Landmarks Illinois receives transformative $300,000 gift from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

The unrestricted gift will advance the statewide advocacy organization’s mission to empower communities through inclusive preservation

Chicago, Sept. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Landmarks Illinois, the state’s leading preservation advocacy organization, has received a $300,000 gift from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in support of our visionary efforts to make preservation more accessible and inclusive.

The remarkably generous gift will provide critical funding for Landmarks Illinois’ general operations as it continues its community-driven preservation efforts across the state. It will enable the organization to make substantial progress in advancing preservation as an inclusive tool for economic opportunity, climate resilience, needed housing and neighborhood identity, as outlined in its five-year strategic roadmap, the Transformational Plan. 

"Funding from a prestigious partner like the MacArthur Foundation is a powerful vote of confidence in our team and our vision," said Frank Butterfield, Landmarks Illinois Interim President & CEO. "This investment represents a significant step forward in expanding our impact in under-resourced communities in Chicago and across Illinois. We welcome continued partnership from individuals, foundations and businesses to build on the momentum created by the MacArthur Foundation’s gift."

The MacArthur Foundation made the gift to Landmarks Illinois through its Chicago Commitment program, which aims to invest in people, places and partnerships to advance racial equity and build a more inclusive Chicago. It provides $300,000 total over three years. This profound support underscores the vital role preservation plays in fostering equitable community development and civic engagement. The gift also comes at a pivotal time for Landmarks Illinois, which manages a suite of community-focused initiatives, including:

• The Reinvestment Program Loan Fund, which provides more accessible lending terms to preservation projects where conventional financing may be unavailable.

• The Preservation Heritage Fund and the Timuel D. Black, Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side, which distribute monetary assistance to people preserving places of cultural and architectural significance in Illinois.
  
  
• Statewide advocacy efforts, which provide hands-on assistance to promote and support sustainable reuse of our built environment.

About the MacArthur Foundation
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation supports creative people, effective institutions, and influential networks building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. MacArthur strives toward transformative change on some of the world's most pressing social issues, including the existential threats of climate change, criminal justice reform, revitalizing local news in the U.S., expanding who creates, uses, and benefits from artificial intelligence, strengthening the well-being of Native communities, and empowering young people in Nigeria.

In addition to our award programs MacArthur Fellows and 100&Change, the Foundation continues our historic commitments to the role of journalism in a responsible and responsive democracy and to the strength and vitality of our headquarters city, Chicago. We are also significantly increasing financial capital for the social sector and strengthening research and advocacy about the social impacts of technology.

About Landmarks Illinois
Landmarks Illinois is a membership-based, historic preservation nonprofit organization founded in 1971. Our mission is to accelerate the preservation and reuse of significant places statewide to foster healthy, livable and thriving communities. Through advocacy, funding, technical expertise and public engagement, we position preservation as an accessible, equitable and effective tool to support strategic, community-driven revitalization. For more information, visit www.Landmarks.org.

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Kaitlyn McAvoy
Landmarks Illinois
312-995-9679 
kmcavoy@landmarks.org