OVERVIEW: The Trott Family Foundation is the philanthropic vehicle of Chicago area couple Byron and Tina Trott, who focus their Chicago philanthropy on education, the arts, health, youth and community.
IP TAKE: Higher education is this funder’s largest area of giving. The Trott Family Foundation keeps a low profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals.
PROFILE: Established in 1996, the Trott Family Foundation is a private family foundation in Illinois. Byron Trott graduated with a bachelor’s in economics from University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and earned an MBA from the University of Chicago in 1982. He worked at Goldman Sachs for many years before founding BDT Capital Partners in 2009. Byron and his wife, Tina, live in the Chicago area and are Giving Pledge signatories. Grantmaking includes education, youth, health, arts and culture and the greater Chicago community.
This foundation does not have a website to guide grantseekers. However, the couple is strongly supportive of Byron’s alma mater, the University of Chicago. For example, the Trotts gave a $10 million gift to the University of Chicago to help support and expand the UChicago Careers in Business Program, which was renamed the Trott Business Program. Trott helped launch the program, and it receives regular support from the foundation. Other Chicago area education grantees include the Music Institute of Chicago, JAC Education Foundation, North Shore Country Day School, Northwestern University and the Young Women’s Leadership Charter School of Chicago. The Trott Family Foundation also supports select Chicago health outfits, including Lurie Children’s Hospital Foundation, Lynn Sage Cancer Research Foundation and Northwestern Medical Foundation. In arts and culture, the Trotts have supported Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, the Chicago Botanical Gardens, the Chicago Zoological Society, Joffrey Ballet and the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. The Trotts have also supported the Chicago Foundation for Women and Michigan Avenue Streetscape Association. In 2023, the foundation gave $20 million to the STARS College Network to help students from small towns and rural communities access higher education.
Foundation grants often range from $2,500 to $100,000. Review the foundation’s recent tax records to learn more about past grantees. Foundation giving does not appear to be exclusively restricted to the Chicago area, but this is where much of the couple’s giving takes place.
The foundation keeps a low profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals. Byron and Tina serve as the sole trustees of their charity and steer the charity on a part-time basis. The foundation’s phone number is 312-609-1100.
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CONTACT:
Trott Family Foundation
P.O. Box 3016, RALLC Tax Dept.
Chicago, IL 60654-0016
(312) 609-1100
