President's Letter from the 2006 Annual Report:

One of the amazing aspects of working at a foundation is the freedom we have to pursue ideas that others can't or won't. Unlike businesses, we are not subject to market pressures. We don't need to fund-raise or sell products. Unlike government bodies, we are not subject to direct political pressure. We are generally free to try out new or unpopular concepts without worrying about day-to-day public approval. But the cliche applies: with freedom comes responsibility, and we are responsible to find and fund ideas that we believe can actually have a meaningful impact.

Because of our size and our location--headquartered in Chicago, with an original donor very much rooted in this part of the country--we have chosen to focus here in the Midwest. We have chosen to scale our giving to challenges that we think we can move the needle on, and take advantage of our ability to take on some risky propositions. And, unlike many other foundations, we concentrate almost exclusively on policy. More...