The Joyce Foundation
Historical FunderChicago, Illinois · EIN 36-6079185 · Private foundation · Website
Grants paid (2024)$52.2M
Organizations funded470
Typical grant$80,000
Total assets$1.3B
Half of its grants to organizations were between $27,000 and $148,672.
From the return
How to apply
The foundation filed the following application information (Form 990-PF Part XV, tax year 2024):
| Contact | Program Officer |
|---|---|
| Address | 321 N Clark Street Suite 1500, Chicago IL 606544714 |
| Phone | 3127822464 |
| Form and materials | SEE ATTACHMENT |
| Deadlines | SEE STATEMENT |
| Restrictions | SEE ATTACHMENT |
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
60% of grants went outside Illinois.
Grants paid in tax year 2024
| Recipient | Location | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Public Media - Chicago Sun-Times | Chicago, IL | Mission fund | $1,000,000 |
| Education First Consulting LLC | Seattle, WA | Education & economic mobility | $935,000 |
| Iff | Chicago, IL | Mission fund | $625,000 |
| Minnesota Department of Commerce - Energy & Utilities | St Paul, MN | Mission fund | $600,000 |
| The Aspen Institute Inc | Washington, DC | Education & economic mobility | $600,000 |
| National Parks Conservation Association | Washington, DC | Environment | $576,000 |
| Civic News Company | New York, NY | Journalism | $525,000 |
| Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Inc - Families and Workers Fund | Washington, DC | Mission fund | $500,000 |
| Crain's Chicago Business | Chicago, IL | Journalism | $500,000 |
| Elevate Energy | Chicago, IL | Environment | $500,000 |
| The Institute for College Access and Success Inc | Oakland, CA | Education & economic mobility | $485,000 |
| Project Unloaded Inc | Chicago, IL | Gun violence prevention & justice reform | $472,440 |
| Chicago Public Education Fund | Chicago, IL | Education & economic mobility | $400,000 |
| National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships Inc | Chapel Hill, NC | Education & economic mobility | $400,000 |
| Clean Wisconsin Inc | Madison, WI | Environment | $385,000 |
| Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance | Chicago, IL | Environment | $383,000 |
| Fines and Fees Justice Center Inc | New York, NY | Mission fund | $378,000 |
| University of Illinois - Discovery Partners Institute | Chicago, IL | Education & economic mobility | $373,000 |
| Advance Illinois | Chicago, IL | Education & economic mobility | $355,000 |
| Trace Media Inc | Brooklyn, NY | Journalism | $354,000 |
| Common Cause Education Fund | Washington, DC | Democracy | $350,000 |
| Faith in Place | Chicago, IL | Environment | $350,000 |
| The Education Trust | Washington, DC | Education & economic mobility | $350,000 |
| Natural Resources Defense Council Inc | New York, NY | Environment | $325,000 |
| University of Chicago - Consortium on Chicago School Research | Chicago, IL | Education & economic mobility | $325,000 |
| Chicago Public Media Inc | Chicago, IL | Journalism | $300,000 |
| Ed Allies | Minneapolis, MN | Education & economic mobility | $300,000 |
| Michigan League of Conservation Voters Education Fund | Ann Arbor, MI | Environment | $300,000 |
| WCIJ Inc | Madison, WI | Journalism | $300,000 |
| Policy Innovators in Education Network Inc | Minneapolis, MN | Education & economic mobility | $287,000 |
| State Higher Education Executive Officers Association | Boulder, CO | Education & economic mobility | $285,000 |
| Latino Policy Forum | Chicago, IL | Education & economic mobility | $282,500 |
| Great Plains Institute for Sustainable Development | Minneapolis, MN | Environment | $275,000 |
| Johns Hopkins University - Center for Gun Violence Solutions | Baltimore, MD | Gun violence prevention & justice reform | $275,000 |
| National Council on Teacher Quality | Washington, DC | Education & economic mobility | $275,000 |
