RLD Foundation Announces Fourth Round Of Grantee Partners

The belief that Chicago’s most persistent social issues can be addressed through innovation, diligence, and collaborative action remains at the core of the Richard L. Duchossois Foundation’s vision and mission.

Guided by the values of its namesake, the Foundation focuses on three primary giving areas: Veterans, Entrepreneurs, and Strong Families, supporting organizations and initiatives that create pathways to opportunity and long-term stability. As it seeks to be a learning organization, the Foundation also uses data and research to shape strategy, identify opportunities, and accelerate change. This commitment extends to Data-focused insights grantmaking that strengthens the Foundation’s philanthropic practice and supports learning across its program areas.

The RLD Foundation is proud to share its fourth round of grantee partners whose missions reflect these aspirations, and whose work is creating lasting impact across Chicago’s communities.

Veterans

Each year, service members transition from military to civilian life, navigating challenges related to employment, housing stability, mental health, access to earned benefits, education, and long-term economic mobility.

The RLD Foundation invests in organizations advancing coordinated, innovative support systems for veterans and their families. These grantees are helping veterans access resources, build stability, and pursue opportunities as they navigate civilian life.

Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity supports veterans across Illinois through critical home repairs and accessibility modifications that help prevent displacement, preserve homeownership, and allow veterans to safely age in place.

The Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network at the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation helps Illinois veterans and service members with fewer financial resources resolve civil legal problems at no cost while supporting a coordinated statewide network that promotes shared learning, referrals, and data-driven collaboration among veteran-serving providers.

Inner Voice, Inc. supports individuals and families, including veterans, experiencing or at risk of homelessness through housing, supportive services, workforce development, and community-centered programs designed to promote long-term stability, self-reliance, and connection.

Kids Rank provides stability and support for military-connected children by nurturing social and emotional growth through connection, leadership, and community service. Alongside peers experiencing similar challenges, children have a safe space to develop skills, strengthen well-being, and seek support.

Merging Vets & Players connects post-9/11 veterans and former professional athletes in Chicago through peer-led Huddles designed to combat isolation and identity loss after service, building belonging and long-term resilience.

Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans provides housing, supportive services, and long-term stability solutions for veterans and their families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity across Northern Illinois. Warrior-Scholar Project helps enlisted veterans and service members transition from the military into higher education. In partnership with colleges and universities, the organization provides academic support that prepares participants for success in four-year degree programs in Illinois and beyond.

Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship has long served as a catalyst for economic mobility. Its impact is strongest when founders and aspiring entrepreneurs have access to the capital, tools, knowledge, and infrastructure needed to launch, sustain, and grow successful businesses.

The RLD Foundation supports organizations expanding access to capital, equipping founders with tools and knowledge, and strengthening Chicago’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. These grantees are helping entrepreneurs launch, sustain, and grow resilient businesses while advancing inclusive economic growth across the city and beyond. This closely follows the Foundation’s established framing of its Entrepreneurs giving area.

Chicago Quantum Exchange at the University of Chicago advances quantum information science and technology research, workforce development, and entrepreneurial capacity, creating opportunities for Chicagoans to launch and scale new businesses and pursue high-paying technology jobs.

Endeavor Midwest supports ambitious Chicago founders by connecting them to a global network of mentors, investors, peers, and resources to help them dream bigger, scale faster, and pay it forward.

Far South Community Development Corporation advances equitable economic development on Chicago’s Far South Side and south suburbs by supporting small businesses, expanding workforce opportunities, promoting affordable housing, and driving community-led revitalization to build long-term neighborhood wealth and stability.

Foundation of Little Village supports Latino entrepreneurs through culturally relevant business training, advising, and access to capital, helping small businesses in Little Village build economic stability, preserve cultural identity, and strengthen community wealth.

New Covenant Community Development Corporation provides entrepreneurship training, business coaching, and access-to-capital support for Black entrepreneurs and small business owners in Chicago’s North Lawndale community, helping local businesses grow, create jobs, and strengthen neighborhood economic vitality.

