Getting to Know… Chicago Artistic Vitality

Discover more about our Chicago Artistic Vitality program and how we support neighborhood small arts organizations that are the spark for Chicago’s artistic innovation. Photo: Chicago Dance Crash is one of the premier hip hop/contemporary dance companies in the Midwest. Photo courtesy of Mark Hackman….

Getting to Know… Lowcountry Land Conservation

Our 5 Questions Getting to Know Series asks our program officers to provide an introduction to our work and insights about what is interesting and unique about each of our program areas. By Jason Crowley, Lowcountry Program Director Why does the Foundation support land conservation…

Remarks and Reflections of David Farren at the Arts Club of Chicago

Remarks delivered by retiring Executive Director David Farren on December 6, 2023 at a reception honoring his 11 years of service to the Foundation. I’m honored for all of you to be here to mark my retirement. It’s really a celebration of what we’ve done…

Arnold Randall Named Next Executive Director

The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation announces the appointment of Arnold L. Randall as its next Executive Director. Randall currently serves as the General Superintendent of the Forest Preserves of Cook County, the nation’s oldest and largest forest preserve system. He is a thoughtful and…

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…

Kelly Landis Joins Us as Director of Communications

The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation is pleased to announce that Kelly Landis has joined us as our inaugural director of communications. Kelly brings a wealth of communications experience that will greatly support our work and the work of our grantees.   Kelly will help oversee…

GDDF announces 12 collections projects to be funded by “BROADENING NARRATIVES” grant initiative to illuminate underrepresented stories

Grants total $755,500 to 12 collecting organizations and five advisory groups in Chicago and the Lowcountry of South Carolina Grant recipients will receive a range of $10,000 to $150,000 to fund new projects   CHICAGO [January 11, 2023]—The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation (the Foundation)—which supports land…

Welcome, Jason Crowley

The Foundation is pleased to announce the hiring of our new Lowcountry Program Director, Jason Crowley. Jason will begin with us February 6th, working out of our Charleston office at 1640 Meeting Street Road, along with current staff member Ame Holcombe. Jason comes to us…