Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation

About Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation

The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation gives across land conservation, artistic vitality, and collections work, with a clear concentration in the Chicago region and the South Carolina Lowcountry. Among its larger recent grants are $325,000 to The Nature Conservancy for general operating support and $311,500 to Lowcountry Land Trust Inc for general operating support, both reflecting the foundation’s long-term support for conservation organizations. On the arts side, the foundation backs operating stability as well as programming, including $120,000 to Chicago Community Foundation for Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development and $157,500 to Coastal Conservation League for general operations. Its collections-related work is tied to narratives and archives, including funding for projects that broaden who is represented in regional collections and historical records. The foundation’s stated priorities connect natural and working lands, climate resilience, cultural vitality, and inclusive storytelling. Recent grants also show support for capacity building, technical assistance, and long-term relationships with grantee partners rather than only short project awards. Its giving patterns in Illinois and the Lowcountry appear especially sustained, with repeat support for organizations working in conservation, arts, and heritage.

What Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation Funds

In land conservation, the foundation supports natural and working lands, resilience, advocacy, and habitat protection. Recent examples include $125,000 to National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for Chi-Cal Rivers Fund and $135,000 to Open Space Institute Land Trust for Waites Island site assessment and partner coordination. That mix shows interest in both regional collaboration and project-specific conservation work. In arts funding, the foundation backs organizational development and general operations, including $120,000 to Chicago Community Foundation for Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development and $113,000 to Openlands for general operations. For collections and historical narratives, its Broadening Narratives grants support archives and collections that tell incomplete or inaccurate stories more fully, with an emphasis on including the people whose stories are being told in decision-making. The foundation also supports cash reserve and financial resilience work for arts organizations.

How Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation Gives