NET WORTH: Unknown
SOURCE OF WEALTH: Goldman Sachs
FUNDING AREAS: Education & Youth
OVERVIEW: The Gorter Family Foundation was established in 1976 by James Gorter and his wife Audrey. The foundation primarily directs giving within Lake County, Illinois, in the Greater Chicago area, with an eye towards education and youth.
BACKGROUND: Born in 1929 in Baltimore, James P. Gorter earned an economics degree from Princeton University in 1951. He attended also the London School of Economics and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy from 1952 to 1955. In 1956, Gorter joined Goldman Sachs and became a partner in 1965. After retiring from Goldman Sachs in 1988, he served as chairman of Baker, Fentress & Co., a closed-end investment fund.
ISSUES:
EDUCATION & YOUTH: In recent years, the Gorter Family Foundation has been laser-focused on education and youth in the Greater Chicago area, particularly in Lake County, Illinois. As the foundation's website explains, "The needs in Lake County are many. Homelessness, healthcare, hunger, unemployment, and education are major concerns which are directly tied to poverty. The acknowledged attributes of urban poverty — gangs, substance abuse, violence, and crime have inched their way from the city into the suburbs creating a new suburban poverty discussion."
The foundation engages in several initiatives, including North Chicago Community Partners (NCCP). NCCP works in conjunction with some 50 organizations to provide "after school enrichment activities, lunchtime tutoring and mentoring programs, family engagement and education opportunities, Saturday programs" and more.
The Gorter Family Foundation has supported nonprofits Advance Illinois, Bernie's Food Bank, College Bound Opportunities, Kohl Children's Museum, Most Blessed Trinity School, Partnership for College Completion, and Waukegan to College.
LOOKING FORWARD: Expect Gorter and family to remain laser-focused on Greater Chicago youth in their philanthropy.
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