Forefront

2023 ( 4 months)

$1,113,000

Founded in 1974, Forefront is a statewide organization serving nonprofits, government organizations, and philanthropies in Illinois. Its mission is to build a more vibrant social impact sector; sustainably improve the wellbeing and economic security of Illinois communities; and fight for equity across the state. With this award, Forefront collaborates with the State of Illinois and City of Chicago to develop and implement a comprehensive, unified plan to welcome asylum seekers and integrate them into the Chicago metropolitan area and other communities across the state.

2023 (2 years)

$1,500,000

Chicago Commitment

Founded in 1974, Forefront is a statewide organization serving operating nonprofits, government organizations, and philanthropies in Illinois. Its mission is to build a more vibrant social impact sector; sustainably improve the wellbeing and economic security of Illinois communities; and fight for equity across the state. With this award, Forefront assists nonprofit organizations to build internal capacity to compete for and manage awards from public entities, including federal funding opportunities resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

2023 ( 3 months)

$5,000

Chicago Commitment

Chicago African Americans in Philanthropy

Forefront is a Chicago-based membership organization that serves as a regional association of funders and nonprofit organizations. It provides education and training, advocacy, and program management for grantmakers and nonprofit organizations. Additionally, Forefront works to increase funding for the nonprofit sector and promotes a range of policies intended to build and support a vibrant social sector for the people of Illinois. Chicago African Americans in Philanthropy (CAAIP), a project of Forefront, is a membership organization committed to achieving racial equity in philanthropy by advocating for investments in Black communities and expanding Black leadership opportunities in the social sector. This award supports CAAIP to convene its leadership team to engage in planning along with a number of its members.

2022 ( 2 months)

$48,000

Chicago African Americans in Philanthropy

Forefront is a Chicago-based membership organization that serves as a regional association of funders and nonprofit organizations. It provides education and training, advocacy, and program management for grantmakers and nonprofit organizations. Additionally, Forefront works to increase funding for the nonprofit sector and promotes a range of policies intended to build and support a vibrant social sector for the people of Illinois. Chicago African Americans in Philanthropy (CAAIP), a project of Forefront, is a membership organization committed to achieving racial equity in philanthropy by advocating for investments in Black communities and expanding Black leadership opportunities in the social sector. This award supports two CAAIP convenings: Connecting Philanthropy & Community and The Soul of Philanthropy.

2022 (2 years)

$200,000

Forefront, founded in 1974 and based in Chicago, IL, is a membership organization that serves as a statewide association of funders and nonprofit organizations. It provides education, advocacy, thought leadership, as well as a programs to mobilize stakeholders around issues that are important to them and the sector. This grant provides Forefront with general operating support.

2020 ( 6 months)

$15,000

Chicago Commitment

Forefront is a statewide membership association serving Illinois grant makers, nonprofits, public agencies, and advisors. It facilitates collective action around issues that are important to its members and to the sector. Forefront’s Illinois Count Me In (ILCMI) 2020 initiative is comprised of a nonprofit advocacy coalition and a collaborative of funders, both aimed at increasing the 2020 census response rates in hard-to-count communities throughout the state. This award enables Forefront to: 1) convene the ILCMI 2020 nonprofit steering committee and funders’ collaborative meetings; and 2) compile final report details to help build knowledge for future Illinois census engagement efforts.

2020 (2 years)

$200,000

Forefront is a Chicago-based membership organization that serves as a regional association of funders and nonprofit organizations. It provides education and training, advocacy, and program management for grantmakers and nonprofit organizations. Additionally, Forefront works to increase funding for the nonprofit sector and promotes a range of policies intended to build and support a vibrant social impact sector for all the people of Illinois. This grant provides Forefront with general operating support.

2018 (2 years)

$250,000

Forefront is a statewide membership association serving Illinois grant makers, nonprofits, public agencies, and advisors. It facilitates collective action around issues that are important to its members and to the sector. The Illinois Funders Collaborative is a pooled fund established by Forefront’s Democracy Initiative. This collaborative fund will issue an open call in January 2019 and make 14-month grants to nonprofit organizations and collaboratives across the state of Illinois that are conducting outreach and “get out the count” activities in areas and with populations that have been historically hard to count. The outcome of this grant is that more Illinoisans will respond to the Census, ensuring that the state receives the resources commensurate with the size of its population.

2018 (2 years)

$200,000

Forefront is a Chicago-based membership organization that serves as a regional association of donors and non-profit organizations. It provides education and training, advocacy, and program management for grantmakers and non-profit organizations, works to increase funding for the non-profit sector, and promotes a range of policies intended to build and support a vibrant social impact sector for all the people of Illinois.

