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Malott Family Foundation
Robert H. Malott established the Malott Family Foundation in 1988, following a two-decade tenure as Chairman and CEO of chemical conglomerate FMC Corporation.
Malott Family Foundation
Robert H. Malott established the Malott Family Foundation in 1988, following a two-decade tenure as Chairman and CEO of chemical conglomerate FMC Corporation. After his death in 2018, his children assumed control: Barbara Malott Kizziah serves as President, with siblings Robert Deane Malott and Elizabeth Malott Pohle holding director and secretary roles. The foundation operates from Chicago and reflects the family's deep civic roots — Robert H. Malott was a prominent member of the Economic Club of Chicago and the Commercial Club of Chicago. The foundation concentrates its grantmaking on K-12 education reform and arts institutions, with a supplementary focus on environmental preservation and human services. Unlike diversified foundations, Malott's deployment is geographically tethered to the Chicago metropolitan area, with significant capital directed toward named institutions such as the Field Museum's Elizabeth Hubert Malott Hall of Jades, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Chicago Botanic Garden's Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese Garden. The foundation also supports the Lyric Opera of Chicago through a named space. This direct-institution support model — placing family names on capital projects at legacy cultural anchors — defines its investment posture rather than a conventional diversified portfolio of grants. The foundation's endowment sits at an estimated $94M (Altss estimate), derived from public filings and FMC equity appreciation. Total deployment figures are not disclosed, but tax filings indicate annual charitable distributions consistent with the 5% minimum required of private foundations. Barbara Malott Kizziah leads the foundation's strategy, which operates with a lean governance structure — no separate investment office or external CIO is publicly identified. The family maintains membership in the Early Childhood Funders Collaborative, signaling a practitioner-level engagement with education grantmaking standards. In 2018, Robert H. Malott passed away, transitioning the foundation fully to second-generation control — an organizational structure now sustained by sibling governance. The foundation's structural distinction lies in its civic-placement model. Rather than making unrestricted or programmatic grants to a broad set of nonprofits, the Malott Family Foundation has historically funded capital improvements at established Chicago institutions, attaching the family name to galleries, gardens, and performance spaces. This model embeds the foundation's legacy into the physical infrastructure of the city and creates a governance load concentrated on a few deep relationships rather than a wide grantee pool. Succession is consolidated among three siblings — Barbara, Robert, and Elizabeth — with no indication of third-generation entry into foundation leadership as of mid-2026.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1988
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Chicago
Corporate office
Chicago, IL, United States
Principals
Barbara Malott Kizziah
President
Robert Deane Malott
Director
Elizabeth Malott Pohle
Secretary
Robert H. Malott
Founder (deceased 2018)
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Malott Family Foundation's wealth originate?
The foundation's endowment derives from the FMC Corporation fortune built by Robert H. Malott, who served as Chairman and CEO of the chemical manufacturing company from 1971 to 1991. FMC specialized in agricultural chemicals, industrial chemicals, and defense systems. Malott's long tenure at the helm of a publicly traded company provided the liquidity that endowed the foundation upon its creation in 1988.
Who controls grantmaking decisions at the Malott Family Foundation?
Grantmaking authority rests with the founding family. Barbara Malott Kizziah, daughter of Robert H. Malott, serves as President of the foundation. Her siblings Robert Deane Malott and Elizabeth Malott Pohle hold director and secretary roles. The foundation does not employ a professional CIO or external investment office, and no staff beyond the family officers is publicly identified. Decisions are made by a small, family-controlled board.
What is the foundation's geographic focus?
The Malott Family Foundation concentrates nearly all grantmaking in the Chicago metropolitan area. Unlike peer foundations that diversify geographically, Malott has placed the family name on physical capital projects at Chicago institutions such as the Field Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Botanic Garden, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. This hyperlocal focus is the foundation's defining operational characteristic.
Does the Malott Family Foundation accept unsolicited grant proposals?
The foundation does not publicly solicit grant proposals and operates without a formal website or request-for-proposal process as of 2026. Its grantmaking appears relationship-driven, directed to institutions where the Malott family maintains long-standing civic board involvement. This posture is common among family foundations that fund capital projects at anchor institutions rather than running competitive grant cycles.
What is the foundation's stance on endowment investment strategy?
The foundation does not disclose its investment strategy, asset allocation, or whether it employs external managers. Tax filings show an endowment of approximately $94M (Altss estimate) and annual charitable distributions consistent with the legally required 5% minimum. No investment staff or outsourced-CIO relationship is publicly identified, suggesting a conservatively managed portfolio likely consistent with its historic FMC equity origin.
How is the foundation governed after Robert H. Malott's death?
Robert H. Malott died in 2018, transitioning governance to the second generation. His children — Barbara Malott Kizziah (President), Robert Deane Malott (Director), and Elizabeth Malott Pohle (Secretary) — form the core board. The foundation has not publicly indicated whether third-generation family members are being prepared for future board roles. This sibling-governance model is a structural feature of many private foundations at this stage.
What separates the Malott Family Foundation from other Chicago family foundations?
The foundation's civic-placement model — funding named capital improvements at established Chicago cultural institutions — distinguishes it from private foundations that emphasize programmatic grants or multi-city portfolios. The Malott name appears on physical spaces at the Field Museum, Botanic Garden, and Lyric Opera, embedding the family legacy into the city's cultural infrastructure. This approach concentrates governance on a small set of deep institutional relationships rather than broad grantee networks.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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