Our 2024 proposal deadlines are Friday, March 29 (Spring Cycle) and Friday, July 26 (Fall Cycle). Applications are not yet open.

Supporting land conservation, artistic vitality, and regional collections for the people of the Chicago region and the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

We seek to sustain and build resilient, vital, engaged, and equitable communities in our two regions by supporting conservation, arts, and collecting organizations.

More about how we work.

GDDF News

Explore recent news and stories from the Foundation, grantees, and partners. 

Grantee Perception Report: A New Landscape and New Opportunities

It would be an understatement to say a lot has happened since the last time we did a Grantee Perception Report with the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) in 2017. What hasn’t changed is the Foundation’s commitment to our mission and the inspiring work of…

Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation Executive Director David Farren to Retire at End of Year

The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, a family foundation with a three-generation legacy in the Chicago region and the Lowcountry of South Carolina, announces that our long-term Executive Director, David Farren, will retire at year-end. Over his 11-year tenure, the Foundation has been a leading…

Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation Executive Director Position Specification

About the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation Founded in 1952, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation supports land conservation, artistic vitality, and collections for the people of the Chicago region and the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The Foundation’s founders, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley, believed passionately…

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