James and Audrey Gorter
/SOURCE OF WEALTH: Goldman Sachs
FUNDING AREAS: Education & Youth
OVERVIEW: The Gorter Family Foundation was established in 1976 by James and Audrey Gorter. The foundation primarily directs giving within Lake County, Illinois, in the Greater Chicago area, with a focus on education and youth. Available tax filings indicate that the foundation awarded around $1.8 million in grants in 2017.
BACKGROUND: Born in 1929 in Baltimore, James P. Gorter earned an economics degree from Princeton University in 1951. He attended also the London School of Economics and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy from 1952 to 1955. In 1956, Gorter joined Goldman Sachs and became a partner in 1965. After retiring from Goldman Sachs in 1988, he served as chairman of Baker, Fentress & Co., a closed-end investment fund.
ISSUES:
EDUCATION & YOUTH: In recent years, the Gorter Family Foundation has been laser-focused on education and youth in the Greater Chicago area, particularly in Lake County, Illinois. The foundation engages in several initiatives, including North Chicago Community Partners (NCCP). NCCP works in conjunction with some 50 organizations to provide "after school enrichment activities, lunchtime tutoring and mentoring programs, family engagement and education opportunities, Saturday programs" and more.
The Gorter Family Foundation has supported nonprofits Advance Illinois, Bernie's Book Bank, College Bound Opportunities, Kohl Children's Museum, Most Blessed Trinity School, Partnership for College Completion, and Waukegan to College.
LOOKING FORWARD: Expect Gorter and family to remain focused on Greater Chicago youth in their philanthropy.
LINK:
