On the Scene: The McCormick Foundation Blog

Leadership in Democracy

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 19:59:00 +0000

McCormick Launches 2021 Program Supporting Current and Emerging Leaders

Best-selling author and business consultant Peter Drucker once proclaimed “Management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right things.” Great managers can become great leaders — and vice versa — if opportunities to grow learning and expand experience are provided to them.

It is with this purpose that the Robert R. McCormick Foundation launched the Leadership in Democracy Program in 2020. The goal is clear: develop high-capacity civic leaders, representative of the communities they serve, who invite constituent participation and advocate for and implement inclusive policies.

By investing in senior leaders within key Foundation’s grantee organizations, prioritizing leaders of color, and connecting these leaders with executive coaching and other management training and supports, the Foundation can help leaders enhance inclusiveness and impact at their organizations and contribute to a more robust pipeline of civic leadership talent in the region.

Assisting with this year’s work includes leaders themselves: Genita Robinson, from GCR Consulting, will be designing and facilitating the leadership sessions with our cohort; the Executive Service Corps, will be pairing program participants with executive coaches; and the Management Center will be providing their 2-day “Managing to Change the World” training for all program participants.

The 2021 Leadership in Democracy Cohort includes the following individuals:

Bessie Alcantara

Executive Director, Alternatives Inc.

Bessie earned her master’s degree in social work from Loyola University and has been working for youth-serving organizations for the past 10 years. Through her executive leadership experience across multiple organizations, she has cultivated strong expertise in strategic planning, fund development, program evaluation, and quality improvement, among other key areas.

Anwulika Anigbo

Development Director, Invisible Institute

Anwulika is the Development Director at the Invisible Institute. She joined Invisible Institute after years of working in fundraising and communications. She has devoted her career to developing a fundraising style rooted in black queer feminist principles, critical race theory, and Elinor Ostromâ’s paradigm-shifting work around the viability of the commons.

Jill Bass

Chief Education Officer, Mikva Challenge

Jill has been the Chief Education Officer at Mikva Challenge for the past 10 years. At Mikva Challenge, she manages curriculum, professional development and partner sites for the organizations work nationally. Jill has written chapters for Teaching the College, Career, and Civic Life Framework, and Teaching for Democracy in an Age of Economic Disparity. Prior to joining Mikva Challenge, Jill worked as professional developer, curriculum writer, educational consultant, and instructional coach. But, in her heart she is still a teacher, especially after teaching in Chicago and New York City public schools for 13 years.

Lawrence Benito

Chief Executive Officer, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Lawrence joined ICIRR in October 2002 to direct the health and citizenship programs. Since 2002, he has also organized in the north and northwest suburbs of Chicago, lobbied in Springfield, and directed the electoral work of Illinois Immigrant Action (ICIRR’s 501c4 arm). Prior to ICIRR, he worked for the national Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Marquette University, and master’s degree in social work from Loyola University. The son of immigrants from the Philippines, Lawrence has spent nearly 30 years working on social justice issues in various communities. He is a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana, West Africa.

Sangini Brahmbhatt

Director of Development, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago

Sangini is the Director of Development at Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago, which builds power through collective advocacy and organizing to achieve racial equity. Previously, she has held development positions at Arts Alliance Illinois, Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago, Chicago Cares, and The Night Ministry. Sangini is a Cultivate: Women of Color in Leadership alumni. A first-generation Indian-American and Chicago native, Sangini currently serves as a committee member of Edgar Miller Legacy and is an emeritus Board member of Latitude Chicago. She received a degree in art and design from DePaul University.

Eliza Bryant

Director of Academic Programs, Big Shoulders Fund

Eliza has spent nearly 20 years in Chicago since attending UChicago in 2002. She holds a master’s degree in teaching from the Urban Teacher Education Program and a Bachelor in History, both from the UChicago. After graduating, Eliza taught in Chicago Public Schools and became a professional development leader and instructional coach before landing her current role as director of academic programs at Big Shoulders Fund.

Juan Cruz

Communications Director, Communities United

Juan is the Communications Director at Communities United, a community based organization. A graduate of Northeastern Illinois University, Juan has been a community organizer since 2007, and the Communications Director since 2017. As an organizer, he has worked with youth and adults through local and collaborative campaigns to improve the quality of public education and promote immigrant rights at the city and state levels.

Adeshina Emmanuel

Editor-in-Chief, Injustice Watch

Adeshina is the editor-in-chief at Injustice Watch, a nonprofit investigative newsroom based in Chicago. His work over the past decade has spanned hyperlocal and national reporting with a focus on race, class, and institutional injustice. Adeshina is also a former education reporter at Chalkbeat, a former investigative reporter at the Chicago Reporter, and a former neighborhood reporter at DNAinfo Chicago who worked on the breaking news wire at the Chicago Sun-Times before interning at the New York Times in 2012 at the start of his career. He was born and raised in the Uptown neighborhood on Chicago's North Side by an African-American mother and Nigerian father and studied journalism at Loyola University Chicago.

Oi Eng-Crandus

Chief Finance and Operations Officer, Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights

Oi is the Chief Finance and Operations Officer of Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, a nonprofit working to secure racial equity and economic opportunity for all. In this role, she oversees finance, human resources, information technology, and office management for the organization. Prior to joining Chicago Lawyers' Committee, Oi served as Vice President of Customer Development, Digital Channels at Essendant and held positions in strategy, finance, and business development at Sears and BP Amoco. Oi earned an MBA from UChicago and a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Jaye Hobart

Director of Development, Civic Federation

Jaye is the Director of Development and joined the Civic Federation in September 2019. In this role, she works directly with the President and alongside communications staff and membership staff to advance the overall development strategy for the Federation. Prior to joining the Civic Federation, she worked at Woods Fund Chicago managing a city-wide racial equity process. She also worked at the Center for New Community and the ACLU of New Mexico’s Regional Center for Border Rights. She received a master’s degree from UChicago and a bachelor’s degree from Luther College. Jaye is a 2020 Fundraising for Good Leader at Loyola University Chicago's Baumhart Center. She serves on the Board of Korean Adoptees of Chicago and the HANA Center, the steering committee of Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy Chicago and the IDEA committee and Asian Affinity Group of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Chicago.