2018 ( 9 months)

$10,000

Chicago Commitment

Forefront is a Chicago-based membership organization that serves as a regional association of grantmakers and as an association of non-profit organizations. It provides education and training, advocacy, and program management for grantmakers and non-profit organizations, and works to increase funding for and talent development in the non-profit sector. With this award, Forefront commissions a study of cohort-based capacity building programs offered by Chicago-based donors to their grantees. The study obtains baseline information on the various programs, their goals, and their effectiveness. MacArthur and other local donors will use the survey results to inform and refine their programs.

2016 (2 years)

$200,000

Forefront (formerly Donors Forum) is a Chicago-based membership organization that serves as a regional association of grantmakers and as an association of non-profit organizations. It provides education and training, advocacy, and program management for grantmakers and non-profit organizations, and works to increase funding for and talent development in the non-profit sector. Forefront’s work is intended to build and support a vibrant social impact sector for all the people of Illinois. Award funds will be used primarily for salaries.

2013 (2 years)

$200,000

The Donors Forum, founded in 1974 in Chicago, is a membership organization that serves as an information resource on philanthropy in the Chicago area, providing fundraising information to nonprofits, professional development for grantmakers and grant seekers, and opportunities for grantmakers with common interests to meet and discuss their work. It also serves as a public policy resource and advocate for the philanthropic sector. This grant consolidates membership dues, sponsorship of events, and general operating support.

2010 (3 years)

$307,500

In support of general operations (over three years).

2007 (3 years)

$225,000

In support of work throughout Illinois (over three years).

2007 (3 years)

$300,000

In support of general operations (over three years).

2007 (3 years)

$30,000

In support of the Chicago Global Donors Network (over three years).

2006 (1 year)

$35,000

In support of a collaborative research study on individual giving in Illinois.

2004 (3 years)

$150,000

In support of general operations (over three years).

2004 (3 years)

$45,000

In support of the Chicago Global Donors Network (over three years).

2004 (1 year 6 months)

$100,000

In support of the Preserving the Public Trust Task Force (over 18 months).

2001 (3 years)

$150,000

In support of general operations (over three years).

2001 (1 year)

$20,000

To support the host committee's activities for the Council on Foundations conference.

1999 (1 year)

$25,000

To support the Greater Chicago Philanthropy Initiative.

1999 (2 years)

$400,000

To support the Fund for Immigrants and Refugees (over two years).

1999 (1 year)

$150,000

To support census grantmaking by the Fund for Immigrants and Refugees.

1998 (3 years)

$180,000

In support of general operations and program development (over three years).

1997 (1 year)

$35,000

To develop a campaign to increase understanding of Chicago's nonprofit sector.

1997 (1 year)

$150,000

To support the Fund for Immigrants and Refugees.

1997 (3 years)

$22,500

To support the philanthropic library (over three years).

1996 (3 years)

$93,325

To expand the Philanthropic Database (over three years).

1995 (3 years)

$90,000

To support the Leadership Fund (over three years).

1994 (1 year)

$10,000

To support activities of the communications committee.

1994 (1 year)

$22,500

To support the philanthropic library (over three years).

1993 (1 year)

$5,000

To staff the Collaboration Project, which identifies collaborative efforts in the Chicago area and describes the processes for successful collaboration.

1993 (1 year)

$7,500

To support the philanthropic library.

1992 (1 year)

$7,500

To support the philanthropic library.

1991 (1 year)

$7,500

To support the philanthropic library.

1991 (1 year)

$7,500

To support research about the advisability and feasibility of a public education fund in Chicago.

1990 (1 year)

$15,000

To support the work by Chicago-area organizations in preparation for the Council on Foundations meeting in Chicago.

1990 (1 year)

$20,000

To support the School Reform Support Project.

1990 (1 year)

$7,500

To support the philanthropic library.

1990 (1 year)

$1,500

To support the program on homelessness.

1989 (1 year 1 month)

$7,500

To support the philanthropic library.

1989 (1 year 2 months)

$15,000

To support the Education Group and more regular and complete reporting on education grantmaking in the city.

1988 (3 years 1 month)

$60,000

To support "FORUM" (over three years).

1988 (1 year 1 month)

$7,500

To support the philanthropic library.

1987 (1 year)

$20,000

To develop a philanthropic database of members' grantmaking activities.

1987 (1 year)

$7,500

To support the philanthropic library.

1986 (1 year 1 month)

$15,000

To support the project To Increase the Quantity and Quality of Philanthropy.

1986 (1 year 1 month)

$7,500