History

Juvenile sandhill cranes enjoy the company of Gaylord and Dorothy.Gaylord Donnelley was a grandson of Richard Robert Donnelley, founder of the R.R. Donnelley & Sons printing company. By the late 19th century, this was one of the most successful businesses in Chicago.

Gaylord married Dorothy Ranney in 1935. For nearly sixty years they were devoted to the health and beauty of Chicago and the Lowcountry, the two communities in which they lived. The foundation was established in 1952, making four grants that totaled $2,900. Bequests from the estate of each of the founders have allowed the foundation to evolve as a strategic funder.

Our values remain firmly grounded in Gaylord and Dorothy's vision.

Download a History of the Foundation:

Fifty Years of Philanthropy (2002)

From the Blog

Sewee to Santee eyes smart growth through regional branding

For rural communities suffering from poverty, development can seem like a no-brainer: if you build it, they will come, bringing jobs and opportunities with them. But as sprawl across the country has shown, development can come at the expense of a rural community’s own character and sense of place, and can leave areas ravaged when companies that built there leave for cheaper pastures. In the Sewee to Santee region of South Carolina, a vision is forming: a better quality of life for its residents built on the belief that a rich rural landscape is an opportunity, rather than an obstacle to be overcome. Read More »

A new way forward for South Carolina’s rural communities

South Carolina’s beautiful rural landscape belies an unfortunate reality of poverty. How can the state's rural communities take advantage of existing assets to achieve long-term prosperity? Read More »

Celebrate National Park Week at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

National Park Week is April 21-29, 2012. You don't have to go all the way to Yellowstone or the Everglades to participate: Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is just an hour outside of Chicago. Learn more about what the National Lakeshore has to offer. Read More »

Recent Tweets

16 May
In Charleston, @puretheatre and Holy City Shakespeare collaborate on a casual, refreshing "Twelfth Night" http://t.co/cRAQAznD

14 May
Neat to see collaboration among Chicago's dance companies-- in this case Muntu and DanceWorks: http://t.co/ZpRvYhqS

14 May
In case you missed it: on Friday we posted this story about regional branding efforts in #rural SC: http://t.co/1insWBMl #Sewee #Santee

11 May
Thx, happily aboard! RT @chiwilderness #FF newest members of the Chicago Wilderness alliance: @GDDonnelley, @willconserve, @WaukeganPrkDist