The Gorter Family Foundation was established by James P. Gorter and Audrey F. Gorter in 1978 to provide a vehicle for the family to make its charitable gifts.  Until 2006, the Foundation was mainly reactive – responding to requests from charities in the Chicago area and elsewhere. In 2006 the Foundation decided to take a more proactive approach to its giving, and after considerable research, decided to direct its efforts to the needs in Lake County, Illinois and, more specifically, to focus on education. While the Foundation continues to support charitable causes in other areas, over the past eight years the majority of its gifts have been in Lake County and have been concentrated on providing enhanced educational opportunities to the children of North Chicago (See North Chicago Community Partners).  The Foundation’s motto is Look North. It is dedicated to persuading other donors to focus a portion of their charitable giving on the very great needs in Lake County.