Erica Hodgin

Co-Director, Civic Engagement Research Group (CERG) at the University of California-Riverside

Erica is the Co-Director of the Civic Engagement Research Group (CERG) at the University of California, Riverside. CERG partners with educational leaders and key stakeholders on district-wide reform efforts that seek to Leverage Equity and Access to Democratic Education (LEADE). She has authored articles in Social Education, Theory and Research in Social Education, and the Journal of Digital and Media Literacy as well as book chapters in Fake news: What is it, why it is problematic, and what educators can do about it; Digital Equity and Educational Opportunity; and #youthaction: Becoming Political in the Digital Age. Erica received her EdD in educational leadership from Mills College. Before joining CERG, Erica taught English and social studies and served as an instructional coach at the middle school and high school level.

Alisa Kaplan

Executive Director, Reform for Illinois

Alisa joined Reform for Illinois (RFI) in 2018, drawn to the organization’s long history of fighting for campaign finance reform and against systemic corruption. As Executive Director, she leads RFI’s policy development, advocacy, and educational initiatives and oversees operations. A Yale graduate with a JD and PhD in political science from Northwestern University, Alisa brings expertise in law and the political process and a background in community organizing, grassroots activism, and nonprofit administration. She has been a faculty lecturer in constitutional law, civil rights, and law and politics at Northwestern, and is co-president of the Board of Open Communities, a Chicago-area civil rights and housing justice organization.

Frank Latin

Executive Director, Westside Media Project

Frank is the Founder and Executive Director of The Westside Media Project, an organization that provides exposure, training and support in digital media and technology to area schools and community residents. Latin previously published Nitty Gritty News, a community newspaper that highlighted many positive aspects of marginalized neighborhoods across Chicago. He is a graduate of Roosevelt University where he obtained both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics. Latin also has extensive experience working with international labor issues serving as a prevailing wage specialist and an Immigration Program analyst for the U.S. Department of Labor.

Janeen Lee

K-12 Social Science Manager, Department of Social Science and Civic Engagement, Chicago Public Schools

With a career in education for more than 20 years in Los Angeles and Chicago, Janeen has expertise in curriculum design and instruction, designing and leading professional development, and managing teams. She is currently the K-12 Social Science Manager for Chicago Public Schools in the Department of Social Science and Civic Engagement and leads a team of social science content specialists who provide culturally relevant and sustaining instructional coaching, professional learning and curriculum design support to all social science teachers in Chicago Public Schools. She received a BA in African American Studies and Sociology from the University of California and a master’s degrees in public policy and in curriculum and instruction from the University of Michigan.

Maureen Tatsuko Loughnane

Executive Director, Facing History and Ourselves

Maureen became the Executive Director of the Chicago office of Facing History and Ourselves in June 2016. As a lifelong Chicagoan, she is dedicated to expanding Facing History’s mission to use the tools of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to racism, bigotry and hate. Previously, Maureen was the Director of Development for the ACLU of Illinois, developing support for their efforts to protect our fundamental rights including reproductive and women's rights, and LGBTQ rights across Illinois. She began her career at UChicago as the Associate Director for the Pozen Center for Human Rights. Maureen received her bachelor’s degree from UChicago and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Wieboldt Foundation, which supports grassroots community organizing in Chicago.

Stephanie Manriquez

Communities Amplified Multilingual Radio Executive Producer, Public Media Institute

Stephanie is an award-winning writer, radio producer, journalist, and teaching artist with a passion for highlighting social justice issues affecting Latino communities. Her journalism work has been published in Contratiempo, The Gate Newspaper, Pilsen Portal, and Gozamos, and she regularly produces and creates content for Lumpen Radio. She is a Social Justice News Nexus Fellow at Northwestern University, leads WLPN’s new Communities Amplified multilingual initiative and the National Museum of Mexican Art’s youth journalism program. She was recognized in 2020 by the Field and MacArthur Foundations as one of 11 "Leaders for a New Chicago."

Team Rubicon Steps into the Arena

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 15:50:00 +0000

When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River at the head of his legions and marched on Rome, it marked a point of no return. The phrase “crossing the Rubicon” is used in reference to any group committing itself to a risky course of action.

Team Rubicon, which formed in January 2010 in response to a devastating earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was initially an envoy of eight medical personnel from the United States who helped thousands of individuals by traveling to camps deemed “too dangerous” by aid organizations. Thus, the official organization was created.

Team Rubicon currently identifies as a disaster response organization that leverages the unique skillsets of veterans and first responders. Its service and camaraderie help veterans gain community, a sense of purpose, and an identity to promote transitioning to civilian life.

The organization gives purpose and meaning to the American Veteran. As our veterans transition to civilian lives, the skills they acquired while serving our country are indispensable but hardly used. Team Rubicon advocates for these veterans, ensuring they utilize the unique skills learned while on active duty. In the last ten years, Team Rubicon deployed more than 4,800 veterans to 788 operations both internationally and domestically. Veteran volunteers led community restoration ravaged by earthquakes, flooding, tornadoes, and wildfires after other aid organizations leave the area.

Chicago welcomes Team Rubicon’s first field operations headquarters in the region in the near future. In 2020, the McCormick Foundation awarded Team Rubicon with an emergency relief grant to help reinforce vital COVID-19 operations in the city of Chicago. Through Operation PPE, Team Rubicon volunteers called “Greyshirts” saved countless lives.

I was called in for a few different things - at first, deliveries, and then later to work on the inventory and help with “the parade,” the weekly run of vehicles coming to pick things up.

