OVERVIEW: The Canning Foundation’s Chicago giving focuses on a range of causes including the arts, education, health, human services, community development and animals.
IP TAKE: The Canning Foundation is a family funder steered by a couple who “are well known for their passionate support of inner-city education and abused women and their children.” It keeps a low profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals or requests for funding. Additionally, because it does not maintain a website or have much of a web presence, getting in touch can be difficult. Aside from good old fashioned networking, the best way to reach them may be through their projects, Big Shoulders Fund and WINGS.
PROFILE: Established in 1993 in Illinois, the Canning Foundation is steered by Chicago area couple John and Rita Canning. John Canning, Jr. is the cofounder and chairman of Madison Dearborn Partners, an investment firm in Chicago. John Canning, Jr. is the Co-Founder Chairman of Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC (MDP), which is a major management buyout and equity investing firm in Chicago. Thanks to over $14 billion in capital and investments at Madison Dearborn Partners LLC, his family has enough money to spread around. Prior to founding MDP in 1993, John earned a law degree from Duke University and spent his career with First Chicago Corporation, First National Bank of Chicago, and First Chicago Venture Capital. He serves on the Board of Directors of Exelon Corporation, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and the Children’s Inner City EducationalFund. After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce and Business Administration from the University of Illinois, Rita Canning dedicated her life to volunteering for the causes closest to her heart. She’s been a long-time volunteer for Northwestern University, The Field Museum, the YMCA, and Harper College in the Chicago suburbs.
Grantmaking supports arts and culture, education and youth, health, human services, animals and the greater Chicago community.
Grants for K-12 and Higher Education
The foundation does not have a website to guide grantseekers, but recent tax returns show that education is a top funding priority for the Canning Foundation. K-12 in particular receives a lot of support.
- The Big Shoulders Fund, where Canning has been a Director and Co-Chairman, has seen steady support totaling more than $5 million.
- Other K-12 groups that have seen support include Empower Illinois, Chicago Academy of Sciences, Urban Gateways, Providence St. Mel School, Midtown Educational Foundation, and Ingenuity Incorporated Chicago.
In higher education, Canning has also given millions to Harper College, home to Canning Student Center and the Rita and John Canning Women’s Program.
- Other grant recipients include Northwestern University, Depaul University, The Chicago Scholars Foundation, and Foundation for Student Communication.
- The Cannings fund scholarships each year to send inner-city children to high-performing parochial schools.
- They also support undergraduate and community college scholarships for lower-income students.
Grants for Public Health
Health and Healthcare is not the Canning Foundation’s largest funding, but tax records show that it receives significant support.
- Northwestern Memorial Healthcare, where Canning has served on the Boards of Directors and home to the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute, has received millions.
- Other health grantees include Northwest Community Hospital, Rush University Medical Center, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Brain Research Foundation, and St Jude Children’s Research Hospital Illinois.
Grants for Arts and Culture
Most of the foundation’s support for arts and culture takes the form of donations to Chicago area museums.
- Field Museum of Natural History, where Canning has served as a trustee, received a $5 million gift in 2015.
- Others include Chicago Academy of Sciences, Kenneth C Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, Adler Planetarium, Chicago Historical Society, and Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center.
Grants for Homelessness, Domestic Violence, and Community Development
The Canning Foundation supports nonprofits in the greater Chicago area in several different areas.
- Perhaps most notable is the WINGS Safe House, an organization established by Rita Canning. Women in Need Growing Stronger (WINGS) is an organization that provides “emergency safe shelter and transitional housing for survivors of domestic violence.”
- It receives substantial annual support from the foundation. Other supported organizations include Chicago Baseball and Educational Academy, Paws Chicago, The Chicago Community Trust, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, and WTTW television.
Important Grant Details
Canning grants tend to range from $5,000 to $100,000, but they occasionally reach into the millions. The foundation gave out over $7 million in grants in a recent year and held more than $31 million in assets.
- It appears that the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, and it prefers to maintain a low public profile with a minimal web presence.
- The phone number to get in touch with the foundation is 312-895-1100.
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CONTACT:
Canning Foundation
1650 Dublin Court
Iverness, IL 60067
(312) 895-1100
