The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust awards grants to qualifying 501(c)(3) public charities that persuasively demonstrate a strong connection between their missions, programs, and/or projects and one or more of the following values:

The Trust's Values Statement:

• Tenet 1—Promoting “THISS:” promoting, instilling, and/or reflecting the values of individual and/or organizational thrift, humility, industry, self-sacrifice, and/or self-sufficiency;

• Tenet 2—Relieving Human Suffering: relieving human suffering by: (1) performing research and/or promoting education regarding the treatment of disease; (2) assisting youth who are from disadvantaged backgrounds, have troubled childhoods, have physical or mental disabilities, or experience emotional disorders; (3) addressing the concerns of the elderly; and/or (4) providing succor to humankind during time of natural or human-made disasters;

• Tenet 3—Developing Individual Self-Esteem and Dignity: developing within individuals, especially youth from underserved and/or under-resourced communities, a sense of self-esteem and dignity;

• Tenet 4—Encouraging Vigorous Athletic Activity: encouraging vigorous athletic activity, leading to physical health and/or spiritual well-being;

• Tenet 5—Developing Regional Solutions to Chicago’s Regional Challenges: developing regional solutions to Chicago’s regional challenges, thereby protecting and/or improving the quality of life for all its citizens.

First time applicants or applicants seeking a grant larger than $10,000.00 must comply with The Trust's regular procedures for submitting a Letter of Inquiry via United States mail.

Small Grants

The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust now accepts online Letters of Inquiry for small grant proposals in the amount of $10,000.00 or less.

For an organization to qualify for a small grant, it must:

• Be a previous recipient of support from The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust and be in compliance with reporting requirements;

• Be exempt from income tax under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) and be one described in Sections 170(c)(2), 509(a), 2055(a), and 2522(a) of the Code;

• Serve residents of Chicago and Cook County;

• Have a budget of $2,000,000.00 or less;

• Have at least one full time employee; and

• Not have a pending proposal before The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust.

Letters of Inquiry will be accepted on an on-going basis.

Applicants may submit their Letter of Inquiry by mail or personal delivery to:

The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust

208 South LaSalle Street Suite 1660 Chicago, Illinois 60604-1226