StartOut increases opportunity and success for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs through training, mentorship, access to capital, and community, helping founders build scalable companies, create jobs, and strengthen the innovation ecosystem in Chicago and beyond.

Urban Juncture Foundation harnesses culture and innovation to reclaim spaces, revitalize commerce, and rebuild Bronzeville. The organization helps community entrepreneurs establish culture-based enterprises at key transit hubs, creating local jobs and wealth while strengthening neighborhood commercial corridors.

Women Employed advances equity for women in the workforce through policy change, expanded access to educational opportunities, and advocacy for fair and inclusive workplaces so that women, families, and communities can thrive.

YWCA Metropolitan Chicago’s Breedlove Entrepreneurship Center delivers programs that support women entrepreneurs whose businesses face barriers to securing capital, helping fuel innovation and generate impact throughout Chicago communities.

Strong Families

Strong families require economic stability to thrive. When parents and guardians can earn steady incomes, access reliable child care, secure affordable housing, and meet their healthcare needs, families are better positioned to navigate challenges and create positive outcomes for future generations.

The RLD Foundation invests in organizations delivering multigenerational solutions that help families build financial security and invest in their long-term well-being. These efforts include access to quality child care, family-sustaining employment, affordable family-sized housing, and healthcare.

Advance Illinois promotes equity in public education through data-informed policy development, collaborative advocacy, and community engagement, helping create a continuum that prepares students for success in school, career, and civic life.

Carole Robertson Center for Learning educates, enriches, and empowers children and families across 27 Chicago communities. Its programs serve children and youth from prenatal to age 17 and include early childhood education, parent career pathways, and youth development opportunities.

Illinois Digital Service (IL*DS) is working with the City of Chicago’s Cut the Tape Initiative and Department of Technology and Innovation to use design, technology, and culture change to speed up affordable housing development.

New Moms, Inc. serves young mothers and their children experiencing poverty and homelessness in Chicagoland. Through integrated housing, job training, and family support programs, young moms build skills and social capital that help stabilize families and communities for generations to come.

Preservation of Affordable Housing Communities (POAH) is dedicated to creating affordable homes that support economic security. Through its Build Your Nest pilot, POAH is helping Chicago renters build wealth and move toward their goals while strengthening the long-term stability of affordable housing communities.

Women Employed works to advance equity for women in the workforce by effecting policy change, expanding access to educational opportunities, and advocating for fair and inclusive workplaces that help women, families, and communities thrive.

YWCA Metropolitan Chicago supports women entrepreneurs whose businesses face barriers to securing capital through its Breedlove Entrepreneurship Center, investing in opportunities that strengthen women, families, and communities.

DATA

Data and research inform every aspect of the RLD Foundation’s philanthropic practice. The Foundation uses data to shape strategy, identify opportunities, measure impact, and accelerate change. This latest round of Data-focused grants supports robust data ecosystems within the Foundation’s three program areas, helping the Foundation and its partners strengthen decision-making and advance continuous learning.

Advance Illinois promotes equity in public education through data-informed policy development, collaborative advocacy, and community engagement to create a birth-to-postsecondary continuum that prepares students for success in school, career, and civic life.

City Colleges of Chicago Foundation empowers City Colleges students from all backgrounds, including parenting students, to succeed through innovative programming, scholarships, and holistic student supports. This grant supports its Student-First Strategic Scheduling Initiative.

Data Funders Collaborative is a partnership of philanthropic organizations that supports ethical data collection, protection, and use. The collaborative promotes the public’s interest in data infrastructure for research, innovation, and policymaking by sharing lessons across sectors and levels of government.

Eviction Lab at Princeton University uses data, research, and storytelling to uncover the causes and consequences of eviction, helping create a clearer picture of housing instability and the policies that drive it. This grant supports the development of a Cook County eviction data tracking system.

Illinois Digital Service (IL*DS) makes public services easier for everyone to use by working alongside government agencies. IL*DS has partnered with the City of Chicago’s Cut the Tape Initiative and Department of Technology and Innovation to use design, technology, and culture change to speed up affordable housing development.