The Christopher Family Foundation supports nonprofit organizations whose work helps strengthen and sustain strong families and communities. Most organizations we support are in Chicago, with particular emphasis on the Austin neighborhood.

Eligibility & How to Apply

Please refer to the Program Areas section for a description of priorities for funding. In any program area CFF is looking for:

• Organizations that support residents of the West Side of Chicago, especially the Austin neighborhood.

• Programs with an articulated standard for excellence.

• Organizations that are actively and always trying to learn from their work, and improve their approaches, even if that involves risk.

• Openness to shared learning, to working collaboratively, and to advancing the field.

CFF will consider a grant for general operating support for an organization that meets Foundation criteria. While the Foundation has funded capital projects in the past, it prefers applications for programmatic or general support.

How to Apply

The Foundation has two grant cycles per year. Grants in the Education program area are made in the first half of the year, and grants in the Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Food Security programs are made in the second half of the year. 

Applications begin with a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) that asks for a brief history of your organization, a brief description of the project for which you are seeking support, and the amount that you would like to request. Some of the organizations submitting LOIs are then invited to submit full proposals.

For the Education program area: LOIs are due March 20, 2026

For the Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Food Security program areas, 2026 deadlines will be available soon.