The Woods Fund of Chicago is a private independent foundation in Chicago, whose goal is to increase opportunities for less-advantaged people and communities in the Chicago metropolitan area, including the opportunity to shape decisions affecting them.
The Woods Charitable Fund was incorporated in Nebraska in 1941 by Frank Henry Woods Sr. (1868–1952) and Nelle Cochrane Woods (1870–1950) of Lincoln, Nebraska and their three sons: Thomas Cochrane Woods Sr. (1895–1958) of Lincoln, and Henry Cochrane Woods Sr. (1895–1968) and Frank Henry Woods Jr. (1905–1980) of Chicago, and operated in both Lincoln and Chicago for 53 years through 1993, when the Woods Charitable Fund was reorganized into two separate foundations, with separate officers, boards of directors, and staff.[1][2]
The Woods Fund of Chicago was incorporated in Illinois on November 15, 1993, and effective January 1, 1994 was allocated 70% of the market value of the assets of the Woods Charitable Fund and began operation and continued the Fund's philanthropy in Chicago, while the Woods Charitable Fund continued its philanthropy in Lincoln.[1][2]
The principal for the foundation came from business interests in the Lincoln Telephone & Telegraph Co. of Lincoln, Nebraska, the Sahara Coal Co. headquartered in Chicago with mines in Saline County in far Southern Illinois, and Addressograph-Multigraph Corp. of Cleveland, Ohio.[1][2]
In 2004, the Woods Fund of Chicago was the 43rd largest foundation in Illinois by total assets with assets of $67,304,215.[3]