Lloyd A Fry Foundation

The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation is a deeply relationship-oriented, Chicago-exclusive private foundation with a singular geographic mandate: every dollar stays in the city. Operating from 120 S La Salle Street since the 1960s, Fry has built long-term partnerships with many of Chicago's leading nonprofits — grantee data reveals the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has received 16 separate grants, the Shriver Center on Poverty Law 12, and Ingenuity Incorporated 9. This is not a foundation that funds one-off projects and moves on. First-time applicants are entering a relationship, not a transaction.

The foundation's giving philosophy rests on three values: racial equity, learning, and fairness. These are embedded structurally into the application process — applicants must disclose racial and gender demographics for both board and senior staff, and the foundation actively monitors organizational diversity as a substantive factor in funding decisions. Organizations with homogeneous leadership should expect scrutiny; those with boards and staff that reflect the communities they serve will find an eager audience.

New applicants should expect to enter the funding relationship at the lower end of the range. The typical first grant runs $20,000–$50,000. Established multi-year partners routinely receive $100,000–$200,000 per grant cycle, and cumulative multi-year relationships frequently total $250,000–$550,000+. The path from new grantee to sustained partner depends almost entirely on demonstrated outcomes, clear reporting, and alignment with the foundation's evolving program priorities.

The three current program areas — Arts Learning, Education, and Employment — have been stable for several years, though the Education program recently signaled it will be 'responsive to disruption' given federal policy pressures in 2025–2026. National organizations should not apply unless they can demonstrate that Chicago program staff exercise independent decision-making authority and that all funded activities are physically located in Chicago. The foundation's grant data shows only 22% of grants went to organizations outside Illinois, and those exceptions involve national organizations with strong local infrastructure.

The most competitive applicants are community-rooted, data-literate, and laser-focused on low-income Chicagoans facing structural barriers in education, the labor market, or access to arts. Organizations that serve multiple program areas (e.g., workforce training through arts education) should identify their primary fit and apply to one program area, not attempt to straddle categories.

Based on 1,468 grants totaling $36.99 million in available IRS data, the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation's grant profile is: median $10,000, average $25,195, range $250–$200,000. Annual total giving has held consistently in the $11–14 million band over the past decade: $9.9M (2013), $10.1M (2014), $11.6M (2019), $12.0M (2020), $14.3M (2021), $11.7M (2022–2023). The spike to $14.3M in fiscal year 2021 likely reflects COVID-19 emergency grantmaking. The foundation operates from an endowment of approximately $198–220 million, generating $3.7–12.6 million in net investment income annually depending on market conditions. Despite strong assets, total giving has remained flat in the $11–12M range in non-COVID years, reflecting a disciplined payout strategy rather than a 5% minimum payout approach.

Geographic concentration is near-total: 1,145 of 1,468 grants (78%) are in Illinois. Out-of-state grants (DC, GA, NY, FL, MA, CA) reflect national organizations — such as Leading Educators Inc. — with Chicago-specific programs.

Program area breakdown by grantee analysis: Education dominates at an estimated 45–55% of portfolio value. The top education grantees include Chicago Public Education Fund ($551K cumulative), University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration ($505K), UIC College of Education Center for Urban Education Leadership ($500K), New Leaders ($460K), Teach Plus ($450K), and Achievement Network ($350K). Employment accounts for approximately 20–25% of giving, with Jane Addams Resource Corporation ($288K), Chicago Jobs Council ($280K), Women Employed ($231K), and Greater West Town Community Development Project ($247K) as representative recipients. Arts Learning represents approximately 15–20%: Chicago Symphony Orchestra ($390K), Chicago Shakespeare Theater ($210.5K), Ravinia Festival Association ($202.5K), Snow City Arts Foundation ($201K), and Marwen Foundation ($201.5K). Health and safety-net funding appears historically but is no longer a listed program area.

The largest individual grantee relationships — Community Restorative Justice Hubs ($875K across 4 grants), Barack Obama Foundation ($750K across 3 grants), and Leading Educators ($625K across 5 grants) — represent multi-year strategic investments rather than one-time gifts. New grantees should budget for an initial grant of $20,000–$50,000, with multi-cycle growth potential if early results are strong.

