Giving Areas

The Irving Harris Foundation is pleased to join the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, and other philanthropic partners in the effort to support individuals, families, and communities hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the press release.

We promote equity of outcomes for all children by enabling access to comprehensive, high-quality care in nurturing environments for pregnant women, very young children and families to promote success in school and in life.

Early Childhood

Our strategic grantmaking, special initiatives, and field leadership are rooted in Irving’s holistic vision for an early childhood field that fosters equitable access to high-quality care and opportunities for healthy development for all young children and their families.

Our focus is on the youngest children, and our approach to early childhood incorporates the full constellation of care that surrounds and supports their families and communities to nurture them, from prior to conception forward. We are particularly focused on the infant and early childhood mental health field, which we help to advance through innovative programs, leadership training, research, public policy, and grassroots movement building.

We also carry forward Irving’s understanding that women’s reproductive health and their ability to determine if, when, and how they choose to become parents are critical components of their ability to raise healthy children who will be successful in school and in life. (Reproductive Health & Justice).