Pritzker Traubert Family Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Pritzker Traubert Family Foundation works mainly in Chicago to support economic opportunity through education, vocational training and community development.
IP TAKE: This Chicago grantmaker acknowledges that “increasing economic opportunity for individuals and families will require our city to come together, dream big, and act boldly.” In addition to grantmaking for broad economic development and opportunity, the Pritzker Traubert Family Foundation works closely with grantees to find “innovative solutions” to expand opportunity for all Chicagoans. Only a few grants each year support national organizations and nonprofits operating in other areas of the country.
This funder supports both small and large organizations alike with a wide range of grant sizes, so if your organization is on the smaller size, don’t hesitate to consider this foundation. Pritzker Traubert accepts one-page synopses of “bold ideas” from organizations working in its areas of interest on a rolling basis.
PROFILE: The Chicago-based Pritzker Traubert Foundation (PTFF) was established in 2000 by husband and wife Bryan Traubert and Penny Pritzker. Pritzker is the daughter of Donald Pritzker, a co-founder of the Hyatt hotel chain, and the sister of Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker. Pritzker has worked extensively in her family’s real estate business and served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce during the Obama presidency. Penny Pritzker graduated with a bachelor’s in economics from Harvard University and a J.D. and M.B.A. from Stanford University. She is one of 11 billionaire heirs in the Pritzker clan, and is also the founder and chairman of PSP Partners, a private investment firm with ventures in real estate, hedge funds and startups. Pritzker was the U.S. Secretary of Commerce from 2013 to 2017. Her husband, Bryan Traubert, is a board-certified ophthalmologist and a nationally renowned medical expert.
Their foundation aims to increase economic opportunity for Chicagoans through three grantmaking initiatives: the Economic Future of Chicago Communities, the Building a Strong Workforce Infrastructure and Building Capacity. The foundation also runs the Chicago Prize award program to recognize real estate initiatives that achieve strong economic impact on Chicago’s communities of color. This funder’s grantmaking spans the areas of education, work and opportunity, community development and arts and culture. Grantmaking is mainly limited to Chicago, but some national organizations have also received funding in recent years.
Grants for Work and Opportunity
Pritzker Traubert supports initiatives for work and economic opportunity across each of its grantmaking initiatives, which speaks to the importance of integrating these initiatives into your projects if your organization would like to be considered here. Several recent grants have supported large scale Chicago projects that aim to create employment opportunities, support entrepreneurs and provide vocational training in area of high need. Grantees include ACCION Chicago, Youth Jobs Corps, the Hatchery and its affiliated Training Center and the Obama Presidential Center, which “is estimated to create thousands of new jobs and infuse $3.1 billion into the local Chicago economy.”
Grants for Education
Education is the Pritzker Traubert Foundation’s largest giving area. Education grants focus on organizations in Chicago, rather than national outfits — and grantmaking appears purposefully broad within some overlapping themes, such as STEM. Recent grantmaking has placed a strong emphasis on students from Chicago’s poorest communities, STEM skills and college readiness. The foundation recently funded Chicago Connected, which provides broadband access and other online educational resources to Chicago’s public schools, students and families. The foundation has also supported the Noble Network of Charter Schools, the University of Chicago, the City Colleges of Chicago and a signature scholarship program, the Pritzker Access Scholarship, which supports undocumented students as they enter college.
Grants for Housing, Homelessness and Community Development
Pritzker Traubert has supported several organizations and projects that aim to improve Chicago’s poorer neighborhoods. The foundation has recently funded the restoration of Chicago’s Pullman National Monument and made grants to the Urban Farming Institute, the Chicago Parks Foundation and the Resurrection Project, which advocates for affordable housing and helps Chicagoans develop financial stability. The foundation also supports community development via its Chicago Prize, which recognizes real estate development projects with the potential to improve or transform struggling Chicago neighborhoods. A recent recipient of the award, the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation, received $10 million for its Healthy Lifestyle Hub and Green Era Renewable Energy and Urban Farm Campus on Chicago’s South Side.
Grants for Arts and Culture
The Pritzker Traubert Foundation has, over the past several years, offered ongoing support to Chicago’s landmark cultural institutions and events. Grantees include the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Steppenwolf Theater Company, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Grant Park Music Festival. Elsewhere, the foundation has given to the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music in Massachusetts, the Aspen Art Museum and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
Grants for Public Health
Pritzker Traubert’s health giving has declined over the past several years, with only a few recent grants supporting health initiatives in Chicago. Recent grantmaking has focused on the prevention of childhood obesity, with grants supporting Take the Field, an outdoor recreation initiative, and the Chicago Youth Running Initiative.
Important Grant Details:
The Pritzker Traubert Foundation made about $14 million in grants in a recent year. The foundation’s grants are awarded in amounts of up to $1 million, with an average grant size of about $25,000. This funder supports a broad range of Chicago-based organizations, including small, neighborhood-based initiatives for economic and employment opportunities. The foundation occasionally supports national organizations and nonprofits operating in other areas of the U.S. For additional information about past grantmaking, see the foundation’s current partnerships page.
The Pritzker Traubert Foundation invites Chicago organizations working in its areas of interest to submit one-page synopses of “a bold idea for impact” to the foundation via email. For guidelines, see the foundation’s Partner with Us page. Full proposals are accepted by invitation only.
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