The Zell Family Foundation gives $50 million to the CSOA

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association has received a $50 million gift from Helen and Sam Zell on behalf of the Zell Family Foundation.

The donation was announced at a meeting Dec. 10 of the CSOA Board of Trustees, attended by Chicago Symphony Orchestra members. The gift is one of nearly 200 made to the CSOA’s SEMPRE ALWAYS capital campaign, chaired by Helen Zell. The Zells’ gift brings the total raised so far by the campaign to $215 million.

“As an avid supporter of the arts, I understand the importance of philanthropy in filling the gap between earned revenue and operating expenses,” said Helen Zell of the gift. “The generosity of donors will ensure the long-term sustainability of our great cultural institutions that add vitality and beauty to our lives and communities.” Zell added, “I’ve been a champion of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for many years, and I think about this gift as an investment in preserving the CSO’s future.”

Launched in 2020 with a leadership gift from the Zell Family Foundation, the SEMPRE ALWAYS campaign aims to secure long-term financial stability for the CSOA, support and advance the CSO’s 134-year tradition of musical excellence, and nurture the positive impact of music and music education on society.

Funds from this $50 million gift will allow the CSOA to continue to advance its strategic goals. The gift provides funding to strengthen the organization’s finances by reducing debt over time. The gift also increases the CSOA’s endowment and is earmarked to provide essential funding for musician and staff retirement benefits, the CSO’s domestic and international touring activities, special artistic projects shaped by CSO music directors, and digital content initiatives for marketing and promotion.

Over the years, Helen Zell (at left) has held various leadership roles with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, beginning in 2007 as a Board of Trustees member. She then became the first woman CSOA board chair, serving two consecutive three-year terms between 2015 and 2020.

She also served as chair of the CSOA Music Director Search Committee, which in April recommended the appointment of Klaus Mäkelä as the CSO’s 11th music director. She remains a member of the CSOA’s Board of Trustees, serving as one of three vice chairs and as part of the board’s Executive Committee.

She is president and executive director of the Zell Family Foundation, established by her late husband, the global, industry-agnostic entrepreneur and investor Sam Zell. Over the years, the foundation supported many of Helen’s and Sam’s areas of interest, including educational institutions, Jewish-related organizations, culture, health, public policy and social services.

CSOA President Jeff Alexander said, “We are honored and deeply grateful to receive this extraordinary gift from Helen and Sam Zell on behalf of the Zell Family Foundation. We celebrate their strong philanthropic vision that paves the way for a bright future for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association and all the ensembles it supports and programs it delivers. Helen’s exceptional dedication to the association and to the SEMPRE ALWAYS campaign has inspired donors from across the CSOA family to add their support for the music that they love and the activities that enrich the lives of so many people in Chicago, across the United States and around the world.”

Zell Music Director Designate Klaus Mäkelä said, “I am enormously inspired by Helen Zell’s passionate devotion to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. We immediately connected at our first meeting and since then have shared many conversations about the essential need to maintain the legacy of this great Orchestra, which she has supported so generously in the past and with this incredible new gift.”

SEMPRE ALWAYS: The Campaign for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an ongoing capital campaign that advances the Orchestra’s preeminent role as a cultural icon showcasing musical brilliance, leadership and innovation. Campaign contributions support four main priorities: achieving financial sustainability, sustaining musical excellence, expanding education and community engagement and strengthening Chicago’s cultural fabric.

Read the press release