More than 1,000 people gathered on the White House South Lawn in July 2022 to witness President Joe Biden commemorate the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first significant U.S. gun safety legislation in three decades. The event brought together lawmakers, gun violence survivors, advocates, and researchers, highlighting nearly 30 years of groundwork in research, advocacy, and data-driven policy, led in large part by the Joyce Foundation, a Great Lakes-based philanthropy marking its 75th anniversary. Joyce’s early efforts in the 1990s focused on funding research into gun violence causes and potential solutions, despite political opposition and personal threats, laying the foundation for policy reforms reflected in the new law.
Joyce’s work has always emphasized long-term impact, relying on data and evidence to guide advocacy and policy development. Ellen Alberding, the Foundation’s president, noted that decades of sustained investment in research and evidence-based approaches ultimately validated their strategy and is expected to save lives. The Foundation also expanded its work into community-led violence prevention, supporting partners that have become central to national policy discussions. Joyce’s influence extends beyond gun violence, including environmental initiatives, education reform, and economic mobility, demonstrating the power of long-term, policy-focused philanthropy.
Celebrating its 75th year, Joyce has reflected on its accomplishments, setbacks, and evolving strategies. The Foundation emphasizes patience and persistence, recognizing that impactful policy change takes time. Its philosophy stresses the importance of data, taking calculated risks, and focusing on strategic program areas including Culture, Democracy, Education & Economic Mobility, Environment, Gun Violence Prevention & Justice Reform, and Journalism. Joyce has increasingly integrated racial equity and economic mobility into its overarching strategy, informed by data-driven studies projecting demographic changes in the Great Lakes region.
In gun violence prevention, Joyce has invested over $33 million in research, producing seminal findings and helping create advocacy organizations like Moms Demand Action, the Fund for a Safer Future, and Mayors Against Illegal Guns. Its approach to innovation is seen in programs such as the Joyce Awards for arts organizations, strengthening local arts infrastructure and promoting diversity. In education, Joyce has supported reforms that enhance educator effectiveness and link academic achievement to economic mobility, helping establish organizations like the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research and Advance Illinois. Environmental initiatives have built coalitions to protect the Great Lakes and promote clean energy transitions, while Democracy programs focus on fair representation, voting access, and civic engagement.
Joyce’s roots trace back to Beatrice Joyce Kean, who began her philanthropic work in 1948, later formalized in 1976 with $140 million in assets. Early leadership transformed the Foundation into a forward-focused organization with a signature strategy of leveraging policy for lasting impact. This strategy uses a continuum that begins with research and analysis and continues through policy development, advocacy, public education, and evaluation. The Foundation also emphasizes partnerships both inside and outside government, enabling it to act as an external agitator or internal collaborator depending on the context.
Over 75 years, Joyce has taken calculated risks, enduring setbacks such as partial rollbacks in education reform and persistent challenges in addressing gun violence. Alberding emphasizes that risk-taking, long-term commitment, and support for innovation are central to the Foundation’s work. By extending program strategies from three to five years and maintaining honest, transparent partnerships, Joyce ensures that grantees are empowered to pursue long-term change. Grantees and partners praise Joyce’s resilience, risk tolerance, and commitment to sustained engagement, which fosters confidence and enables transformative impact over time.