I did deliveries twice, once with the completely selfless Tony and again with Rick Kolomay. Both experiences really brought home what Team Rubicon means to the volunteers and how COVID has impacted the community.

As we drove around many different neighborhoods in Chicago, we got to see how distinct segments responded. We delivered PPE and hand sanitizer to Kosher shops, Halal shops, places catering to Latin American foods as well as nursing homes, who had strict protocols.

We were greeted with confusion and then overwhelming thanks, but they didn’t really know who Team Rubicon was - we told them we were from the city. And that’s the most striking thing - the City of Chicago trusted us to represent them with an important and politically-sensitive mission. And we did it well.

It was an honor and a privilege to be involved. - Jeff Wagg

Team Rubicon provides service and honor to veterans of our communities. Their skills and sense of purpose make a world of difference and benefit our society.

Find out more about Team Rubicon, their service operations, and how veterans continue to enrich our lives at https://teamrubiconusa.org.

Creating Opportunities for Youth in Little Village

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Mon, 28 Dec 2020 06:00:00 +0000

For over 30 years, Central States SER, a workforce development and education organization in Little Village, has helped thousands of individuals achieve their academic and career goals to improve their quality of life. For Youth Program Manager Adrean Vargas, his connection to the organization spans back to his own youth.

“I grew up in Pilsen with these types of afterschool programs, including Saturday and summer school programs. They were my life saviors, my escape and where I felt safe,” said Adrean, who participated in GED programming at SER as a teenager. “Being part of the LGBTQ community, I made it my mission to create those safe spaces for people like me who need an escape from home. My job is to make a safe environment where everyone feels comfortable.”

SER works with individuals of all age ranges, as it offers various workforce development programs, such as job training and financial coaching, and youth programs ranging from mentorship to summer employment for teens.

“As the youth program manager, I oversee and manage all youth-related initiatives. I like hiring people from all walks of life who are not only talented, but passionate about the work. It’s important for the youth we work with to see themselves represented in our organization because they’re able to see us model healthy relationships, conflict resolution and disagreements. It feels like we do the work together as a family,” said Adrean. “Many of us had an adult in our life who helped us navigate through the difficult circumstances we went through when we were younger. Thanks to them, we are in a place where we are optimistic about the future and what it might hold.”

"I love when we get to work with youth who come in believing it's the end of the world and they have no options, like it's over and they’ve just given up. We get to work with them and six months later, you have a youth who has earned their GED, has a full-time job, and is envisioning their future differently. That is the best part because I was there once. I feel like a lot of our team members were also in that place at one point in time when they were young. We remind ourselves about that all the time when we ask ourselves “why do we do this again?” Because we were there once."

In addition to providing residents with academic and workforce resources and support, the team at SER holds strong connections with organizations in the community that specialize in other areas, like community organizing. Along with challenges posed by the pandemic, tensions were high between Black and Brown residents of the Little Village community after protests and looting took place around the city following the tragic murder of George Floyd in May 2020. The relationships and bonds developed across agencies and residents from North Lawndale through Little Village ultimately helped unify the community.

“It shook our community to the core. Our community partners, ENLACE and New Life Centers, came out to mediate conflict between the different gangs and explain what they were really doing. They had a meeting, had a truce, and started marching together. It was meant to unify and bring everyone together,” added Adrean. “We all joined forces to create miracles in the community.”

Support local organizations like this one and have your gift matched by donating to the McCormick Foundation Communities Program.

Increasing Economic Opportunity through Agriculture

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Everyone deserves to have a good job, and everyone deserves to eat well. That has been the vision of Growing Home since its founding in 2005. As the first high-production USDA-certified organic farm within city limits, Growing Home uses agriculture to inspire healthy living, increase economic opportunity and empower the Englewood community.

The organization provides nutritious food and food education to the community as well as a farm-based training program that has helped over 500 people with employment barriers find new career paths. The training program offers participants, or Production Assistants, opportunities to develop transferable skills, work experience, readiness support and mentorship. Growing Home harvests over 200 varieties of vegetables between each of its farms. Each piece of produce is packed, sold at one of its farm stands or delivered to residents in nearby communities.

“I learned about Growing Home’s training program through my daughter’s preschool. I wasn’t sure it was for me, but she convinced me,” said LaQuandra Fair, Community Engagement Coordinator at Growing Home and a 2016 graduate of the job training program. “I didn’t have a gardening or farming background, but I’ve learned so much at Growing Home, from seeding to harvesting. The decision has been so rewarding, beyond learning about agriculture, just knowing the small things I’m doing are helping change lives in the long run.”

“I have a strong sense of commitment and building with people. I am able to see the direct impact of the work that I do every day. I get to talk to seniors who have become friends and family. I get to see children who have never seen a tomato and explore how it grows. I get to see people turn their lives around.”

As the community engagement coordinator, LaQuandra was used to directly working with the community. When the pandemic hit, Growing Home staff members had to quickly readjust.

“I couldn’t go out to community events or workshops to speak with people. We had to learn how to pivot very quickly and figure out how to fully operate in the same capacity that we were before the pandemic,” said LaQuandra. “Our training program and cooking classes had to go virtual, and we started hosting virtual fundraisers.”

The Growing Home team has successfully kept up with this new normalcy. LaQuandra has continued to find ways to safely build relationships with the community, including organizing a senior pop-up market in Englewood and coordinating small volunteer groups to help at the farm. She has also partnered with nutritionists to incorporate important nutrition information in the increasingly popular virtual cooking classes. And, Growing Home continues to be a place for healing.

“I wish people knew that the community that we serve doesn’t always need help. It’s not so much that we need the investment in the resources. Most people know exactly what to do, but if you don’t have the means to provide or change your situation, then it makes it that much more difficult.”

“The relationship between plants and people is actually really similar,” added LaQuandra. “We all need good soil, to be planted, to be nurtured and cared for. And so does our food.”

