Grant funders / Illinois / Economic Development
Economic Development Grant Funders in Illinois
83 foundations with a documented economic development focus have made grants to Illinois nonprofits in recent years, together directing $177.3M to organizations across the state. Below are the most active — every funder links to a full giving profile, and Bespoke Grants will match all 83 against your nonprofit's specific mission, for free.
83
Economic development funders
$177.3M
Given to Illinois nonprofits
4,257
Grants on record
2025
Most recent giving
Most active economic development funders in Illinois
| # | Funder | Based in | Total Illinois giving | Grants | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Women's Business Development Center | Illinois | $52.8M | 3050 | 2024 |
| 2 | The Chicago Community Trust | Illinois | $16.4M | 28 | 2023 |
| 3 | Jpmorgan Chase Foundation | New York | $13.9M | 46 | 2024 |
| 4 | John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation (consolidated) | Illinois | $13.8M | 83 | 2024 |
| 5 | Robert R Mccormick Foundation | Illinois | $12.0M | 8 | 2022 |
| 6 | Walton Family Foundation Inc | Arkansas | $10.4M | 2 | 2023 |
| 7 | Jobsohio | Ohio | $6.6M | 19 | 2023 |
| 8 | Somercor 504 Inc | Illinois | $6.3M | 432 | 2020 |
| 9 | Northwestern Memorial Healthcare Group | Illinois | $3.8M | 10 | 2024 |
| 10 | The Goldman Sachs Foundation | New York | $3.6M | 4 | 2024 |
| 11 | Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation | Missouri | $3.5M | 7 | 2024 |
| 12 | The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit | Virginia | $3.4M | 30 | 2024 |
| 13 | The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation | New Jersey | $2.9M | 7 | 2024 |
| 14 | Rural Community Assistance | District of Columbia | $2.5M | 4 | 2024 |
| 15 | The Pert Foundation | Illinois | $2.1M | 2 | 2022 |
This list is ranked by size. Yours should be ranked by fit.
The funders above are the biggest economic development funders in Illinois — not necessarily the right ones for you. Bespoke Grants ranks all 83 against your nonprofit's actual mission, service area, and budget, and shows you why each one matches. Free, no credit card.
Rank these funders for my nonprofit →Economic Development funders in other states
Other causes funded in Illinois
How this list is built. Bespoke Grants indexes 13M+ grants from public IRS Form 990 filings. This page shows foundations whose giving carries a documented economic development focus and that have funded Illinois nonprofits. Giving figures reflect each funder's total recent grants to Illinois recipients. IRS data publishes on a 1–2 year lag; figures are current through the most recent available filings.