Partners in just and lasting social impact across generations

In 2009, after more than 60 years of family grantmaking under the name Arie and Ida Crown Memorial, Crown Family Philanthropies (CFP) was developed to represent an array of family grantmaking practices.

Today, the legacy of Arie and Ida Crown lives on in the work continued by their descendants, who remain dedicated to the Jewish tradition of tikkun olam, or “repairing the world.” Supported by a professional staff of experts, CFP is led by more than 50 family members across multiple generations who come together to set strategy and make grantmaking decisions.

Our Mission

From generation to generation, we work together with our communities, in the spirit of tikkun olam, to catalyze and advance just and lasting social impact.

Teacher and students at Arthur Dixon Elementary School on “Tie Tuesday.” Image courtesy of the Children First Fund.
Teacher and students at Arthur Dixon Elementary School on “Tie Tuesday.” Image courtesy of the Children First Fund.
Group photo of five people from the Jews of Color Initiative holding up a laptop with a sixth person attending the meeting digitally onscreen
Image courtesy of the Jews of Color Initiative.

CFP’s Approach to Social Impact

As both a family and a philanthropy, we are committed to entering all partnerships with trust, respect, and humility. We recognize that accomplishing just and lasting social impact requires us to center equity– and particularly racial equity– across our philanthropic work, and that achieving systemic change requires us to listen thoughtfully, learn constantly, and partner deeply. As we work alongside remarkable people, organizations, and communities to repair the world, we know that the diversity of lived experiences and identities that they bring to the table drives our best and most effective work.

Our Roots

At the end of the 19th century, Arie and Ida Crown emigrated from Eastern Europe and settled in Chicago. Despite humble beginnings, they worked tirelessly to provide opportunities for their children while cultivating a home that was rooted in Jewish values and traditions.

These shared values served as the foundation on which Arie and Ida’s children built Material Service Corporation, which supplied construction materials such as sand, gravel, and concrete to projects across the Midwest. In 1947, the Crown Family collectively allocated a portion of the profits from the business to create a foundation that would allow them to give back to the country and communities that provided them with opportunities to prosper.

A black and white photo of Edward Crown, Irving Crown, and Henry Crown in a group at the Ida Crown Jewish Academy dedication ceremony in 1968. The Crown family members are holding keys while others are holding tapestries with Hebrew on them.
Edward Crown (fourth from left), Irving Crown (fourth from right), and Henry Crown (third from right) at the Ida Crown Jewish Academy dedication ceremony in 1968.