About Landing Page

The Joyce Foundation is a private, nonpartisan philanthropy that invests in public policies and strategies to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region.

We support policy research, development, and advocacy in six program areas: Culture, Democracy, Education & Economic Mobility, Environment, Gun Violence Prevention & Justice Reform, and Journalism. We focus our grant making primarily in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, while also exploring promising, evidence-informed policy solutions nationally and at the federal level.

The Foundation was founded in 1948 by Beatrice Joyce Kean, the sole heir of the Joyce family, which built its wealth in lumber and related industries. The foundation charter has allowed Joyce to grow with the times, developing strategies that evolve to reflect critical issues in the Great Lakes region.

In 2022, the Joyce Foundation had $1.2 billion in assets and made qualifying charitable distributions of $65.6 million. The Foundation’s commitment to racial equity and economic mobility is reflected in our strategic grant-making priorities, which aim to improve outcomes for all young people, with a focus on young people of color who disproportionately face structural barriers to social and economic progress. It also is reflected in our business operations, as we work to measure the impact of our grant making, staffing, and contracting with the goal of creating greater, more equitable opportunities for people of color.

Our work on this front is ongoing. We are committed to aligning our policies, practices, and resources to foster equitable opportunity for all.

Members of the media seeking comment from the Foundation or wishing to interview a member of our staff, please email [email protected], or call us at (312) 782-2464.