The Seabury Foundation has two grant programs: Family Grants and Community Grants. Our Family Grant program supports organizations brought to the foundation by a Seabury Family sponsor. Our Community Grant program is open to 501(c)(3) organizations based in the City of Chicago or Benzie County, MI working in one or more of our focus areas. Please note, we do not contribute to religious activities, political campaigns, or legislative lobbying.
Family Grants
Organizations who have been invited by a member of the Seabury Family are eligible to apply for up to $25,000 in general operating or project/program support.*
*Organizations with annual operating expenses in excess of $2.5 million may only apply for project/program support.
We accept proposals on a rolling basis with two grant cycles per year, one in the spring and one in the fall.
Fall 2022
- July 29 – Proposal due date
- November 15 – Award decisions
Spring 2023
- February 3 – Proposal due date
- May 15 – Award decisions
Please note: After receiving three years of Family Grant funding in a four-year period, organizations will not be invited to apply again until at least two years have elapsed.
The Family Grant application is password protected; to access this application, please contact us at grants@seaburyfoundation.org.
Community Grants
Chicago
Organizations headquartered in the City of Chicago working in one or more of our focus areas are eligible to apply for general operating or project/program support. Award amounts are fixed based on the size of the organization according to the table below.
We accept Letters of Introduction (LOIs) on a rolling basis with two grant cycles per year, one in the spring and one in the fall.
Fall 2022
- May 13 – LOI due date
- May 27 – Full proposal invitations sent
- July 29 – Proposal due date
- November 15 – Award decisions
Spring 2023
- November 18 – LOI due date
- December 9 – Full proposals invitations sent
- February 3 – Proposal due date
- May 15 – Award decisions
Any application materials received after the above due dates will be held and reviewed during the next cycle. If you have questions about the application process, please contact us at grants@seaburyfoundation.org.
Benzie County, MI
Organizations headquartered in Benzie County, MI working in one or more of our focus areas are eligible to apply for general operating or project/program support. Award amounts are fixed based on the size of the organization according to the table below.
We accept Letters of Introduction (LOIs) on a rolling basis with one grant cycle per year in the summer.
Summer 2023
- February 17 – LOI due date
- March 10 – Full proposal invitations sent
- May 5 – Proposal due date
- August 7 – Award decisions
Summer 2024
- February 16 – LOI due date
- March 8 – Full proposal invitations sent
- May 3 – Proposal due date
- August 5 – Award decisions
Any application materials received after the above due dates will be held and reviewed during the next cycle. If you have questions about the application process, please contact us at grants@seaburyfoundation.org.
Community Grant Award Amounts
| Organization Annual Expenses (most recently completed fiscal year) | Award Amount* |
|---|---|
| Up to $100,000 | 10% of annual operating expenses |
| $100,000 to $1,000,000 | $10,000 |
| $1M to $1,500,000 | $15,000 |
| $1.5M to $2,000,000 | $20,000 |
| $2M to $2,500,000 | $25,000 |
| over $2,500,000 | No award** |
*These amounts are minimums. The Foundation reserves the right to exceed them on a case-by-case basis.
**On very rare occasions, the Foundation will consider supporting projects or programs from organizations with annual expenses exceeding $2.5M. Please contact us before applying.
Focus Areas
Education: The Seabury Foundation considers learning to be the root of all healthy action—for individuals, families, neighborhoods, cities, and society as a whole—and we partner with organizations who embrace learning as the heart of their work.
With this shared value as the point of connection, we seek to build trust-based relationships with nonprofits operating in our one or more of our focus areas.
For each area, we have listed examples of the kinds of work done by current nonprofit partners. Please note, this list is by no means exhaustive. If you have a project or program that you believe aligns with our values that you do not see reflected below, please feel free to contact us to share information about your work.
- Academic Support – literacy, social & emotional learning, mentorship
- Arts Enrichment – access to the creative process, including theatre, dance, music, film, and a variety of other arts, crafts, and cultural practices
- Career Development – adult education, job training, apprenticeship
- Community Connection – holistic community support—providing gathering space(s), responding to local needs and opportunities, and fostering connectedness between neighbors
- Environmental Sustainability – protection of environmental health, sustainability practices, urban gardening
- Wellness – food access, housing access, healthcare, mental health support, sports & movement