Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation

Supporting OrganizationIRS data 2021–2024

Chicago, ILEIN 366108460 Website

Annual Giving

$7.1M+2% YoY

Grants

355

Median Grant

$10K

Organizations Funded

398

Is this foundation right for you?

SciRise maps the network of who funds whom to surface your next funders. Enter your nonprofit to check your fit.

Foundation Overview

Mission

GDDF supports land conservation, artistic vitality, and regional collections for the people of the Chicago region and the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The Foundation seeks to sustain and build resilient, vital, engaged, and equitable communities in these two regions by supporting conservation, arts, and collections.

Focus Areas

land conservationcoastal conservationwetland conservationhabitat restorationland trustsforest and forestry conservationwatershed and river restorationenvironmental law and litigation

Grant Types

general operating supportproject/program grantscapacity-building and organizational developmentdiscretionary grantsemployee matching giftspartnership/collaborative grants

Funded Initiatives

Provided $6.18M to 127 organizations in 2024. Fall 2024: $2.5M to 58 organizations. Summer 2024: $3.6M. Currently funds 322 organizations total. More than 65% of grants are multi-year general operating support. Chicago region: $2.9M to 53 organizations. Lowcountry SC: $700K to 16 organizations.

How to Apply

Foundation supports organizations with 501(c)3 status or those working through fiscal sponsors. Arts grants range $2,500-$13,500 annually for Chicago organizations with budgets under $1M, and $5,000-$25,000 annually for Lowcountry organizations. More than 65% of grants are multi-year general operating support. Contact: grants@gddf.org

Does Not Fund

Does not directly fund individual artists. Supports organizations with 501(c)3 status and those without nonprofit status who work through fiscal sponsors. Arts grants limited to organizations with specific budget caps.

Based on publicly available information from the foundation's 990 filings and website.

Giving History

2024+2%

$7.1M

Grants

355

Median

$10K

States

2023+8%

$7.0M

Grants

373

Median

$9K

States

2022

$6.5M

Grants

490

Median

$8K

States

Grant Size Distribution

$10K

Typical Grant (Median)

$500

Smallest

$8K

25th Pctile

$20K

75th Pctile

$236K

Largest

Excludes grants ≤ $5K. Half fall between $8K and $20K.

Largest Recent Grants

$236K

2024

NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY INC

NY · JULY 13TH BOARD/STAFF FIELD TRIP HONORARIUM

$186K

2024

NATURE CONSERVANCY

VA · JULY 13TH 2024 GAYLORD AND DOROTHY DONNELLEY BOARD/STAFF FIELD TR

$171K

2024

CENTER FOR HEIRS PROPERTY PRESERVATION

SC · CENTER FOR HEIRS PROPERTY PRESERVATION

$146K

2024

DUCKS UNLIMITED

TN · DUCKS UNLIMITED, INC.

$134K

2024

COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE

SC · COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE

Geographic Focus

$3.4M210 grants

$2.0M87 grants

$373K6 grants

$331K9 grants

$283K3 grants

Top states by total grant dollars. Based on IRS filing data.

Financial Overview

YearTotal AssetsGrants Paid

2024

$194.0M

$7.1M(3.7%)

2023

$195.7M

$7.0M(3.6%)

2022

$192.1M

$6.5M(3.4%)

2021

$230.6M

$8.1M(3.5%)

Grants paid shown as percentage of total assets

Network Intelligence

Funding follows networks, not keywords

SciRise maps 4.8M+ grants across 16,000+ foundations to identify which ones are most likely to fund organizations like yours — based on who they already fund, not just what they say they fund.

Data sourced from IRS 990 and 990-PF filings and publicly available foundation websites. Grant data, financial figures, and organizational details reflect historical filings and may not represent current operations or funding priorities. Verify directly with the foundation before applying. See an issue? Let us know.