Executive compensation
Form 990-PF · Part VIII · 13 reported individuals · Filing year 2024
Percentile bands compare each position's total pay with the same role at Education organizations in Illinois.
| Position | Total |
|---|---|
President Board President Above 90th percentile | $725k $776k |
Vice President, Admin & Chief of Staff Board Vice President 75th to 90th percentile | $353k $378k |
Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer Above 90th percentile | $327k $351k |
Communications Manager & Board Secreta Unclassified | $120k $128k |
Director Unclassified | $10k $11k |
Director (outgoing Fy25) Unclassified | $10k $11k |
Director Unclassified | $10k $11k |
Director Unclassified | $10k $11k |
Director Unclassified | $10k $11k |
Director Unclassified | $10k $11k |
Director (incoming Fy25) Unclassified | $8k $8k |
Director Unclassified | $8k $8k |
Director Unclassified | $8k $8k |
Teal figures restate each filed amount in 2026 dollars.
Estimated with Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI metro-area CPI-U, restating filed pay into May 2026 dollars. A restatement of past pay, not current or projected pay.
Plus 1 unpaid individual.
Top pay as a share of expenses
In 2024, the highest total compensation at THE SPENCER FOUNDATION equaled 2% of the organization's total expenses. The median for education organizations is 7%.
Based on 26,320 education organizations, each measured at its most recent filing year with reported expenses and compensation.
Grants paid
Itemized grants reported on this foundation's 2024 Form 990-PF, Part XV.
Total granted
$24.3M
Itemized grants
214
Median grant
$75k
| Recipient | Location | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| NATIONAL ACADEMY OF EDUCATION | WASHINGTON, DC | NATIONAL ACADEMY OF EDUCATION/SPENCER POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS (COHORTS 24-25, 25-26, 26-27) | $2.5M |
| NATIONAL ACADEMY OF EDUCATION | WASHINGTON, DC | NATIONAL ACADEMY OF EDUCATION/SPENCER DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS (COHORTS 24-25, 25-26, 26-27) | $1.8M |
| WILLIAM T GRANT FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | SUPPORT FOR THE 2024 INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE GRANT PROGRAM AT THE WILLIAM T. GRANT FOUNDATION | $650k |
| WILLIAM T GRANT FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | SUPPORT FOR THE 2025 INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE GRANT PROGRAM AT THE WILLIAM T. GRANT FOUNDATION | $650k |
| COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | SPENCER EDUCATION JOURNALISM FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM, 2024 - 2028 | $594k |
| MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY | EAST LANSING, MI | CREATING TRANSFORMATIVE POSSIBILITY IN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES | $483k |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY | BERKELEY, CA | LINGUISTIC VARIATION AND DISCIPLINARY ACTION ON AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS | $393k |
| UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS CENTER FOR RESEARCH INC | LAWRENCE, KS | THE TRIBAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT | $383k |
| FLACSO ARGENTINA | AR | HISTORY TEACHING THROUGH DIALOGICAL CONTROVERSIES | $275k |
| BOSTON UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | RE-IMAGINING ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION | $251k |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN | AUSTIN, TX | ADMISSION, TUITION, AND HOUSING | $244k |
| UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON | MADISON, WI | SUPPLEMENT FOR CENTER FOR PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTION ON EDUCATIONAL POLICY AND PRACTICE | $230k |
| INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTON | BLOOMINGTON, IN | THRIVING IN COLLEGE | $221k |
| NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY | RALEIGH, NC | EXAMINING RURAL DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS | $213k |
| NEW YORK UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | ORGANIZING FAMILY AND COMMUNITY | $210k |
| UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER | DENVER, CO | DEVELOPING RESEARCH CAPACITY TO SUPPORT THE ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING AND PROGRAM OUTCOMES | $202k |
| RUSSELL SAGE FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | ADVANCING RESEARCH ON THE PROMOTION OF EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND ECONOMIC MOBILITY | $200k |
| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | BUILDING A LIVING ARCHIVE | $200k |
| AMERICAN INDIAN COLLEGE FUND | DENVER, CO | BUILDING COLLABORATIVE DATA CAPACITY AND INVESTIGATING COLLEGE ACCESS, PERSISTENCE, AND GRADUATION SUCCESS | $200k |
| MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY | EAST LANSING, MI | POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION | $193k |
| BROWN UNIVERSITY | PROVIDENCE, RI | SCHOOL-SUPPORTING NON-PROFITS, SCHOOL RESOURCES, AND RISING INEQUALITY | $191k |
| HARVARD UNIVERSITY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | THE BLACK TEACHER ARCHIVE | $190k |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | EVALUATING GLOBAL AND LOCAL RELATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS | $188k |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY | BERKELEY, CA | THE ROLE OF SOCIAL SAFETY NET PROGRAMS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENT SUCCESS | $181k |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | EDUCATING FOR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY | $180k |
Funded by
Private foundations whose Form 990-PF Part XV grants matched this organization.
Up 2%
from 2023
From $707k in 2023 to $725k in 2024.
Estimated with Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI metro-area CPI-U, restating filed pay into May 2026 dollars. A restatement of past pay, not current or projected pay.
Board President pay rose 2% from 2023 to 2024, while revenue rose 189%.
- Board Vice President pay rose 4% from 2023 to 2024.
- Chief Financial Officer pay rose 8% from 2023 to 2024.
Pay for the position itself, not any one person. The officeholder may have changed between 2023 and 2024.
Revenue and expenses over time
THE SPENCER FOUNDATION reported revenue and expenses across 2 filing years.
This is a private foundation. Peers are foundations of similar asset size ($150M - $1B), because foundation pay scales with assets under management, not revenue.
What Education executives earn in Illinois
Comparable education organizations in Illinois pay their highest-earning executive a median of $80,294.
These are education sector-wide figures, not this organization's reported pay. Based on 925 organizations across 925 filings (2021 – 2024).
See full Education pay data for Illinois →Common questions about THE SPENCER FOUNDATION
What does the Board President of THE SPENCER FOUNDATION earn?
In 2024, the Board President of THE SPENCER FOUNDATION received $725,030 in total compensation. This pay is in the top 10% for Board President roles among Education organizations in Illinois: at least 9 in 10 comparable filings report less. Based on IRS Form 990 data.
How does Board President pay at THE SPENCER FOUNDATION compare with similar nonprofits?
Compared with the same role at Education organizations in Illinois, the 2024 pay of the Board President at THE SPENCER FOUNDATION falls in the top 10%. In 2024, the highest total compensation at THE SPENCER FOUNDATION equaled 2% of the organization's total expenses. The median for education organizations is 7%.
What are THE SPENCER FOUNDATION's revenue and expenses?
In 2024, THE SPENCER FOUNDATION reported $235.6M in total revenue and $36.1M in total expenses on its IRS Form 990.
Compare any role, sector, or revenue band
Build your own benchmark from millions of reported positions.
This is a private foundation. Peers are foundations of similar asset size ($150M - $1B), because foundation pay scales with assets under management, not revenue.
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