Support local organizations like this one and have your gift matched by donating to the McCormick Foundation Communities Program.

Providing Pathways to Careers in Health Care

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 06:00:00 +0000

As an alumna of a high school operated by Instituto del Progresso, former participant of various educational programs and previous volunteer, Diana Alpizar exemplifies the family style approach that is recognized as one of Instituto’s strongest qualities.

Through its adult education courses, public charter high schools, nursing college and career pathways programs focused on healthcare, manufacturing and retail, the Little Village-based organization is known as a key leader in advancing and improving the lives of the Latino and immigrant communities.

In her current role as the director of college and academic affairs at Instituto, Diana works on the recruitment and admissions operations for the Basic Nurse Assistant Program (BNAP) and the Associate Degree in Nursing Program (ADN) offered through Instituto College. Through the Career Pathways in Healthcare program, the organization also offers opportunities for individuals to help them prepare for careers as certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses and registered nurses. Diana is often the first person who potential students meet and connect with throughout their enrollment and upon completion when she helps them with their job search. To better understand the experience of the students and how to best serve them, she even enrolled in the Basic Nurse Assistant Program herself.

“Some of the people we serve come to us without any knowledge of the education system in this country. They’re exploring it for the first time and don’t have the right person to guide them through all their options,” Diana said. “For many students, it’s also their first time seeking support from their community and they don’t know about all the things Instituto can help them with, like our full tuition scholarships for the Associate Degree in Nursing Program, financial coaching, transportation assistance and help with buying clothing for job interviews. We also connect them with other community organizations that can help with rent assistance, mental health services and health insurance. If someone really wants to pursue a nursing career but they don’t know where to start, Instituto is the right place for them.”

“Instituto del Progreso Latino seeks to contribute to the full development of low-income immigrants and their families through education, training and employment so they can become better prepared to fully exercise their rights in this country and feel confident in pursuing opportunities to improve their lives.”

The eagerness and drive of the program participants and nursing students to learn and pursue new career opportunities is also a significant motivational factor for Diana. “Despite the hardships they might be going through and the barriers they might face, especially throughout the pandemic, they have still been eager to continue moving forward,” Diana explained. “The lack of face-to-face interaction was difficult at first because many students didn’t have the right equipment to participate in the classes virtually. Luckily, we were able to help connect them with the right technology so they could continue working. Just having a computer with internet access can change someone’s life. I’ve been doing this work at Instituto for over 20 years because it’s so motivating to see how my work can impact the lives of others. It’s amazing to meet people when they first join the programs and watch them transform to become successful, confident individuals.”

Support local organizations like this one and have your gift matched by donating to the McCormick Foundation Communities Program.

Providing Emergency Resources for Families

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 06:00:00 +0000

When Veronica Sanchez joined the Chicago Commons team in March 2020 after moving on from her human resources job in the for-profit sector, she did not anticipate she would need to pivot to working remotely only a few days into her new role as a result of the COVID-19 statewide stay-at-home order.

“I had to shift from having an office and being on the field to operating remotely. Shifting successfully and remaining engaged with our clients are some of the things I’m most proud of,” said Veronica, an Employment Coach and Workforce Development Coordinator at Chicago Commons.

Chicago Commons is 126-year-old social service organization with the mission of empowering individuals, families, and communities, primarily Humboldt Park, Pilsen, Back of the Yards, and Bronzeville, to overcome systemic barriers so future generations can thrive. As an Employment Coach, Veronica offers support to over 800 families across four of Chicago Commons’ early education centers. She also coordinates Pathways for Parents, a program built to create and maintain educational and employment opportunities in early childhood development within the Back of the Yards neighborhood.

Despite the uncertainty around the pandemic, Veronica quickly connected with her new colleagues, learned how to be a team player under virtual settings, and helped many of the Pathways for Parents students navigate a virtual classroom for the first time.

“Our Pathways for Parents students transitioned from a traditional classroom setting into a virtual setting halfway through a semester. We had 10 out of 13 students finish our second module. We're currently working on having them transition into Truman College for their third module and that, to me, is a big achievement,” said Veronica. “The next part of the program is highly likely to run remotely, so securing that all students have the technology they need to succeed is key for me.”

“As an agency, we’re really proud of our staff for how they adapted and the resiliency they’ve shown. Veronica is a great example of that,” said Julio Paz, Chief Development Officer. “She came in and, without even having to ask, showed strong initiative and creativity moving into a virtual space. “In addition to calling all Pathways for Parents students to check on their progress in the program and any other needs they might have, she also connected three families who were experiencing food and housing insecurity to the emergency resources they needed. Very often, Commons becomes the place families go to for trusted information, advice, and for things beyond just the program.”

Chicago Commons established a COVID-19 response fund to help families dealing with adversity as a result of the pandemic. In addition to providing assistance for basic needs like food and rent, part of the fund was also used to purchase personal protective equipment for Chicago Commons employees who were still working and meeting people in the community.

“We have early education centers open right now with children because people have to go to work. Essential workers are out there and early childhood education is critically important. We’re trying to offer it as safely as possible and for many of our employees, the response was “Hey, let’s just get it done.” To give up our time and not count the cost was really special.”

Support local organizations like this one and have your gift matched by donating to the McCormick Foundation Communities Program.

Saving Local Businesses in Greater Englewood

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 06:00:00 +0000

For 36 years, Tess Porter has owned and managed Tess’ Style Shop at the intersection of Garfield Boulevard and South Ashland Avenue. She’s seen iconic, name-brand businesses — signs with golden arches and burger crowns — come and go. She’s seen children walk by, stop in, grow up and have their own children do the same. She’s hired locally, given generously and waved at thousands of passers-by as she reinvested, time and again, into her business. Everyone knows that Tess’ Style Shop is the place to go in Englewood for beauty and grooming services and supplies, for women and men, behind big, plate-glass windows.

