Gorter Family Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Gorter Family Foundation primarily directs its efforts to the needs of Lake County, Illinois in the Greater Chicago area, with an eye towards education and youth. To a lesser extent, its supports local human services organizations.
IP TAKE: The Gorter Family Foundation sticks to a narrow geographic area but is an accessible funder for local grantseekers. This funder accept unsolicited letters of inquiry and runs two annual grant cycles.
PROFILE: Established in 1978, the Gorter Family Foundation is the foundation of Goldman Sachs veteran James Gorter and his wife, Audrey. Born in 1929 in Baltimore, James P. Gorter worked for several decades at Goldman Sachs, where he eventually became a parter. Until 2006, the foundation was run “reactively,” responding to requests for funding, but since then, it has taken a more decisive approach to its work. Today its primary area of focus is K-12 education in Lake County, Illinois. In addition to supporting educational causes, the foundation aims to persuade other grantmakers to invest in its cause. Other areas of interest include youth programming and human services as they relate to improving educational outcomes in Lake County.
The Gorter Family Foundation makes grants through initiatives that provide different types of support to local organizations. The foundation’s Venture Philanthropy program helps organizations in early stages of development increase capacity and grow effective programs through multi-year grants. The foundation also sponsor’s Loring Seminars that help organizations develop strategies of governance, organization and fundraising. Its Look North program persuades potential donors and other philanthropies to invest in Lake County. And From the Bottom Up collaborates with several local organizations to assist low-income families with small children find low-cost and no-cost diapers. The Gorter Family Foundation seeded North Chicago Community Partners, which provides an “extended web” of student and family services and Lake County. Other grantees include Childserv, Family Service Nuestro Center, Learn 10 North Chicago, Waukegan to College, Round Lake Public Schools and Reading Power.
Foundation grants tend to range from $25,000 to $100,000. View a list of past grantees on the funder’s grant info page. The funder’s geographic focus is North Chicago and the northern suburbs of the city.
Grantseekers should makes sure their project aligns with the GFF mission and then submit a letter of inquiry including financial information, to Cheri Richardson at cheri@gorterfamilyfoundation.org. LOI’s are accepted through February 1st for grants awarded in June and through August 1st for grants awarded in December. Direct general questions to the staff at 847-615-1216 or info@gorterfamilyfoundation.org.
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