The Irwin Andrew Porter Foundation funds innovative projects that foster connections between individuals, communities, the environment and the world at large. The foundation funds in a broad range of focus areas and is most interested in projects that require and/or inspire those directly benefiting from the project to give back to their communities both during the project and into the future.

The Irwin Andrew Porter Foundation was founded in 1996. In its first ten years the foundation has distributed approximately $1.1M in grant awards. Their smallest grant awarded to date is $375 and their largest to date is $90,000. The Irwin Andrew Porter Foundation board has grown over the years from three to seven dedicated members. IAP funds projects within Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Wisconsin. Internationally IAP restricts projects to Africa, the Carribean and Central and South America. To date the Foundation has made grants in 9 states and 15 countries to 110 separate organizations.

IAP Foundation awards grants range between $1,000 and $30,000 per year. Grants can be between one and five years in length. No organization will be funded for more than five consecutive years whether as a single grant or combination of grants. Organizations may apply by invitation only. Organizations are selected for an invitation to apply from nominations put forward by their group of secret nominators. The Board selects 8 to 10 organizations annually from their list of nominated organizations to be invited to apply. 

IAP does not provide funding for: Endowments, Scholarships, Fundraising events or activities, social events, goodwill advertising or marketing, Lobbying, political, fraternal, athletic, social or veterans organizations, Religious programs, Individuals, or Ordinary School Funding (i.e., normal curriculum, classroom or administrative expenses).