Everyone including looters, who in the heat of the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in May 2020, broke Tess’ beautiful big windows, entered her store and ravaged it terribly. “It was heartbreaking. I cried,” said Tess. “It was hard because I’ve been here a long time. I felt like they not only should have known who I am, but that they should’ve had a little bit more respect for the fact that I’ve been here for a very long time and I am the type of person who helps with the neighborhood. I help with anything they need.”

Tess says that 90% of her products were stolen, and display cases, windows, doors and chairs were damaged. She felt as though the community had betrayed her, and she felt abandoned by systems meant to support people in need. “I had lost faith in the system. All these years I worked, I didn’t get unemployment, I was denied. I didn’t get the stimulus check. I wasn’t getting any assistance, no benefits, no grants, no loans, I didn’t get any of that.”

“I was asking for help and it didn’t come through. I feel like, with the help that I received, and I’m so grateful for it, that if, someone know you, they say, hey, I know this person, but if you just reach out to the system, there’s not a lot of strength behind that. I feel like it has to be someone who knows you.”

Her husband Jeffrey is a firefighter; her adult children are working professionals. They kept her encouraged, imploring her to not “go out like this” and to restore her business. Her children offered a little money each week to help fund business recovery. Then a long-time stylist at the shop and neighbors helped her clean up. Next, a client told her about the availability of funds from the GE Chamber Foundation, whose executive director Felicia Slaton-Young “came and said I’m going to help you out. And she did,” said Tess.

The funding Tess received was used to replace inventory and broken furnishings, doors and windows. Highly compliant with public health guidelines, Tess also created a patio in the rear of her shop, so that customers can be comfortable and socially distanced while waiting for services. Her business re-opened and her faith was restored.

“I was asking for help and it didn’t come through,” she said, until she made the connection with Slaton-Young, and tapped into the strength of the Chamber. “With the help that I received… I’m so grateful for it. If you just reach out to the system, there’s not a lot of strength behind that. I feel like it has to be someone who knows you.”

And after three decades at Ashland and 55th Street, everybody knows Tess. But Tess doesn’t know everyone who supported her — specifically, the donors who made it possible for the GE Chamber to support her. To the donors, she says, “Thank you so much for even taking this time to say we’re going to invest in these small business, because if ever we needed help, we need help now.”

Support local organizations like this one and have your gift matched by donating to the McCormick Foundation Communities Program.

Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce Restoring Local Businesses

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Small business owners know the necessity of networking: Mixing with other entrepreneurs, swapping business cards and sharing ideas can make the road to success a little more even and a little less lonely. But a global pandemic changes everything.

“Before COVID, we would host a happy hour event at a local business, provide refreshments and tell everyone to bring business cards,” said Felicia Slaton-Young, the co-founder and executive director of the Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce. “There’d be music and networking, and we’d also make time for everyone to introduce themselves, give a one-minute pitch and say what they want to achieve from the event.”

Everything has been different this year, noted Felicia, who established the Chamber in 2015 and has grown it to more than 50 members, largely through canvassing business corridors and networking. The pandemic was this year’s first blow to Englewood businesses, many of which are restaurants whose revenues plummeted during weeks of sheltering-in-place.

“We learned that small businesses were not prepared for a catastrophic event,” Felicia said, adding that many of the Chamber members are older owners who lack computer skills – or the computers themselves – necessary to navigate websites, complete applications and access crisis resources. “Our technical assistance calls went through the roof,” she said.

Adapting to the crisis meant that Felicia got “really clear” on where the gaps were for small businesses in her community. “We went from everything being roses and sprinkles around networking events, to helping people figure out how to fight for their business and avoid bankruptcy,” she said. “Our adaptation was to have hard conversations” with owners to encourage them to pivot, find ways to generate new revenue, and refuse to let their businesses slip away.

"For the Chamber, I really hope that through this, they can see that we were a partner in their business, and not just an organization that provided information, but really a partner in their success."

As COVID-19 ravaged her community, with a disproportionate infection rate for African-Americans, she organized virtual, weekly check-ins, open to any business owner. The calls were often emotional, but reinforced the necessity of a strong network, allowed her to reiterate information she shared in email messages, and gave her insights on what was working for folks and what wasn’t. Then, the second blow happened to Englewood. Following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, civil unrest and looting left scores of Englewood businesses damaged and without inventory.

“That’s when I found a purpose for our foundation,” she said in reference to the GE Chamber Foundation, the non-profit arm launched in 2015. The Foundation’s board had long wanted to offer capital support for area businesses, but hadn’t set a process. When riots erupted on May 31, Felicia saw the devastation up close. The next day, she began organizing clean-ups of Englewood commercial corridors, including the popular intersection at 63rd and Halsted streets, where Whole Foods, Starbucks and AT&T are among the retailers of Englewood Plaza. Her mass email message soliciting funds to help damaged businesses caught the attention of the Joseph and Betsy Feinberg Foundation, which pledged $250,000 to the effort. Felicia invited donors to match that gift, and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation answered the call to support the restorative work.

“What they (donors) are allowing our organization to do is to help really small businesses through a very tough period. That financial support really helps us build on each business’ sustainability. Now, we know that without this capital support, many of these businesses would be closed. There’s no doubt about it.”

The funds “pivoted the Foundation from programming to focusing on COVID response, financial response and repair support for the businesses, so that they could pay their bills, could pay their people and could buy supplies,” Felicia said.

One business that has been helped so far is Tess’s Place Style Shop, a Black-owned hair salon and beauty supply store, which had been vandalized and completely looted. “She remained open, even with broken glass,” Felicia said. “We got her repairs done and gave her some capital, and she was able to replace all lost inventory and take care of expenses. That helped her and her business tremendously.”

Support local organizations like this one and have your gift matched by donating to the McCormick Foundation Communities Program.

