We carry out our mission of Land Conservation and Artistic Vitality by investing in organizations and partnerships working in the Chicago region and South Carolina's Lowcountry. Our interaction with many groups enables us to recognize opportunities to connect people working towards a common goal. In these situations we do more than make grants; we organize our work into initiatives. And we continue to make grants that are not part of a specific initiative.

A healthy natural environment is crucial to vibrant communities, but natural land is scarce and threatened. Once lost, it may be gone forever. We support long-term partnerships that bring together people from diverse backgrounds who value and protect the natural environment.

Land Conservation Initiatives

Descriptions of initiatives are designed to inform you about how we work, but you do not need to consider how a proposal fits into an initiative. You should apply under the land conservation program area, rather than a specific initiative.

View the foundation’s grants to support land conservation »

Learn how to apply »

Artistic expression that nurtures the human spirit and imagination is central to healthy communities. We work to support professional arts organizations, build audiences for the arts, and bring attention to regionally significant collections.

Artistic Vitality Initiatives

In the Chicago region, we accept unsolicited grant applications for Nurturing Chicago Region Artistic Vitality and Regionally Significant Collections. In the Lowcountry, we accept unsolicited grant applications only for Regionally Significant Collections.

View the foundation’s grants to support artistic vitality »

Learn how to apply »

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