in observational cosmology | $120,000 |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | Nu-Uchicago brinson postdoctoral fellowship in astrophysics | $120,000 |
| Princeton University Department of Astrophysical Sciences | Princeton, NJ | Brinson prize fellowship in observational cosmology | $120,000 |
| Princeton University Department of Astrophysical Sciences | Princeton, NJ | Brinson prize fellowship in observational cosmology | $120,000 |
| University of Chicago Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics | Chicago, IL | Brinson prize fellowship in observational cosmology | $120,000 |
| University of Chicago Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics | Chicago, IL | Brinson prize fellowship in observational cosmology | $120,000 |
| Carnegie Institution for Science Carnegie Observatories Instrumentation Pro | Pasadena, CA | Carnegie-Caltech brinson prize fellowship in observational astronomy | $115,000 |
| Carnegie Institution for Science Carnegie Observatories Instrumentation Pro | Pasadena, CA | Brinson prize fellowship in instrumentation | $115,000 |
| President and Fellows of Harvard College | Cambridge, MA | Brinson prize fellowship in interstellar matter research | $115,000 |
| University of California Los Angeles Galactic Center Group | Los Angeles, CA | Brinson prize fellowship in black hole astrophysics | $115,000 |
| Wesleyan University | Middle Town, CT | Brinson prize fellowship in radio astronomy | $115,000 |
| Salk Institute for Biological Studies | LA Jolla, CA | Brain metabolism and dna repair in primate evolution and pdta | $103,000 |
| University of Chicago Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy | Chicago, IL | Genetic basis for the origin of limbs research and pdta | $103,000 |
| Lsst Inc | Tucson, AZ | Data science fellowship program and pdta | $102,700 |
| Ann & Robert H Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago | Chicago, IL | Brinson medical research fellowship | $100,000 |
| California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | Exploring the warped space- time around black holes | $100,000 |
| Rush University Medical Center | Chicago, IL | Brinson medical research fellowship | $100,000 |
| Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory | Cambridge, MA | Solar astrophysics and astroai research | $100,000 |
| University of Chicago Medicine | Chicago, IL | Brinson medical research fellowship | $100,000 |
| Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Shirley Ryan Abilitylab | Chicago, IL | Brinson stroke fellowship | $90,000 |
| Adler Planetarium | Chicago, IL | Cosmology and astrophysics research and pdta | $88,000 |
| Field Museum of Natural History | Chicago, IL | Learning center programs and pdta | $83,000 |
| Griffin Museum of Science and Industry | Chicago, IL | General support and pdta | $83,000 |
| LA Rabida Children's Hospital | Chicago, IL | General operating support and pdta | $82,750 |
| Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL | General operating support | $80,000 |
| Shedd Aquarium Society John G Shedd Aquarium | Chicago, IL | General operating support | $80,000 |
| Carnegie Institution for Science Earth and Planets Laboratory | Washington, DC | Experimental and observational geophysics and pdta | $78,000 |
| Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York Columbia University | Palisaded, NY | Lamont-Doherty earth observatory - anticipating earthquakes initiative and pdta | $77,200 |
| California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | Quantum communication channels and quantum sensing for fundamental physics research | $75,000 |
| Science Philanthropy Alliance Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors | New York, NY | Associate membership | $75,000 |
| Lake Forest Academy | Lake Forest, IL | Class of '93 scholarship fund for high school students and pdta | $71,500 |
| The Partnership for College Completion | Chicago, IL | General operating support | $70,000 |
| Window to the World Communications | Chicago, IL | Local broadcast of nova and general support | $70,000 |
| Research Corporation for Science Advancement | Tucson, AZ | Scialog: early science with the lsst | $66,000 |
| Ann & Robert H Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago | Chicago, IL | Nurse education and leadership training | $65,000 |
| California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | Brinson postdoctoral fellowship in quantum science | $63,000 |
| Chicago Historical Society Chicago History Museum | Chicago, IL | General operating support and pdta | $63,000 |
| Lincoln Park Zoological Society | Chicago, IL | General operating support and pdta | $62,800 |
| Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association | Chicago, IL | General operating support and pdta | $60,900 |
| Friends of Gros Ventre Fire Station | Jackson, WY | General operating support | $60,000 |
| Lyric Opera of Chicago | Chicago, IL | General operating support | $60,000 |
| Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund | Chicago, IL | General operating support and pdta | $58,000 |
| Posse Foundation | Chicago, IL | General operating support - chicago | $55,000 |
| Chicago Architecture Foundation Chicago Architecture Center | Chicago, IL | General operating support and pdta | $53,000 |
| Chicago Horticultural Society Chicago Botanic Garden | Glencoe, IL | General operating support and pdta | $53,000 |
| Cornell University | Ithaca, NY | Brinson summer graduate student fellowships for explorator research in astronomy and pdta | $53,000 |
| Erie Family Health Foundation | Chicago, IL | Teen health center and pdta | $53,000 |
| High Jump | Chicago, IL | General operating support and pdta | $53,000 |
| Math Circles of Chicago | Chicago, IL | General operating support and pdta | $53,000 |
| Metrosquash | Chicago, IL | General operating support and pdta | $53,000 |
| Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Chicago Academy of Sciences | Chicago, IL | General support and pdta | $53,000 |
| Project Syncere | Chicago, IL | General operating support and pdta | $53,000 |
| Special Olympics Illinois | Normal, IL | General operating support and pdta | $53,000 |
| The Morton Arboretum | Lisle, IL | General operating support and pdta | $53,000 |
Showing the 60 largest of 138 grants to organizations.
