Since its establishment in 1960, the Field Foundation has been Dedicated to the Promise of Chicago.
On this Page
Background
The Field Foundation of Illinois was established in 1960 under the leadership of Marshall Field IV. Field IV was the great-grandson of Marshall Field, who founded the Marshall Field & Company department store in Chicago. The store grew into a regional chain and became a Chicago institution.
Twenty years earlier, Field IV’s father, Marshall Field III, had founded the Field Foundation Inc., in New York, which supported various social causes in the wake of the Great Depression. In 1960, a strategic decision was made to divide the foundation into separate entities: The Field Foundation of Illinois and The Field Foundation of New York. The Field Foundation of New York closed in 1989, having given away its assets.
Under the leadership of Field IV, the Field Foundation of Illinois became an active member of Chicago’s philanthropic community. In June 1965, just before his death, Field IV contributed $8 million to the foundation with the stipulation that the Field Building, a 44-story art deco masterpiece at 135 South LaSalle Street in Chicago, be transferred to the foundation at its fair market value. The building was sold in 1969. Field IV’s $8 million contribution, combined with the proceeds from the sale — totaling approximately $19.45 million — was set up as an endowment and transferred to the foundation’s assets.
135 South LaSalle Street, Chicago
Leadership
Transition
Following Marshall Field IV’s death, his son, Marshall Field V, entered the family business and took over Field Enterprises Inc. At age 28, Field V was elected to be the publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Daily News — both of which were owned by Field Enterprises, Inc. — making him the youngest publisher of any major newspaper in the United States at the time.
Field V continued the family’s philanthropic work, serving on the Field Foundation Board of Directors from 1960 through 2016, when he transitioned to the role of Life Director.
Since 1960, the foundation has responded to the changing needs of Chicago and Chicagoans. The foundation has long viewed itself as a strategic supporter of innovative programs and organizations, with a primary emphasis on areas of greatest need.
Current Mission
and Focus
Today, the Field Foundation supports community power building in Chicago through strategic investments in arts and culture, civic infrastructure, journalism and storytelling, local leaders, and organizers. Through its grantmaking, the foundation collaborates with funding partners to distribute more than $11 million annually to organizations and leaders working in geographic priority areas, with a focus on the city’s South and West Sides.
Our thesis is that organized communities—with access to art and creative expression and the ability to amplify their authentic narratives—can set and advance a reform agenda that benefits their communities.