Workforce Development for Immigrant Communities

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Located between the Marshall Square and Pilsen neighborhoods, Instituto del Progreso Latino has been a significant pillar in workforce development and advancing education among the Latino community. In addition to their career pathways programs centered around healthcare, manufacturing, and retail, the organization also operates two public charter high schools and a nursing college. The community-based organization was founded in 1977 to help advance and improve the lives of Chicago’s immigrant and Latino communities through education, training, and employment, while still preserving their cultural identities.

“I was the only Latina in the majority of my classes in college and felt very isolated. None of my peers looked like me. It made the statistics about Latinos having high youth dropout out rates and low college enrollment rates very real for me,” said Yesenia Cervantes, the Dean of Career Pathways and Community Affairs at Instituto. By the time she graduated, Yesenia knew she wanted to help the Latino community with pursuing educational opportunities and has dedicated her career to that mission for the last 18 years.

“Out of all my other job opportunities, I knew I could have the biggest impact at Instituto because the organization’s mission aligns with my own. Through the work we've done as a team, we have impacted thousands of people and helped them pursue better job opportunities and pursue a better quality of life.”

“Women who attended our customer service and sales training in the retail program now manage their own businesses. They’re able to do their business pitches in English, confidently move around the city, and accomplish so much on their own. My mom was a business owner, so this part of my personal mission. I feel so proud of them, and it touches my heart to know we could be part of that.”

Yesenia’s connection to her work at Instituto is also a very personal one. “My parents didn’t go school, so when I see people their age who never spoke a word of English speaking the language, finishing their degree, or finding a job, I feel so proud of them. I see a reflection of my own family. It fills my heart to see their transformation and know that we are a part of their journey to success. That’s what keeps me passionate about Instituto.”

Like many other community nonprofits, Instituto had to pivot and quickly adapt to virtually serving the community when COVID-19 shut down the city this past spring.

“It caught us all by surprise, but we had to move fast to get our classes and programs online. It was a challenge because we had never hosted classes remotely, but I’m proud of our team and students for quickly adapting to technology like Zoom and Google Classroom. Social media has also helped us reach people and stay connected, since most of our recruiting is by word of mouth,” said Yesenia. "Some of our students lost their jobs or had their hours reduced, so we had to react quickly and organized our first virtual job fair within the first month. Grants helped us buy computers and other important equipment for students who didn’t have the necessary tools to access the courses online.”

“We’ve been able to expand our programs and support services to the refugee communities and are currently working with individuals from China, Afghanistan, South Africa, and the Congo. It’s exciting to expand our reach and help a diverse community.”

During this difficult time for all communities, Instituto continues to be a “diverse organization with resources to help anyone who is interested in finding another career path or improving their quality of life,” Yesenia added. “We want people to know we’re here to help.”

Support local organizations like this one and have your gift matched by donating to the McCormick Foundation Communities Program.

Strengthening Community Relationships

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 06:00:00 +0000

The Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP), which currently has 45 member institutions, including local Catholic parishes, schools, and a hospital, strives to enable families on the Southwest Side of Chicago to improve life in their neighborhoods by building relationships across racial, generational, and faith differences, finding common community concerns, and acting collectively on solutions.

“There’s an increased recognition that you can’t win by focusing on one community issue alone. It requires the interconnection between all the different aspects of the work. Rather than pointing to great work in schools, continuing to acquire and rehab homes, and working to reduce violence, what’s most striking to me is how they happen in relation to each other,” said Jeff Bartow, Director of the Southwest Organizing Project.

Through collaborative efforts by SWOP and its partners, the Reclaiming Southwest Chicago campaign has been working to repair the physical and social damage caused by the foreclosure crisis that led to over 700 foreclosed properties buildings in the neighborhood. Since the campaign began in 2013, the number of vacant homes has been reduced from 93 to eight in its target area.

“The low number of vacancies sounds really great, but I think it's more than that. It's everything that is invisible, like feeling safe when I leave bible study at 9:30 PM, attending late night festivals around the neighborhood, and people walking their dogs after dark. It’s part of the reclaiming,” said Imelda Salazar, Community Organizer at SWOP. “Reclaiming Southwest has transformed my life and the lives of so many. It started as a housing campaign because of the foreclosures, but it became more than that. It became a reason to build relationships with everybody and when I say everybody, I mean priests, teachers, students, and stakeholders. I think the impact of those relationships was greater than we expected.

“The impact on people who are making a difference on the ground in our communities is huge and it surpasses any one particular achievement. It’s more than the experience of seeing a family moving into a newly rehabbed home, it affects the whole of who that person is and the sense of relationships that emerge from the actions people take as part of the organization,” said Jeff.

Imelda Salazar: Personally, the most difficult [part of the pandemic shutting the city down] is not being able to see people and not having face-to-face interaction. But as a community, I think one of the challenges has been access. Access to everything. Access to healthcare, access to testing, access to technology for remote learning.

SWOP’s community organizers have dedicated themselves to building relationships and strengthening bonds across the community. Those same strong relationships contributed to how the community came together to clean up the neighborhood following the racial justice protests that took place after the murder of George Floyd in late May.

“A pastor at my church a block away from the SWOP office called on the neighborhood to help clean up,” said Imelda. “I’m proud of the families SWOP has organized and the achievement of cleaning up the community together. We’re living in a difficult time, but it’s one that requires us to be together, think together, and march together.”

“The impact of Reclaiming Southwest shows us that it's a really good pilot program for other communities to initiate. It really can work in the city, but everyone needs to come together. Every institution needs to be involved in a way that is uniform,” added Imelda. “It wasn’t an easy start. We wondered, "What are we going to do? We don't want our neighborhood to look like a ghost town." And we knew nobody would come and save the neighborhood but us. The campaign began that way and it became something way bigger than that”.

Support local organizations like this one and have your gift matched by donating to the McCormick Foundation Communities Program.

