Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association Receives $21 Million Gift

Given by the Negaunee Foundation, the gift will support programs such as CSO for Kids, which reaches 25,00 children from Chicago public schools each year

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (CSOA) has received a donation valued at $21 million — one of the largest gifts in the CSOA's history — from the locally-based Negaunee Foundation.

The CSOA has been receiving funding from the Negaunee Foundation since the 1990s, with the money supporting education and community programs as well as overall operating support for the orchestra's activities. In 2014, the foundation made a $15 million gift to endow the CSO’s formerly named Institute for Learning, Access and Training, which was then renamed the Negaunee Music Institute.

The Institute's purpose is to connect the considerable skill, expertise, and resources of the orchestra with its community at large, serving diverse communities across Chicago worldwide. One of its flagship programs is CSO for Kids, which reaches 25,00 children from public schools in Chicago annually.

"The impact of The Negaunee Foundation’s transformational gift ensures that young musicians and communities in Chicago, around the country and across the world will remain connected to the extraordinary musical and educational resources of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra," said Jeff Alexander, CSOA President. "The CSOA expresses its sincere gratitude to The Negaunee Foundation for this exceptional generosity and vision that will sustain our inspiring and effective programs well into the future."

"The Negaunee Foundation demonstrates tremendous civic leadership with this support," said Mary Louise Gorno, CSOA Board Chair. "Chicago greatly benefits from donors like The Negaunee Foundation, who recognize the power of the arts to improve lives and connect us in meaningful ways. We celebrate their ongoing commitment to this important work."