McCormick Foundation
Chicago, Illinois
Curtis D. Whiting
McCormick legacy helps fund Illinois journalism programs
The McCormick Foundation, launched in 1955, based in Chicago, Illinois, is funded by the legacy of Robert McCormick, grandson of Chicago Tribune publisher Joseph Medill. McCormick lived a long and storied life, becoming the Tribune company president.
The foundation in his name is a grant and funding charitable trust with a mission to strengthen and scale impactful local reporting in the state of Illinois. They focus on increasing government transparency and enhancing the accountability of decision-makers to their constituents. The foundation supports such programs as early childhood education, veterans, public safety, community capital, and journalism that serves the public interest.
The foundation, committed to free press in a healthy democracy, began in the mid-1950s by funding the Medill School of Journalism. Since 2020, the foundation has given nearly $5.4 million for several high-impact journalism initiatives within the state of Illinois.