Grant funders / Illinois / Higher Education
Higher Education Grant Funders in Illinois
1887 foundations with a documented higher education focus have made grants to Illinois nonprofits in recent years, together directing $1.9B to organizations across the state. Below are the most active — every funder links to a full giving profile, and Bespoke Grants will match all 1887 against your nonprofit's specific mission, for free.
1887
Higher education funders
$1.9B
Given to Illinois nonprofits
25,504
Grants on record
2025
Most recent giving
Most active higher education funders in Illinois
| # | Funder | Based in | Total Illinois giving | Grants | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Illinois Foundation | Illinois | $1.1B | 12 | 2023 |
| 2 | The Chicago Community Trust | Illinois | $59.7M | 216 | 2023 |
| 3 | Northern Illinois University Foundation | Illinois | $33.0M | 7 | 2025 |
| 4 | Crown Family Foundation | Illinois | $32.6M | 3 | 2024 |
| 5 | Fulk Family Foundation Inc | Illinois | $27.3M | 30 | 2025 |
| 6 | Robert R Mccormick Foundation | Illinois | $21.7M | 36 | 2024 |
| 7 | The Andrew W Mellon Foundation | New York | $14.3M | 23 | 2024 |
| 8 | Sigma Chi Foundation | Illinois | $13.5M | 7 | 2023 |
| 9 | Illinois State University Foundation | Illinois | $13.4M | 2 | 2023 |
| 10 | Srcco | North Carolina | $12.7M | 2 | 2024 |
| 11 | Aileen S Andrew Foundation | Illinois | $9.1M | 3 | 2024 |
| 12 | Deloitte Foundation | Connecticut | $8.7M | 6 | 2025 |
| 13 | College of Lake County Foundation | Illinois | $8.7M | 5 | 2023 |
| 14 | Walter Family Foundation Inc | Illinois | $8.3M | 13 | 2024 |
| 15 | Friends of Mchenry County College | Illinois | $8.2M | 18 | 2024 |
This list is ranked by size. Yours should be ranked by fit.
The funders above are the biggest higher education funders in Illinois — not necessarily the right ones for you. Bespoke Grants ranks all 1887 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 →Higher Education 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 higher education 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.