Helping Families Adapt to Online Learning

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 06:00:00 +0000

When Bonnie Kisielewski and her family participated in Chicago Commons programming through a partnership with her elementary school, she couldn’t have imagined the social services organization would still play a significant role in her life decades later.

“My connection to Chicago Commons is quite the story! I attended a Chicago Commons pre-school, and my family used to attend the family summer camp before I joined the organization as a camp employee and then as a teacher after college,” said Bonnie.

In her current role as the Education, Diverse Learner & Mental Health Compliance Manager, Bonnie provides technical assistance and training to the education staff in the areas of education, disabilities and mental health. Her work helps teachers achieve excellence in their overall education practices. Bonnie fulfills a dual role as she is also an adjunct instructor in the Child Development Department at the City Colleges of Chicago, which allows her to use her experience in education as an instructor for the Chicago Commons Pathways for Parents Program.

“One thing I really like about my job is how I have opportunities to collaborate with my colleagues, teaching staff, families, and even external organizations. It’s also an opportunity for me to learn from others and continue to grow professionally.”

“The Pathways for Parents program specifically has given me the opportunity to see parents and community members begin a career path that positions them to really improve their lives and their family's lives. It also empowers them to become leaders in the early childhood education field. It has been really rewarding to see their progress from day one to the day they finish the program.”

Like other educational institutions across the country, Chicago Commons was faced with the challenge of transitioning its education programs to an online environment as a result of the statewide stay-at-home order in March 2020. The team adapted to supporting families in a different capacity to ensure everyone had the proper support and resources they needed.

“A more recent learning experience for me has been navigating work and teaching entirely online. I had about five days to learn how to navigate new digital tools for online teaching and ensure students had the right equipment to access the classes. It was a short turnaround but I’m proud of our team for quickly and successfully shifting everything in that timeline,” added Bonnie.

“I've had the wonderful opportunity of working at Chicago Commons for over 31 years, which has also allowed me to see the long-term outcomes of our work. I’ve seen our families and many of my previous children that I’ve taught grow, graduate college, begin careers, and improve their lives. Seeing the actual impact continues to inspire me,” said Bonnie. “Sometimes people comment about how I’ve worked here for so many years, and I always point out how I truly love every part of my career because I’m inspired by our impact and the constant opportunities to learn more.”

“I’m proud of the Chicago Commons team for providing supplemental support for rent, food and baby supplies to over 500 families. Our team really tried to ensure everyone’s needs were met, in addition to helping families adapt to online learning.”

Support local organizations like this one and have your gift matched by donating to the McCormick Foundation Communities Program.

Connecting Adult Learners with Resources for Education and Employment

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Mon, 09 Nov 2020 06:00:00 +0000

The Chicago Citywide Literacy Coalition was formed in 2003 to advocate for the improvement of adult literacy programs. Today, the organization works closely with workforce development organizations and gathers resources for adult education organizations to increase their capacity. The CCLC strives to help underserved adult learners improve their quality of life and become economically successful through educational programs involving technology and health literacy, the Career Pathways program, and continued literacy advocacy.

When the CCLC recognized the declining number of adult education programs on the South Side of Chicago, which approximately 250,000 adults could benefit from, the organization took action to launch the South Side Career Pathways Collaborative in 2019 and created an organized career pathway system for the community.

“My role as the Mid-South Career Pathways Navigator is to connect 12 adult education and workforce development organizations to increase their capacity and help connect adult learners to the resources they need through the Mid-South American Job Center,” said Keona Owens, who took on the new role in April during the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic in Chicago.

“I’ve always wanted to be an advocate for individuals who don’t have that voice or can’t access the resources they need to strive. The way the CCLC advocates for the community is one of the things that drew me to the organization.”

The new position was a natural fit for Keona because she is the Chair of the South and West Side Literacy Coalition, which is part of the CCLC. “Taking on the additional responsibilities was an easy transition because the team was very supportive”, she added. “It was a challenge at first to balance work with family and eLearning at home and pivot to a digital work environment while helping clients with the same obstacles. Having a dedicated, supportive team made a big difference.”

“I’m looking forward to getting back to the office because I love connecting with people. Some people have adjusted quickly, but there is still a digital divide. Others can't adapt as easily and have struggled with technology. I'm really looking forward to working with them in person again and connecting them to the resources they need,” noted Keona. “We’re here to be part of the driving force and push people to the next level because sometimes what they lack is opportunity. It’s so motivational to see someone rise out of a difficult situation and overcome those obstacles. That’s what inspires me to get up every morning and do my job.”

Support local organizations like this one and have your gift matched by donating to the McCormick Foundation Communities Program.

Growing Food and Careers through Urban Agriculture

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 06:00:00 +0000

“I didn’t know there was a farm in the hood.”

Fred Daniels hears that a lot. As the site manager at the Growing Home farm in Englewood, he wishes more people knew about this community resource. “Our doors are always open to support. It’s more than just our training program and making sure people get a job. It’s getting to see people blossom into a different person. And, growing some of the best food one can get.”

Growing Home is a nonprofit organization on the South Side of Chicago working to help people find meaningful, sustaining careers through agriculture. Through its training program, participants are involved in every aspect of farm production including planting, harvesting, packaging and selling to customers across the neighborhood and in Chicago. Participants, who are referred to as production assistants, also work with Growing Home staff to improve access to healthy food for underserved neighborhoods in Chicago. Before the pandemic, Growing Home sold produce every Thursday through farm stands, weekly pop-ups at hospitals and various events around the city. Since March 2020, the organization has had to make some tough decisions.

While transitioning the training program to a virtual setting was easy, “the hardest part of this pandemic has been sustaining the farm,” Fred said. “When running a farm, you need people. We weren’t used to constantly taking temperatures or wearing a mask all the time.” In order to follow the city mandates, only a few employees could be on-site at a time to help maintain the farms and take care of the crops. With three sites to maintain, many crops did not last.