| Teach Plus Incorporated | Boston, MA | Education & economic mobility | $275,000 |
| UnidosUS | Washington, DC | Education & economic mobility | $275,000 |
| Michigan Environmental Council | Lansing, MI | Environment | $260,000 |
| Northwestern University - Ctr for Neighborhood Engaged Research & Science | Evanston, IL | Gun violence prevention & justice reform | $251,614 |
| Chicago Votes | Chicago, IL | Democracy | $250,000 |
| Civic Consulting Alliance | Chicago, IL | Mission fund | $250,000 |
| Environmental Defense Fund Inc | Washington, DC | Environment | $250,000 |
| Fair Elections Center | Washington, DC | Democracy | $250,000 |
| Impact for Equity Inc | Chicago, IL | Gun violence prevention & justice reform | $250,000 |
| Metropolitan Planning Council | Chicago, IL | Environment | $250,000 |
| National Public Radio Inc | Washington, DC | Journalism | $250,000 |
| NEO Philanthropy Inc - State Infrastructure Fund | New York, NY | Democracy | $250,000 |
| Poynter Institute for Media Studies Inc | St Petersburg, FL | Journalism | $250,000 |
| Protect Democracy Project | Washington, DC | Democracy | $250,000 |
| William J Brennan Jr Center for Justice Inc | New York, NY | Democracy | $250,000 |
| WAVE Educational Fund Inc | Milwaukee, WI | Gun violence prevention & justice reform | $245,000 |
| University of Virginia - Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service | Charlottesville, VA | Environment | $244,000 |
| Association of Prosecuting Attorneys Inc | Washington, DC | Gun violence prevention & justice reform | $240,320 |
| CUB Consumer Education and Research Fund | Chicago, IL | Environment | $230,000 |
| Little Village Environmental Justice Organization | Chicago, IL | Environment | $225,000 |
| Open Campus Media Inc | Washington, DC | Journalism | $225,000 |
| Prison Fellowship Ministries | Lansdowne, VA | Gun violence prevention & justice reform | $225,000 |
| The Center for Michigan | Ypsilanti, MI | Journalism | $225,000 |
| The Board of Trustees of the U of IL - Cline Ctr for Adv Social Research | Urbana, IL | Gun violence prevention & justice reform | $219,646 |
| Kids First Chicago for Education | Chicago, IL | Education & economic mobility | $214,000 |
Showing the 60 largest of 470 grants to organizations.
Grants approved for future payment
| Recipient | Location | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Public Media - Chicago Sun-Times | Chicago, IL | Mission fund | $1,000,000 |
| Little Village Environmental Justice Organization | Chicago, IL | Environment | $450,000 |
| Clean Wisconsin Inc | Madison, WI | Environment | $385,000 |
| Common Cause Education Fund | Washington, DC | Democracy | $350,000 |
| Chicago Public Media Inc | Chicago, IL | Journalism | $300,000 |
| Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund | Springfield, IL | Environment | $300,000 |
| University of Chicago - Consortium on Chicago School Research | Chicago, IL | Education & economic mobility | $300,000 |
| Research Foundation of the City University of New York - John Jay College | New York, NY | Gun violence prevention & justice reform | $287,668 |
| Latino Policy Forum | Chicago, IL | Education & economic mobility | $282,500 |
| Education First Consulting LLC | Seattle, WA | Education & economic mobility | $279,078 |
| Great Plains Institute for Sustainable Development | Minneapolis, MN | Environment | $275,000 |
| Teach Plus Incorporated | Boston, MA | Education & economic mobility | $275,000 |
| Environmental Defense Fund Inc | Washington, DC | Environment | $250,000 |
| Fair Elections Center | Washington, DC | Democracy | $250,000 |
| LaGratta Consulting LLC | New York, NY | Gun violence prevention & justice reform | $250,000 |
| New America Foundation | Washington, DC | Education & economic mobility | $250,000 |
| Protect Democracy Project | Washington, DC | Democracy | $250,000 |
| William J Brennan Jr Center for Justice Inc | New York, NY | Democracy | $250,000 |
