Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation
The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Incorporated in 1952, the foundation was established by its founders, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley, who believed that land, arts, and collections reveal who we are as a people—past, present, and future. The foundation operates as a family foundation with a commitment to the values, compassion, and civic-mindedness of its founders, supported by family members, non-family board members, and professional staff.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$7.1M
+1.9% YoY
Grant Count
355
-4.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$20K
+7.1% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation supports land conservation, artistic vitality, and regional collections for the people of the Chicago region and the Lowcountry of South Carolina.
Primary focus areas:
Land Conservation: Natural lands—preserved and restored on a landscape scale—are critical to the well-being of wildlife, plant life, and human communities.
Artistic Vitality: Arts organizations—creatively accomplished and operationally strong—are the backbone of the regions' artistic vitality. The foundation supports small, professional producing arts organizations of all disciplines and traditions with budgets under $1 million, providing multi-year general operations grants and technical assistance support.
Regional Collections: Collections—accessible to the public and creatively interpreted—urge communities to consider where they have been, where they are now, and where their next steps might take them.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
s**: Typical awards range from $25 to $235,500.
Grant Types
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation focuses its grantmaking in two primary regions:
- Chicago region (Illinois)
- Lowcountry of South Carolina
The foundation also has some activity in California.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
- Assets: Approximately $193.9 million to $207.9 million (figures vary by reporting year)
- Annual Revenue: $11.6 million to $31.1 million (depending on reporting period)
- Annual Expenses: Approximately $10.3 million
- Tax-Exempt Status: 501(c)(3), tax-exempt since February 1954
- EIN: 36-6108460
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation
Artistic Vitality: Chicago Gen Ops Grant
GAYLORD AND DOROTHY DONNELLEY FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Chicago Region Artistic Vitality Grants
GAYLORD AND DOROTHY DONNELLEY FOUNDATION
Amount
US $2,500 - US $13,500
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Chicago Region Land Conservation Grants
GAYLORD AND DOROTHY DONNELLEY FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
David Farren is listed as Executive Director.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARNOLD RANDALL | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & ASST. SECRETARY | 40 | $335,309 |
| BARONICA ROBERSON | DIR FINANCE & ASST. TREASURER | 40 | $215,695 |
| JOEL DAVID FARREN | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & ASST. SECRETARY | 40 | $65,421 |
| LAURA DONNELLEY | DIRECTOR, CHAIRPERSON | 3 | — |
| MARK TEMPLETON | DIRECTOR, TREASURER | 2 | — |
| DENISE GARDNER | DIRECTOR, SECRETARY | 2 | — |
| BRIAN BANNON | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| BETSY CHAFFIN | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| CEARA DONNELLEY | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| INANNA DONNELLEY | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| SHAWN M DONNELLEY | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| LAURA GATES | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| WENDI HUFF | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| RICK LOWE | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| ANDRES TAPIA | DIRECTOR (FROM 2024) | 2 | — |
| ALAKA WALI | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| MAX WHEELER | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| MIMI WHEELER | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
Contact Information
- Address: 35 E Wacker Dr Ste 2600, Chicago, IL 60601-2309
- Phone: 312-977-2700
- Website: gddf.org
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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