A Look at the Chicago Giving of the Maurice R. & Meta G. Gross Foundation
/ Alyssa Ochs
The field museum has been a regular grantee of the Gross foundation. ImagineerInc/shutterstock
The Maurice R. & Meta G. Gross Foundation gives grants regularly to Chicago-based nonprofits, reflecting the founding couple’s strong connections to the city. Here are a few things to know about the foundation’s Chicago giving.
Top Interests Are Museums, Youth, and Education
Since its creation in 1992, this foundation has been a steady supporter of museums in the Chicago area, including the Field Museum of Natural History, the Chicago Children’s Museum, and the suburban Kohl Children’s Museum. As these examples suggest, the Gross couple has also been very interested in the needs off local children.
Youth-focused nonprofits receiving Gross grants include local chapters of Big Brothers Big Sisters, Barrel of Monkeys, and Tutoring Chicago. Other funding has gone to prominent arts and culture institutions in the city, such as Lyric Opera of Chicago, to the Jewish Federation of Chicago, and Misericordia Heart of Mercy Center. These grants are commonly in the form of unrestricted general support and typically range from $10,000 to $50,000.
Arizona is Another, but Lesser, Geographic Focus
To a lesser extent, Arizona is also an interest of the Gross couple, especially with regard to universities that the couple is personally affiliated with. High education support has largely been focused on Arizona, with sizable grants going to the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Other Arizona grants have gone to Arizona State University in Tempe, the Tucson Children’s Museum, and Brophy College Preparatory School in Phoenix. Arizona support almost always focuses on youth and education.
Unsolicited Inquires Are Welcome
Nonprofits in Chicago may not be familiar with the Gross Foundation because it does not have a website or make itself particularly accessible to grantseekers. But according to recent tax records, the funder is open to receiving unsolicited requests for support.
There is no formal application required and no submission deadlines or restrictions or limitations on awards either. And with a steady flow of general operating support grants, the Gross Foundation is a good one to know in the city for both large and small nonprofits. Bank of America and a local attorney named John D. Marshall serve as co-trustees of the foundation, which accepts grant requests directed to Bank of America via mail.
Learn more about this Chicago-focused and how to get in touch with the staff in IP’s full profile of the Maurice R. & Meta G. Gross Foundation.