| CUB Consumer Education and Research Fund | Chicago, IL | Environment | $230,000 |
| Project Unloaded Inc | Chicago, IL | Gun violence prevention & justice reform | $227,560 |
| Open Campus Media Inc | Washington, DC | Journalism | $225,000 |
| The Center for Michigan | Ypsilanti, MI | Journalism | $225,000 |
| Latino Theater Company | Los Angeles, CA | Mission fund | $200,000 |
| National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships Inc - College in H | Chapel Hill, NC | Education & economic mobility | $200,000 |
| National Wildlife Federation | Reston, VA | Environment | $200,000 |
| Sierra Club Foundation | Oakland, CA | Environment | $200,000 |
| The Niskanen Center Inc | Washington, DC | Gun violence prevention & justice reform | $200,000 |
| Trustees of Princeton University - Bridging Divides Initiative | Princeton, NJ | Democracy | $200,000 |
| WCIJ Inc | Madison, WI | Journalism | $200,000 |
| President and Fellows of Harvard College - Center for Education Policy Rese | Cambridge, MA | Education & economic mobility | $175,000 |
| 3Arts Inc | Chicago, IL | Culture | $170,000 |
| Full Spectrum Features NFP | Chicago, IL | Culture | $165,000 |
| Policy Innovators in Education Network Inc | Minneapolis, MN | Education & economic mobility | $163,000 |
| Block Club Chicago | Chicago, IL | Journalism | $160,000 |
| Chicago Sinfonietta Inc | Chicago, IL | Culture | $160,000 |
| Puerto Rican Arts Alliance | Chicago, IL | Culture | $155,000 |
| National Sheriffs Educational Foundation | Alexandria, VA | Gun violence prevention & justice reform | $154,000 |
| Black Ensemble Theater Corporation | Chicago, IL | Culture | $150,000 |
| Capital B News Inc | New York, NY | Journalism | $150,000 |
| Carnegie Endowment for International Peace | Washington, DC | Mission fund | $150,000 |
| Education Trust Inc - Midwest | Detroit, MI | Education & economic mobility | $150,000 |
| Global Action on Gun Violence Inc | Washington, DC | Gun violence prevention & justice reform | $150,000 |
| National Museum of Mexican Art | Chicago, IL | Culture | $150,000 |
| South Side Community Art Center | Chicago, IL | Culture | $150,000 |
| State Voices | Washington, DC | Democracy | $150,000 |
| Vera Institute of Justice Inc | Brooklyn, NY | Mission fund | $150,000 |
| League of Women Voters of Wisconsin Inc | Madison, WI | Democracy | $145,000 |
| University of Michigan - Wallace House Center for Journalists | Ann Arbor, MI | Journalism | $140,000 |
| League of Women Voters of Ohio Education Fund | Columbus, OH | Democracy | $125,000 |
| Public Agenda | Brooklyn, NY | Education & economic mobility | $125,000 |
| The Institute for College Access and Success Inc | Oakland, CA | Education & economic mobility | $125,000 |
| Wayne State University - College of Education | Detroit, MI | Education & economic mobility | $125,000 |
| The Aspen Institute Inc | Washington, DC | Gun violence prevention & justice reform | $115,000 |
| Equity Legal Services Inc | Belleville, IL | Environment | $105,000 |
| 365 Media Foundation Inc | Madison, WI | Journalism | $100,000 |
| Access | Dearborn, MI | Democracy | $100,000 |
| Chicago Community Trust | Chicago, IL | Journalism | $100,000 |
| Chicago State Foundation | Chicago, IL | Education & economic mobility | $100,000 |
| Cleveland Foundation | Cleveland, OH | Environment | $100,000 |
| Congo Square Theatre Company | Chicago, IL | Culture | $100,000 |
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants paid | Grant lines |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $52,234,765 | 613 |
| 2023 | $55,953,961 | 656 |
Sources
- IRS Form 990-PF, tax year 2024, filed Nov 4, 2025 - IRS e-file batch, object ID 202543089349101334
- IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for EIN 36-6079185
- Profile updated Nov 4, 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.