Grainger
/OVERVIEW: The industrial supply giant Grainger supports higher education, work and opportunity, housing and homelessness, health, mental health, arts and culture, veterans’ causes and disaster preparedness through its corporate and foundation giving programs. Grantmaking emphasizes the parent company’s home state of Illinois.
IP TAKE: A significant portion of Grainger’s grantmaking supports vocational and technical education at two- and four-year colleges and universities. Other interests include health, mental health and veterans’ programs in the Chicago area. This funder does not accept unsolicited proposals for funding and remains inaccessible to most grantseekers.
PROFILE: W.W. Grainger, Inc., a Fortune 500 industrial supplier, was founded in Chicago by William Wallace Grainger in 1927. It is based in Lake Forest, Illinois. Grainger’s philanthropy is channeled through its community investment program and the Grainger Foundation, which runs a community grantmaking program. Areas of grantmaking interest for both programs include higher education, work and opportunity, housing and community development, health, veterans’ causes, disaster preparedness and arts and culture. This funder prioritizes the geographic areas served by its parent company, which also runs an extensive volunteer and employee matching programs through its local operations. Grainger’s corporate philanthropy webpage is sparse, limiting information about its specific grantmaking priorities.
Grants for Higher Education
Higher education is Grainger’s largest area of funding and focuses on vocational and technical education programs. The company runs an nation-wide scholarship program that awards two $2,000 scholarships to students in skilled trade, public safety and supply chain management programs at participating community colleges in the U.S. Grainger has also partnered with Folds of Honor to provide $5,000 scholarships to children and spouses of “fallen or disabled” veterans who are studying engineering or technology. An additional $5.2 million was committed to technical education and engineering programs at two- and four-year colleges and universities including the University of Illinois, the University of Wisconsin, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Puerto Rico and Ball State University.
Grants for Work and Opportunity
Grainger’s work and opportunity grantmaking focuses on the greater Chicago area, where it has supported programs that support start-up businesses and entrepreneurs. One grantee, Chicago Innovation, produces resources and events where “people come together to share ideas, find opportunities, and build relationships with innovators in the Chicago region.” Another recent grant recipient, Chicago’s 1871, aims to create a community where “startups and founders explore ideas, build solutions, launch products and grow businesses.” Grantees offering vocational and job skills training to adults include the Lake Forest’s Gorton Community Center, the Ragdale Foundation, the Highwood Public Library, Lake County Veterans and Family Services and the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center.
Grants for Housing, and Community Development
Grainger has demonstrated a strong interest in emergency, temporary and affordable housing for homeless and recently homeless individuals and families. However, it doesn’t name interests or strategies in this space preferring a broad approach. Past grantees include Homes for Our Troops, Fisher House of Rockville Maryland, Gabriel’s House and Riverside Foundation, which provides group residential programs for adults with disabilities.
Grants for Public Health
While health is not named as a funding priority, Grainger has supported healthcare and access largely in the Chicago area. Recipients include the Ann and Robert Lurie Children’s Hospital, Erie Family Health Centers and the Rush University Medical Center. Outside of Chicago, the Grainger Foundation has given to the Doctors without Borders organization.
Grants for Mental Health
Grainger’s mental health funding overlaps with its grantmaking for homelessness, veteran’s causes and healthcare access. Past grantees include the Josselyn Center, Chicago’s Night Ministries, Libertyville’s Youth and Family Counseling Center, the University of Southern California’s Verdugo Hills Hospital, La Rabida Children’s Hospital and Gilda’s Club of Chicago, which provides support and counseling for cancer patients.
Grants for Arts and Culture
Arts and culture are a smaller area of grantmaking, and grants tend to go to Chicago’s major cultural institutions. Past grantees include the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Chicago Historical Society, the Joffrey Ballet, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Field Museum of Natural History.
Other Grantmaking Opportunities
Grainger is committed to supporting disaster preparedness and response in areas where its corporate parent maintains operations. To this end, it donated over $19 million in grants and materials to the American and Canadian chapters of the Red Cross. It is also worth mentioning that Grainger’s giving prioritizes veterans across all its giving areas.
Important Grant Details:
Grainger’s corporate and foundation giving averages over $10 million a year. Grants and contributions are generally made in amounts up to $500,000, with an average grant size of about $10,000. The foundation prioritizes supporting organizations in Greater Chicago and areas where Grainger maintains operations. For additional information about past grantmaking, see the organization’s community investment page and its recent tax filings.
Grainger does not accept applications for either its corporate or foundation giving programs. Prospective grantees should contact corporate leadership with requests. General inquiries may be made via email.
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