Morrison-shearer Foundation
The Morrison-Shearer Foundation is a Chicago-based private foundation that supports dance and media artists. The official site (morrisonshearer.org) includes the foundation’s history, trustees and staff, programs (residencies, archives, public programs), and a grants section describing eligibility and application requirements.
Source: Website · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
Small-to-mid sized Illinois arts organizations focused on dance or media artists, artist residencies, archives, or public programs that align with the foundation’s mission and scale.
Good Fit
- • Based in Illinois (Chicago-area preferred)
- • Programs supporting dance or media artists, residencies, archives, or public programs
- • Organizational scale similar to past grantees (grant sizes around $10K–$15K)
- • Existing relationships, nominations, or visibility within Chicago arts networks
Geography
Observed grantmaking is geographically narrow: all reported grants in the latest years went to organizations within Illinois (100% in-state share).
Recipient Variety
The latest year shows four distinct independent grantees and the prior year shows three, with two organizations funded in both years; this is a small but not singular recipient set for a private foundation of this size.
New Applicants
The foundation publicly states it does not accept unsolicited proposals and operates on a preselection basis; although two new recipients appeared in the latest year, entry into the portfolio appears to depend on nomination or relationships rather than an open application process.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
