Grant and Funding Programs Offered by McDougal Family Foundation (MFF)

The McDougal Family Foundation is a private philanthropic organization dedicated to improving outcomes for underserved communities in the Chicago region and the Great Lakes ecosystem. The foundation operates two distinct grantmaking programs that reflect its commitment to educational equity and environmental justice.

The Strengthening Learning Environments for Equity program supports efforts to create high-school learning environments that produce equitable outcomes for African American and Latinx students in Chicago Public Schools. The foundation invests in strategies that use research on how young people learn, efforts to increase and retain diverse teachers, and policies that improve school environments.

The Healthy Water program focuses on protecting and restoring the Great Lakes, with priority given to Lake Michigan. Grants support policy advancement, innovative solutions to persistent water problems, pollution mitigation from industrial and agricultural runoff, and equity-focused efforts to address urban flooding in under-resourced communities.

The foundation accepts applications twice annually with deadlines in April and November. Decisions are typically issued in July and February respectively. Applications are submitted through the Grant Interface portal. Both project-specific and general operating support grants are available.

The foundation maintains transparency by publishing annual lists of grants awarded, grantee spotlights showcasing impact, and requiring final reports from funded organizations.