A Quick Look at the Kavanaugh Family Foundation’s Chicago Giving
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Here are a few things Chicago-area grantseekers should know about Dave Kavanaugh’s philanthropy, the Kavanaugh Family Foundation.
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A Chicago Family Fund Keeps the Focus on Climate With Another Big Gift to Duke
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A donor-advised fund in Chicago made another big payout to a university climate program in the South. We look at why climate funding is important during a pandemic, and how Duke University will put these new funds to use.
Read More“Look in Your Own Neighborhood.” About that Big Oprah Gift for Pandemic Relief
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Billionaire Oprah Winfrey recently set up an eight-figure COVID-19 relief fund through her foundation. Here’s where these funds are going—and what we can expect from the powerful media mogul’s giving down the line.
Read MoreGetting to Know the Jentes Family Foundation and Its Commitment to Chicago
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Here are the basics to keep in mind about William and Janet Jentes and their foundation’s interests in Chicago.
Read MoreThree Ways the Illinois Tool Works Foundation Approaches Local Giving
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Here are three ways that Illinois Tool Works’ charitable foundation approaches grantmaking where the company’s employees live and work in the Greater Chicago area.
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A Quick Overview of David Herro's Chicago Philanthropy
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Here are a few important things to know about the David Herro Charitable Foundation and its Chicago-area giving.
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Why Zilber's the Name to Know for Local Support in Milwaukee
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Here’s a look at Zilber’s most recent grant commitments in the Milwaukee community and why this is an important name to know in the region.
Read MoreThe Pride of Chicago: A Big Gift for Big Cats
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The owners of one of the largest general contractors in the Midwest are funding a new lion habitat at the Lincoln Park Zoo. The gift underscores growing support to position zoos as leaders in conservation.
Read MoreThings to Know about Carl R. Hendrickson Family Foundation’s Northern Illinois Giving
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The Carl R. Hendrickson Family Foundation has been on the local giving scene since 1991, supporting basic needs, entrepreneurs, and more. Here are three things to know about this accessible local funder.
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A Big Gift Offers Clues to the Future of Performing Arts Organizations
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The challenges facing regional performing arts organizations are well-documented. News out of Cincinnati, however, finds a ballet troupe experiencing rapid growth and engaging local donors to fund its bold expansion plans.
Read More“A Critical Driver.” How Higher Ed Giving is Fueling Chicago’s Surging Tech Industry
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Chicago has emerged as a major tech hub thanks to affordable real estate and a deep talent pool. Philanthropy is also playing a growing role, as evidenced by a recent $150 million gift to the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Read MoreAnother Big Gift for a Zoo—Again with a Focus on Conservation
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Zoos, which are among some of the nation’s oldest nonprofits, are tapping into new veins of money with work on conservation science and environmental education. The latest example of this strategy comes from Indianapolis.
Read More“There Is No Manual.” Inside a Community Foundation’s Response to a Mass Shooting
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When tragedy struck in August in Dayton, Ohio, the local community foundation there had to figure out how to create and administer a fund to help the victims—navigating a kind of giving that it had never practiced before.
Read MoreWhat the Right Hand is Doing: The Paradoxical Giving of a Billionaire Mega-Donor
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Most top donors align their political and philanthropic giving so that both advance their values. Then there’s Ken Griffin, a patron of science and the arts who also bankrolls a Trump-dominated GOP that’s attacking those sectors.
Read MoreMuseums and More: How an Art World Power Couple Does Their Giving
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Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson are in their 90s and 70s, respectively, are still giving away millions, and are now stars of an HBO documentary. How does their giving reflect their love for art, and what else are they backing?
Read MoreWe Don’t Give Up: Mott Plays the Long Game on Clean Water in Flint and Beyond
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Access to clean water is an urgent challenge in more parts of the U.S. The Mott Foundation has been a stalwart funder on this issue in its home city and beyond. What has it accomplished, and how is it staying engaged with Flint’s water crisis?
Read MoreWhat’s Next for a Venture Philanthropy Fund That is Laser-Focused on Chicago?
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A Better Chicago is part of a venture philanthropy world that has exploded since the late 1990s. We connect with its new CEO, Beth Swanson, about her plans as to scale nonprofits with innovative ideas around education and opportunity.
Read MoreCan Participatory Grantmaking Help Remedy Funding Inequities in the Arts?
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While equity-focused funders are exploring participatory grantmaking to give voice to traditionally excluded communities, the practice has been slow to gain traction in the arts space. MacArthur is helping change that.
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Behind a Big Boost for a Legacy Institution, Deep-Pocketed Conservationists
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Nature-focused legacy institutions like zoos and gardens are finding creative ways to engage the public and appeal to funders, including the billionaire donor class. A major gift to the Chicago Botanic Garden shows this dynamic in action.
Read MoreAmplifying New Voices: How Chicago Funders Are Investing in Diverse Leaders for Racial Equity
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More funders are grappling with issues of equity and who gets heard in civic debates. In Chicago, the Field Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation recently launched a new effort to elevate voices from historically marginalized communities.
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