Lloyd A. Fry Foundation

What Lloyd A. Fry Foundation does

The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation is a Chicago-based private philanthropic foundation that provides grants to nonprofit organizations serving low-income and underserved communities across the city. Established in 1983 with endowment proceeds from the 1977 sale of the Lloyd A. Fry Roofing Company to Owens-Corning Fiberglass Corporation, the Foundation concentrates its giving in three program areas: Arts Learning, Education, and Employment, with a Health program in the process of being phased out following a November 2023 Board decision. In its most recent fiscal year, the Foundation awarded approximately $9.3 million across these focus areas plus Special Purposes and a new World Relief line.

The Foundation's grantmaking process is formal and cyclical: eligible Chicago 501(c)(3) organizations submit letters of inquiry, program officers respond within 30 days, and invited full proposals are reviewed at quarterly Board meetings held in February, May, August, and November. Applications are submitted through the SmartSimple online grants portal, and grants are typically multi-year commitments to organizations with demonstrated effectiveness. The Foundation does not sell products or services, does not develop proprietary technology, and has no commercial revenue model; its activity is funded by investment returns on its 1977-derived endowment.

Operations are conducted by a small staff of fewer than 10 employees based at 120 S. LaSalle Street in Chicago, supported by a Board of Directors that includes Fry family members (Lloyd A. Fry III) and community leaders. The Foundation entered a notable leadership transition in 2025–2026: Unmi Song retired as President in December 2025 after 22 years of service, Sherly Chavarria assumed the presidency in January 2026, and long-tenured directors Howard "Scott" M. McCue III and Stephanie Pace Marshall retired from the Board in June 2026.

Name

Lloyd A. Fry Foundation

Legal name

Lloyd A. Fry Foundation

Website

https://fryfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation is a Chicago-based private philanthropic foundation that awards grants to nonprofit organizations serving low-income communities across three program areas—Arts Learning, Education, and Employment—distributing approximately $9.3 million in FY2025 from an endowment established in 1983.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Foundation Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)

Keywords

• Private foundation grantmaking
• Philanthropic grant programs
• Arts education funding
• Workforce development grants
• Community foundation giving

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Endowment Investment Returns: The Foundation's endowment derives from proceeds from the 1977 sale of the Lloyd A. Fry Roofing Company to Owens-Corning Fiberglass Corporation. The Foundation has been addressing Chicago community needs since 1983, making grants from investment returns on this endowment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that provides grants to nonprofit organizations in three program areas: Arts Learning, Education, and Employment. It supports Chicago-based 501(c)(3) organizations that deliver high-quality services to low-income, underserved communities, with grants awarded through a formal application process including letters of inquiry and full proposal review by program officers and the Board of Directors.

Product overview

The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that provides grantmaking services in three program areas: Arts Learning, Education, and Employment. These are not technology products but rather grant programs designed to improve conditions for low-income, underserved communities in Chicago. The Foundation does not offer technology products or software services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Arts Learning Grants Program Grantmaking program that funds Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations providing arts learning programs — including student arts instruction, teacher professional learning, teaching artist partnerships, and curriculum development — for low-income youth in Chicago Public Schools.
• Education Grants Program Grantmaking program that funds Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations supporting K-12 education in Chicago Public Schools — including principal preparation, teacher leadership development, academic enrichment, and policy advocacy for education equity — with priority for middle and high school levels in historically disinvested schools.
• Employment Grants Program Grantmaking program that funds Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations providing vocational training, pre-employment training, and career pathway programs in healthcare, construction, technology, and transportation sectors for low-income adults and job seekers.
• Special Purposes Grants
• World Relief Grants Grants awarded to support Chicago-area nonprofit organizations serving refugees and immigrant communities. Total World Relief grants in 2025 were $300,000.

Quantifiable outcome

• The People’s Music School increased violin student progression rate from 43% to 77% after curriculum revision
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Forefront (formerly Donors Forum)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foundation is a long-standing member of Forefront's Diversity and Inclusiveness Committee. Forefront is a regional association of grantmakers in the Chicago area.
• D5 CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly supporter during the formation of this national coalition of foundations to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in philanthropy.
• Chicago Jobs CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGabrielle Caverl-McNeal is an Economic Opportunity Fellow with the Chicagoland Workforce Leadership Academy through the Chicago Jobs Council.
• Aspen InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGabrielle Caverl-McNeal participates in the Aspen Institute & Economic Opportunities Program focusing on workforce policy and funding environment.
• The CAFE GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAracely Barajas intern joins through CAFE Group's LEAD program to explore the Foundation's Arts Learning program and Chicago's arts sector.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Spencer Foundation: Nationally focused foundation supporting education research across the U.S. Overlaps with Fry's Education program area but at a much larger, research-oriented scale and national rather than place-based remit.
• John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation: Chicago-headquartered but globally focused foundation with significantly larger endowment and broader thematic footprint. Shares a Chicago headquarters footprint and overlapping education/equity priorities but operates at a much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Crown Family Philanthropies: Chicago-based family philanthropy with programs in education, Jewish life, and the environment. Closely comparable as a long-tenured Chicago family foundation with multi-sector giving and a similar scale and cadence.
• The Chicago Community Trust: Chicago-based community foundation making place-based grants across education, arts, health, and workforce. Operates in the same city and program areas as the Fry Foundation and serves overlapping nonprofit grantees, making it the closest comparable peer.
• The Joyce Foundation: Midwest-focused foundation prioritizing education, economic development, and arts/culture. Comparable mission-aligned grantmaking across the same issue areas and similar funder scale to Fry's annual outlays.
• Field Foundation of Illinois: Chicago-focused private foundation funding community organizing, education, arts, and social justice. Operates at a similar geographic and issue-area intersection as Fry, including arts learning and equity-centered work in Chicago.
• Woods Fund Chicago: Chicago-based foundation supporting community organizing, leadership development, and equitable policy. Smaller in scale but highly comparable as a Chicago place-based funder active in overlapping social-equity and education arenas.
• Prince Charitable Trusts: Family foundation with a strong Chicago grantmaking program in arts, education, and environment, similar in scale and approach to Fry. Comparable funding priorities and Chicago-centric geographic focus.
• Polk Bros Foundation: Chicago family foundation with similar program areas (education, arts, workforce, health) and a comparable-sized annual grantmaking budget. Both are place-based Chicago funders supporting overlapping nonprofit partners.
• Robert R. McCormick Foundation: Chicago-based foundation with a strong focus on education and civic programs for Chicago youth. Shares a similar city-exclusive grantmaking footprint and overlapping K-12 / workforce priorities with Fry.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lloyd-a.-fry-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Lloyd A. Fry Foundation