Rauner Family Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Rauner Family Foundation is the philanthropic vehicle of Chicago area couple Bruce and Diana Rauner. The foundation supports education reform in Chicago, as well as health and human services, policy and Jewish causes.

IP TAKE: The foundation keeps a low profile and does not appear to accept unsolicited proposals. 

PROFILE: Established in Illinois, the Rauner Family Foundation is the foundation of Bruce and Diana Rauner. Born and raised in Illinois, Bruce Rauner amassed wealth as part of private equity firm Golder Thomas Cressey Rauner (GTCR). From 2015 to 2019 Rauner served as the Governor of Illinois. Bruce and his wife move their philanthropy through the Rauner Family Foundation, a low-profile vehicle which gives away about $1 million each year to organizations in greater Chicago. Grantmaking areas of interest are education reform, youth, health and human services, policy and Jewish causes.

The Rauner Foundation actively supports education reform in Chicago and has supported charter schools and education organizations including the Chicago International Charter School, Chicago Public Education Fund, Noble Network of Charter Schools, City Year Chicago, Educational Choice Illinois and Learn Charter School. Another important grantee is the Ounce of Prevention Fund, an educational nonprofit for at-risk young children, where Diana serves as president. The foundation also supports health and human services and has given millions of dollars to American Red Cross of Greater Chicago, which is home to the Rauner Center, a command center for disaster response in the state of Illinois. Another major grantee is the Chicago’s YMCA organization, where the foundation funded the Rauner Family YMCA of Greater Chicago. Other grantees include Rush University Medical Center, Shriners Hospital for Children Chicago and the South Side Community Economic Development Center. The funder’s philanthropy in the area of policy has supported the Heartland Institute and the Illinois Policy Institute, and its Jewish funding has supported the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago and the Holocaust Memorial Foundation of Illinois.

Recent Rauner grants have ranged from $10,000 to $300,000. Since this foundation does not have a website, grantseekers can learn more about its funding by examining recent tax records. Grantmaking is not restricted to Chicago or Illinois, but much of the funder’s grantmaking stays within the city and state.

It does not appear that the Rauner Family Foundation accepts unsolicited grant requests. The foundation is based in suburban Winnetka, Illinois, and its phone number is 847-501-5848.

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