Among Chicago's community of private foundations, the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation occupies a distinctive niche: mid-sized by assets (~$200M), Chicago-exclusive by mandate, and focused on systemic change through education, employment, and arts learning. Its open application process and quarterly review cycles make it more accessible than many peers of comparable size.

Fry sits between Polk Bros. (larger, broader sector scope) and the Woods Fund (smaller, more explicitly advocacy-focused) in both assets and giving volume. Unlike Donnelley — which rarely accepts unsolicited proposals — Fry operates a genuinely open process for any qualified Chicago 501(c)(3). The foundation's insistence on racial equity disclosures in applications most closely mirrors the Woods Fund's approach, while its depth in principal leadership and teacher development aligns with McCormick's education investments. Organizations already funded by Polk Bros. in education or workforce development should consider a parallel application to Fry — the populations served and program models overlap significantly, and Fry's program officers are known to value demonstrated traction with other Chicago funders as a positive signal.

The most consequential development at the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation is a leadership transition at the top. Unmi Song, who served as President and Secretary with annual compensation of $292,000, retired at the end of December 2025 after a multi-year tenure. Her successor, Dr. Sherly Chavarria, took office January 1, 2026 — the foundation's first Latina president. Dr. Chavarria came up through the foundation itself, having served as Senior Education Program Officer before the appointment. Her prior career included service as Chief of Teaching and Learning for Chicago Public Schools and as a school principal, giving her an unusually practitioner-grounded perspective for a foundation president.

Board Chair Graham C. Grady marked her appointment by noting that her strengths were 'particularly timely given current community challenges' — language that signals the foundation is attentive to the policy disruptions affecting Chicago's nonprofits and schools in 2025–2026.

In March 2026, the foundation added Dr. Fatima Cooke as the new Education Program Officer, beginning March 16 — completing a full staffing refresh on the Education team. Prospective education applicants should be aware they will be engaging a new program officer who is still building her grantee portfolio.

The foundation published 2025 annual report spotlights for both Education and Employment. The Education spotlight's four priority areas — Principal Leadership, Teacher Professional Learning, Academic Enrichment, and Special Opportunities — remain consistent with prior cycles. No new programs were announced and no existing programs were eliminated in 2025–2026. Total assets and giving have been stable.

Submit the LOI first, every time. Although listed as optional, submitting a 2–3 page LOI to the relevant program officer before a full proposal is effectively required for first-time applicants. The LOI signals respect for program officers' time and gives them an off-ramp if your project is clearly out of scope. Include: a brief project description, total budget request, and list of other projected funders. Address it to applications@fryfoundation.org or the specific program officer if known. Allow exactly 30 days for response before following up — the foundation is explicit about this timeline.

Match your deadline to your program area. The four quarterly cycles do not cover all program areas equally: - Arts Learning: June 1, September 1, March 2 - Education: June 1, December 1, March 2 - Employment: June 1, September 1, December 1, March 2

The June 1 deadline (reviewed in August) is the only cycle where all three program areas are eligible simultaneously — ideal for a first application where you want to maximize program officer flexibility.

Lead with equity data proactively. The foundation requires board and senior staff racial and gender demographics. Don't bury this in an appendix or treat it as a compliance requirement — weave the composition data early in your narrative alongside your equity commitments. Program officers evaluate organizational culture through this lens.

Deliver exactly three or more performance indicators. The foundation specifies 'at least three indicators or measures' for tracking progress. Generic language fails here. Use specific, measurable targets: '120 middle school students complete 40+ hours of arts instruction by June 2026,' or '85% of program completers achieve an industry-recognized credential within six months.'

Never request general operating support as a new grantee. This is an explicit exclusion. Frame everything as a project: a discrete set of activities, a defined budget, and a timeline. Even organizational capacity work must be packaged as a project with outcomes.

Ground every claim in Chicago neighborhood specifics. Name the schools, community areas, ZIP codes, and partner organizations you work with. 'Austin,' 'North Lawndale,' and 'Englewood' carry far more weight than 'underserved urban communities.' Program officers visit grantee sites regularly and expect applicants to demonstrate genuine local rootedness.

Reference your relationship with the Taproot Foundation or openness to it. Fry directly funds Taproot Foundation to provide pro bono consulting to its grantee network. Signaling awareness of and openness to this resource demonstrates alignment with the foundation's long-term capacity-building approach.