Gigi Pritzker and Michael Pucker

SOURCE OF WEALTH: Inherited, Film Producer, Private Equity 

FUNDING AREAS: Violence Prevention, Culture, Arts & Impact, Educational Opportunities

OVERVIEW: Gigi Pritzker and Michael Pucker give through the Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation. Education is a priority, with giving at both the K-12 and collegiate levels. Available tax filings reveal that the foundation awarded $4 million in grants in 2017.

BACKGROUND: One of the eleven billionaire heirs to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, Jean "Gigi" Pritzker graduated from Stanford University. She co-founded the production company Madison Wells Media in Los Angeles. Michael Pucker graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in history in 1983 and a J.D. in 1988. He is chairman and CEO of DNS Capital, which he founded with his wife to represent the business interests of their immediate family. 

PRITZKER PUCKER FAMILY FOUNDATION: The Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation (PPFF) supports "high impact programs that seek to transform individuals, families and communities through innovative, collaborative and scalable approaches." PPFF's focus areas are community safety, arts & culture, and educational impact.

PPFF's community focus area supports "coordinated restorative justice and violence reduction policies and practices." Cultural giving homes in on Chicago, but goes nationally and even internationally, as well. PPFF's educational portfolio includes institutions with connections to the family, as well as educational opportunities for diverse populations. Grantees include American World Jewish Service, Chicago Children's Museum, Columbia University, Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence, and University of Chicago.

LOOKING FORWARD: With plenty of money on hand, giving from the enormous and wealthy Pritzker family should be watched closely. Down the line, Los Angeles may emerge as another significant site of philanthropy.

LINK:

Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation