IDP Foundation Inc
IDP Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. It describes itself as a philanthropic organization that uses grants and investments as catalytic capital, with a primary focus on education in the developing world and additional support for cutting-edge medical research and early-stage entrepreneurial initiatives.
IDP Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: IDP Foundation Inc gave $1.3M across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $126K), mostly in Illinois. 20% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,258,104
- +48.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $125,810
- +48.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $17,500
- Total assets
- $53,035,275
- +0.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (2 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (61% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to IDP Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 401 North Michigan Ave Suite 1810, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 755-0385
Website: https://www.idpfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who IDP Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Northwestern University ($740K). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
48 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 30 grants of 48 (63%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated education work includes low- and lower-middle-income countries, with a long-standing presence in Ghana and programming in Kenya. Its 2024 grant purposes included support for education activities in Ghana and Kenya. In that year, 55% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 1% to Colorado, and less than 1% to Washington; the recipient-state information lists 44% under an unspecified state.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is IDP Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 10 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $18K; repeat grants $153K. How we count
Medians: $18K first-time, $18K repeat.
- 70% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 69% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 120% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $649K (2022) to $4.0M (2021). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $1.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University Chicago, IL | To Support a Variety of Medical Research. | $740,000 |
| Dignitas Limited | The idpf grant allows dignitas to curate and deliver training to low fee private school clients of idpf partner in kenya, premier credit. | $215,004 |
| Global Schools Forum | To support and represent non-state operators in low- and middle-income countries, so they are better able to deliver quality education to children from low income families. | $209,600 |
| Sabre Education | To support Sabre Education's goal of establishing a sustainable pathway to scale Play Base kindergarten teacher training in the private sector in Ghana. | $25,000 |
| Ghana National Assoc of Private Schools | A grant to fund a discovery phase to revamp the internal structures of gnaps and strengthen it for greater advocacy for the low-fee private school sector. | $20,000 |
| Shedd Aquarium Chicago, IL | To support shedd's general operations, including the extraordinary care shedd provides for our more than 32,000 animals, and our commitment to education, community access, and conservation. | $15,000 |
| Museum of Science and Industry Chicago, IL | To support the museum's welcome to science initiative that supports field trip experiences, after-school science clubs, teen programs, summer learning, teacher and administrator professional development, and more. | $15,000 |
| Musana Centennial, CO | To support community empowerment in Uganda are deeply aligned with the IDP Foundation belief that building capability beyond aid is the most effective answer. | $10,000 |
| Ashesi University Seattle, WA | Patrick Awuah, Jr. Presidential Leadership Fund at Ashesi. This fund is envisioned to provide Patrick and his leadership team with a flexible pool of funds to nurture exploration and creativity as they usher Ashesi into a new decade and embark on a new strategic plan. | $5,000 |
| Int'l Education Funders Group Co Global Dialogue | To support a membership that provides a network of education funders. | $3,500 |
Ready to take the next step with IDP Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $53,035,275 | $4,372,016 | $3,916,265 | $1,258,104 | 10 | $3,707,901 | $3,055,439 | $3,102,620 |
| 2023 | $52,845,318 | $1,696,238 | $3,326,056 | $844,903 | 10 | $3,296,307 | $1,379,094 | $2,853,719 |
| 2022 | $52,252,071 | $3,703,692 | $3,718,602 | $649,300 | 12 | $4,686,207 | $3,811,427 | $2,509,298 |
| 2021 | $64,497,202 | $5,760,316 | $6,634,448 | $4,022,694 | 6 | $6,764,176 | $5,260,764 | $3,059,168 |
| 2020 | $61,520,867 | $2,311,581 | $4,293,221 | $2,182,435 | 10 | — | $2,415,980 | $2,768,052 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, IDP Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $3.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
IDP Foundation says it is dedicated to making philanthropy more sustainable. In education, it aims to improve access to quality education for children and to support recognition and integration of affordable non-state education into national education systems. Its work includes support for schools and education systems, learning improvement, teacher training, school leadership development, and collaboration among education stakeholders.
