Jonathan C. Hamill
/SOURCE OF WEALTH: Segall Bryant & Hamill
FUNDING AREAS: Environment & Animals, Education, Arts & Culture, Health & Human services
OVERVIEW: Veteran Chicago investor Jon Hamill and his family conduct their philanthropy through the Hamill Family Foundation. The Hamills are longtime environmental philanthropists, both on the local level in Chicagoland, as well as in other parts of the country, and even globally. Hamill sits on the board of Openlands and is a trustee emeritus of the Illinois chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Other areas of interest include education and human services. According to available tax filings, the foundation awarded $7.7. million in grants in 2017. The foundation keeps a low profile and does not appear to accept unsolicited proposals.
BACKGROUND: Jonathan C. Hamill received a B.A. from Yale University and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He began his career with Stein Roe & Farnham in 1962 and became a partner in 1969. In 1994, he joined Ralph Segall and Al Bryant in founding Segall Bryant & Hamill, an independent investment firm based in Chicago, Illinois.
ISSUES:
ENVIRONMENT & ANIMALS: The Hamill Family Foundation was started by Hamill and his two sisters, Elizabeth and Nancy. The family's parents loom large in the foundation's grantmaking, particularly its environmental grantmaking. The late Corwith "Corky" Hamill was once president of the Chicago Zoological Society and Joan Smith Hamill was considered a driving force in the creation of the Illinois Prairie Path. Joan was also an accomplished horsewoman involved with the United States Equestrian Team since the 1950s. Hamill, Elizabeth and Nancy have continued in their parents' footsteps. The family has strongly supported Chicago Zoological Society, home to the Hamill Family Wild Encounters. Other big winners include Openlands, a Chicago organization that supports "community gardening, biking and paddling trails, farmland protection, and many other conservation initiatives," as well as Environmental Law and Policy Center, The Conservation Foundation, Nature Conservancy in Illinois, Teton Regional Land Trust, and USET Foundation.
EDUCATION: Hamill and family are strong supporters of The Masters School in Westchester County, New York. Elizabeth and Nancy attended the Dobbs Ferry-based school, home to the Joan Smith Hamill Natatorium. The Hamills have supported schools such as Elgin Academy, Northwestern University, Brown University, University of Oregon, and Bowdoin University. They have also given large sums to Hotchkiss School in Connecticut and its 287-acre Fairfield Farm.
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES: The Hamills appear to have a particular interest in justice, advocacy, and human rights organizations like ACLU of Illinois, Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders USA, and Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. On the health side, the family has supported places like Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center and Planned Parenthood.
LOOKING FORWARD: Expect the Hamill family's strong environmental philanthropy to continue.
CONTACT:
The Hamill Family Foundation does not provide a clear avenue for getting in touch with the family, but below is contact information:
Hamill Family Foundation
200 W. Madison St., Ste. 3400
Chicago, IL 60606
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