Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation

08/25/2026

Land conservation is central to South Carolina’s legacy and plays a vital role in its future. The recently passed state budget contained significant increased funding for conservation in the state. In this The Post and Courier op-ed, GDDF’s Arnold L. Randall and Jason Crowley discuss how important it is for the state’s next generation of leaders to continue to invest in and prioritize land conservation in the Lowcountry and beyond.

Read the piece: https://www.postandcourier.com/opinion/commentary/land-conservation-south-carolina-mcmaster/article_27b15733-f238-461e-ae7c-dbd39138e1c9.html

04/22/2026

This Earth Day, and every day, we celebrate the importance of land conservation to the health and happiness of our communities. Protected, restored, and sustainably managed lands and natural resources are essential for both nature and humans to thrive.

From natural areas to working lands, land conservation protects biodiversity, addresses climate change, and supports diverse communities and economies.

02/12/2026

It’s the love of the Lowcountry. The love of the land.

As we announce our 2026 Lowcountry Land Conservation Symposium, we are proud to share this look at the history and origins of land conservation in the region, with personal reflections from Coy Johnston, Charles Lane, and our chair Laura Donnelley.

We ask you to save the date for this year’s symposium: Setting an Ambitious Agenda–The Power of Collaborative Land Conservation. It takes place May 12, 2026 at the Charleston Gaillard Center. Registration and more information will be available in mid-March.

South Carolina’s conservation success has been built over decades through partnerships — bringing together landowners, conservation organizations, public agencies and private-sector leaders to protect the landscapes that define our region. As the state sets ambitious goals to significantly expand protected land over the coming decades, collaboration across sectors and communities will be essential to meeting the challenge.

After all, as Coy tells us, it is about the “we, we, we.”

Thank you to the team .co for their work producing this beautiful video.

01/09/2025

In our 2024 grantmaking, GDDF was proud to support 127 organizations in Chicago and the Lowcountry with nearly $6.2 million in grants. More than 65% of this year’s grants were for multi-year general operating support.

Arnold Randall shares:

“It is more important than ever to champion the power of art, nurture our land, and share the stories that shape our self-understanding. Even as they are doing exciting and important work, many of the organizations we support are facing challenges and uncertainty. At GDDF, we value the deep, steady, and long-term relationships we build with our grantee partners. We remain committed to trust-based practices, our mission areas, and the values of equity and trust that guide our work. We are proud to support these organizations that are doing such important work in their fields and communities.”

12/17/2024

Happy 35th anniversary to the ACE Basin! Learn more about this incredible feat of conservation and the lessons it still holds for us today in this The Post and Courier op-ed from GDDF Executive Director Arnold Randall.

A Ga***rd & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation director celebrates how government, landowners have protected undeveloped land near Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto rivers

12/10/2024

We’re proud to be part of the Chi-Cal River Fund partnership and are pleased to share that six projects have been selected to receive $2.1 million in grant funding to enhance habitat and greenspace throughout the Chicago-Calumet region.

“Given the increasing climate impacts our region is facing, the work accomplished through this partnership is more vital than ever,” said Arnold Randall, executive director of the Ga***rd and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation. “Together, we can achieve more powerful conservation results for the communities, people, and ecosystems within the Chicago and Calumet watersheds.”

, , , , and will protect and conserve fish and wildlife habitat, reduce stormwater runoff, engage most-impacted communities in restoration activities, and improve access to greenspace.

The Chi-Cal Rivers Fund is a partnership between and the , .s.forestservice , Cleveland-Cliffs, , Crown Family Philanthropies, Ga***rd and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, , and .

Photo: This July, GDDF board and staff visited wetland restoration areas along the West Branch of the Little Calumet River.

10/17/2024

Congratulations to GDDF Executive Director Arnold Randall!

Arnold is the inaugural Gerald W. Adelmann Conservation Leadership Award at the Annual Luncheon. The award celebrates his unwavering dedication to preserving our natural landscapes. Arnold has dedicated his career to preservation, conservation, and championing access to nature for everyone. We were thrilled you joined the Foundation this year and are so grateful for your years of conservation leadership at organizations like the Forest Preserves of Cook County.

Please join us in congratulating Arnold for this well-deserved award!

Photo: Arnold accepting his award from 2024 luncheon co-chair Gloria Castillo.

07/24/2024

GDDF is helping to support 69 organizations in the Chicago region and the Lowcountry with more than $3.9 million in funding in our spring/summer 2024 grant cycle.

Executive Director Arnold Randall shares:

“We are proud to support a vibrant array of organizations that play such a vital role in their communities. Collectively, their work speaks to our humanity: the art that inspires us, the narratives that shape us, and the land that sustains us.”

GDDF is committed to trust-based practices and offering partner-grantees steady, sustained support that recognizes their expertise in their fields and regions.

68% of grants offer multiyear general operating funds

13 new grantee-partners

56 returning grantee-partners

43 in the Artistic Vitality program

12 in the Broadening Narratives program

14 in the Land Conservation program

The Ga***rd and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation (GDDF) is pleased to announce support for 69 groups in its 2024 spring/summer grant cycle.

07/17/2024

How many birds can you spot?

We don’t know the answer, either, because this area is home to “secretive marsh birds.” It is also home to egrets, herons, and more. Oh, and... it’s in Gary, Indiana. Yes, conservation work happens in urban and industrialized areas, too.

GDDF Board and staff had the opportunity to visit the site of an amazing urban conservation project as part of our July Board of Directors meeting. We make time at each meeting for the Board to get out and see the incredible work our grantee partners are doing.

This year’s visits showcased the restoration of wetlands along a 10-mile stretch of the Little Calumet River to improve wildlife habitat and connectivity, flood resiliency, and community greenspace. And those secretive birds? They are a great way of assessing
the impact of the restoration work and the health of marshes and wetlands.

And it isn’t just for the birds. This kind of conservation work is also done with community in mind, from bringing local residents to the table early for conversations and consultations, to working with park districts to make and connect trails, to thinking
about the impact of controlled burns on local air quality.

Thank you to:
Daniel Suarez
Joel Perez-Castaneda
Paul Botts
Craig Zandstra

for taking the time to show us the incredible work your organizations are doing.

And stay tuned for another glimpse of this July’s site visits coming next week!

07/10/2024

Proud to be part of the Chi-Cal Rivers Fund! Check out this amazing grant opportunity from the partnership with National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Proposals due August 22.

Rivers are vitally important for cities!

They offer capacity for managing stormwater 🌊
They are essential for shipping and a strong economy 🚢
They make for fun tourism and recreation 🛶
They provide habitats for many resident and migratory wildlife species 🐦

In the Chicago and Calumet River region, NFWF is offering up to $1.5 million in grant funding to improve these major waterways, reduce stormwater runoff with green infrastructure, enhance fish and wildlife habitat and improve public access to and use of natural areas.

Learn more: https://loom.ly/kAhVzHc

The Chi-Cal Rivers Fund is a partnership between NFWF and BNSF Railway, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., Crown Family Philanthropies, Ga***rd & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, Hunter Family Foundation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service and the Walder Foundation.

📷: Kayakers in Chicago