Grants approved for future payment
| Recipient | Location | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| St John's Health Foundation | Jackson, WY | Hitching post workforce housing redevelopment | $2,400,000 |
| Chicago Community Foundation Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities | Chicago, IL | Scaling community violence intervention for a safer chicago | $800,000 |
| University of Chicago Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics | Chicago, IL | Brinson astrophysics fellowship program | $250,000 |
| California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | Brinson postdoctoral fellowship in quantum science | $240,000 |
| Carnegie Institution for Science Carnegie Observatories Instrumentation Pro | Pasadena, CA | Carnegie-Caltech - brinson postdoctoral fellowship in observational astronomy | $240,000 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, MA | Brinson prize fellowship in observational cosmology | $240,000 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, MA | Brinson prize fellowship in observational cosmology | $240,000 |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | Nu-Uchicago brinson postdoctoral fellowship in astrophysics | $240,000 |
| Stanford University Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology | Stanford, CA | Brinson prize fellowship in observational cosmology | $240,000 |
| Eisenhower Health | Rancho Mirage, CA | Cardiovascular institute | $200,000 |
| Lake Forest Academy | Lake Forest, IL | Class of '93 scholarship fund for high school students | $140,000 |
| Princeton University Department of Astrophysical Sciences | Princeton, NJ | Brinson prize fellowship in observational cosmology | $120,000 |
| Princeton University Department of Astrophysical Sciences | Princeton, NJ | Brinson prize fellowship in observational cosmology | $120,000 |
| University of Chicago Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics | Chicago, IL | Brinson prize fellowship in observational cosmology | $120,000 |
| Carnegie Institution for Science Carnegie Observatories Instrumentation Pro | Pasadena, CA | Carnegie-Caltech brinson prize fellowship in observational astronomy | $115,000 |
| Carnegie Institution for Science Carnegie Observatories Instrumentation Pro | Pasadena, CA | Carnegie-Caltech brinson prize fellowship in intrumentation | $115,000 |
| University of California Los Angeles Galactic Center Group | Los Angeles, CA | Brinson prize fellowship in black hole astrophysics | $115,000 |
| Wesleyan University | Middle Town, CT | Brinson prize fellowship in radio astronomy | $115,000 |
| Ann & Robert H Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago | Chicago, IL | Brinson medical research fellowship | $100,000 |
| California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | Exploring the warped space-time around black holes | $100,000 |
| Lsst Inc | Tucson, AZ | Data science fellowship program | $100,000 |
| University of Chicago Consortium on School Research | Chicago, IL | General support | $100,000 |
| University of Chicago Medicine | Chicago, IL | Brinson medical research fellowship | $100,000 |
| California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | Quantum communication channels and quantum sensing for fundamental physics research | $75,000 |
| Carnegie Institution for Science Earth and Planets Laboratory | Washington, DC | Experimental and observational geophysics | $75,000 |
| Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York Columbia University | Palisades, NY | Lamont-Doherty earth observatory - anticipating earthquakes initiative | $75,000 |
| Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund | Chicago, IL | General support | $55,000 |
| Ampt Advancing Nonprofits | Chicago, IL | General support | $50,000 |
| High Jump | Chicago, IL | General support | $50,000 |
| Metrosquash | Chicago, IL | General support | $50,000 |
| Healthy Schools Campaign | Chicago, IL | General support - chicago | $45,000 |
| Advance Illinois | Chicago, IL | General support | $35,000 |
| Cara Collective | Chicago, IL | General support - chicago | $35,000 |
| Carole Robertson Center for Learning | Chicago, IL | General support | $35,000 |
| Start Early | Chicago, IL | Educare | $35,000 |
| After School Matters | Chicago, IL | STEM out-of-school time programming | $30,000 |
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants paid | Grant lines |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,480,300 | 174 |
| 2023 | $106,034,700 | 173 |
Sources
- IRS Form 990-PF, tax year 2024, filed Nov 13, 2025 - IRS e-file batch, object ID 202513179349102216
- IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for EIN 68-0656415
- Profile updated Nov 5, 2026
Facts on this page come from the foundation's own IRS Form 990-PF filings as published by the IRS. Grantvello does not know whether a foundation is accepting proposals right now: a past grant is not an open opportunity. Always confirm current guidelines with the funder before applying.