The foundation partners with financial institutions serving low-fee private schools, organizations working to improve learning, and collaborators such as funders, membership networks, research organizations, governments, and academics. For example, Global Schools Forum received a 2024 grant to support and represent non-state operators in low- and middle-income countries so they can better deliver quality education to children from low-income families. Northwestern University, a 2024 grantee, describes its mission as excellent teaching, innovative research, and the personal and intellectual growth of its students in a diverse academic community.
Grantmaking
The largest awards included $740,000 to Northwestern University for medical research; $359,600 to Global Schools Forum for support of non-state education operators; and $215,004 to Dignitas Limited for training for low-fee private school clients of IDPF partner Premier Credit in Kenya.
Other 2024 grants included $25,000 to Sabre Education to support a pathway to scale Play Base kindergarten teacher training in Ghana, and $20,000 to the Ghana National Association of Private Schools for a discovery phase to strengthen its structures and advocacy. The foundation also awarded $15,000 each to Shedd Aquarium for general operations, animal care, education, community access, and conservation, and to the Museum of Science and Industry for its Welcome to Science initiative.
The foundation also reported direct charitable activity consisting of loans to Africa Foresight Group for business software development, go-to-market, and government needs, and to MoringaConnect Inc. to support the IDP Rising Schools Program. These are reported as loans, not grants to outside applicants.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Irene D. Pritzker as chair and co-founder; Liesel Pritzker Simmons as vice chair and co-founder; Corina Gardner as CEO and director; Donna D. Scali as treasurer; Robert Wexler as secretary; and Alison A. Ehlke as assistant secretary and COO.
IDP Foundation Inc is led by Irene D. Pritzker, Chair & Co-Founder since 2022 (on filings since 2020); 3 of 6 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Irene D. Pritzker
Chair & Co-Founder
Director & President → Co-Founder & Chairwoman, 2021
Co-Founder & Chairwoman → Chair & Co-Founder, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$30K (2020) → $30K (2024)
Corina Gardner
C.e.o. & Director
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$250K (2022) → $175K (2024)
Alison A. Ehlke
Assistant Secretary & C.o.o.
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$148K (2020) → $201K (2024)
Donna D. Scali
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Liesel Pritzker Simmons
Vice Chair & Co-Founder
Director → Co-Founder & Director, 2021
Co-Founder & Director → Vice Chair & Co-Founder, 2022
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Wexler
Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $201K, to Alison a Ehlke (Assistant Secretary and C.O.O.). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about IDP Foundation Inc
How much does IDP Foundation Inc give each year?
IDP Foundation Inc gave $1.3M across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $845K across 10 grants.
What is IDP Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
IDP Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $17,500, and its average grant was $125,810, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from IDP Foundation Inc that year got $18K on average.
Where does IDP Foundation Inc give grants?
IDP Foundation Inc gives mostly in Illinois: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (3 grants).
Does IDP Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 10% of IDP Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are IDP Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
IDP Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Northwestern University ($740,000), Dignitas Limited ($215,004) and Global Schools Forum ($209,600), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 93% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is IDP Foundation Inc?
IDP Foundation Inc reported $53.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does IDP Foundation Inc fund?
IDP Foundation says it is dedicated to making philanthropy more sustainable. In education, it aims to improve access to quality education for children and to support recognition and integration of affordable non-state education into national education systems. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from IDP Foundation Inc?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is IDP Foundation Inc's EIN?
IDP Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-2753703. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does IDP Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 16, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in IDP Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). IDP Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/idp-foundation-inc-morg_0b750b6a7ca44b1eae37aec8b38122ae
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_262753703_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{IDP Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/idp-foundation-inc-morg_0b750b6a7ca44b1eae37aec8b38122ae},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-08. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from IDP Foundation Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
IDP Foundation Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?