Fred oversees the farm, trains production assistants and decides what crops are grown. His role gives him a chance to encourage others. After the tragic murder of George Floyd in May and civil unrest that followed, it was difficult for Fred to focus on work. “Overall, this year has been really tough. It’s been challenging trying to balance work and our personal lives. But Growing Home has kept me going. Helping other families and seeing the impact that we’re all making — I can’t stop now.”

“It was challenging for people to get food because of COVID-19 and the rioting. A lot of elders didn't have access. We donated all the food we grew, and that kept me motivated to keep going.”

Agriculture has always been a big part of Fred’s life. Before relocating to Chicago, his grandmother had a garden down South and introduced Fred to gardening in his own backyard right here in Englewood. It has been a source of relaxation for him for over 10 years. “Most people in this community look at farming as a slave thing. At Growing Home, there are Black people farming and that’s something new,” Fred explained. Still, he would like to see more youth from Englewood become interested in gardening and farming like he was growing up. There aren’t as many young people who are eager to get involved in the growing process and take advantage of the healthy food at Growing Home.

“I’d like to see the community supporting the farm. Really, it’s supporting themselves. This is some of the best food you can get–organic and no pesticides.”

Despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic, Growing Home continues to virtually serve their training program participants and make food deliveries to people in the community. For the organization, it’s more than just helping people through the program; it’s making sure people succeed in all aspects of life. While there are no plans yet, Fred is hopeful that Growing Home will continue to develop and expand to create more space for the training program. For now, he continues to focus on getting healthy food to the community.

Support local organizations like this one and have your gift matched by donating to the McCormick Foundation Communities Program.

Unifying Communities in Uncertain Times

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 19:44:00 +0000

When the COVID-19 statewide stay-at-home order was put in effect in March 2020, the team at Central States SER, a workforce and education organization in Little Village, had to think strategically about how to maintain their connections to the young people they mentored without their usual in-person interactions, which are an important component of their work.

“One of the biggest challenges was losing contact with a lot of our youth because they were struggling to pay their phone bills. I was so used to seeing them in person and whenever they needed something, they would just come to the office. Many of our high school students were struggling to keep up with their education because everything was remote. Many of their parents lost their jobs and family members were dying due to COVID-19. It all came down so quickly and so heavy,” said Joseline Calderon, the Reconnection Hub Manager at SER. “The McCormick funding helped us distribute emergency funds and care packages to some youth who needed it most. It gave us hope that we’ll be able to continue helping them little by little as things start improving and reopening. We built a family in our organization, so I feel like they trust us enough to keep working with us through phone calls or Zoom meetings. We try to make ourselves available however we can.”

In addition to the challenges posed by the pandemic, tensions were high between Black and Brown residents of the Little Village community area after protests and looting took place around the city following the tragic murder of George Floyd in May 2020. The relationships and bonds developed across agencies and residents from North Lawndale through Little Village ultimately helped unify the community.

“After an initially heartbreaking response that included some acts of racism, seeing the shift as the community came together to unify everyone, fix it, and move forward in a better way was so inspiring,” said Kenis Williams, who oversees WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) Programs at SER. “In our community, we [community nonprofit organizations] don’t compete with each other’s strengths. ENLACE and New Life Centers are the best at community mobilization so our role in this as the workforce development organization was to gather people from our network, spread the word, and offer support in any way we could.”

“It shook our community to the core. Our community partners, ENLACE and New Life Centers, came out to mediate conflict between the different gangs and explain what they were really doing. They had a meeting, had a truce, and started marching together. It was meant to unify and bring everyone together,” said Adrean Vargas, Youth Program Manager at SER. “We all joined forces to create miracles in the community.”

Support local organizations like this one and have your gift matched by donating to the McCormick Foundation Communities Program.

Veterans Addressing Food Insecurities During COVID-19

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 18:48:00 +0000

This article is the first in a series written by the McCormick Foundation’s Veterans Program, introducing topics that have impacted the Veterans Community in 2020. This article introduces the issue of food insecurity in the veteran community.

Due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, the Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center had been closed for non-essential operations, including its food pantries, one of the first of its kind to open back in 1996. In response to the closure, a grassroots group of active veterans led by the Travis Manion Foundation began conversations to discuss emerging issues including food insecurity and how to reopen the facility.

Hosted by the nearby First Immanuel Lutheran Church, a little more than a mile from the original location of the food pantry, the local community joined with veterans to provide prearranged food bags for veterans and nearby residents. Since May, the group has gathered on five occasions (with a sixth planned for late August) to provide 40,000 pounds of food to more than 1,500 families, with two-thirds identifying as having a veteran in the household. With the continued support of the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, the temporary food pantry will provide for this critical need through early fall.

Before the closing, clients at Jesse Brown would meet with a trained registered dietician to develop and provide comprehensive, evidence-based nutritional services to veterans and their families. While these efforts have gone a long way toward veterans' health outcomes, food insecurity remains a prevalent issue.

While many efforts have been made to meet the increased demand for nourishment, these efforts are, at best, a band-aid and leave many veterans with their dietary needs unmet. A 2017 study by the Department of Veterans Affairs identified that nearly 1.5 million veterans currently live below the federal poverty line. An additional 2.4 million veterans are living paycheck to paycheck at less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

There are a few groups in the veteran community that struggle more than others. A study by Cambridge University Press found 27 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans report being food insecure while 11 percent report being severely insecure or vulnerable. A Women's Health Issues study noted a "prevalence of food insufficiency among women veterans was 27.6 percent," which was associated with delayed access to health care and worse health outcomes. Compare this to a 2018 USDA study that found with 11 percent of American households saying they were food insecure and four percent had very low food security, this is a glaring issue. Additionally, the SNAP Retailer Management 2015 Annual Report indicates that more than $80.2 million was spent at military commissaries during the same period, suggesting that many veterans and military families are also facing food insecurity issues.

While this temporary measure to address food insecurity at Jesse Brown has been beneficial, ongoing support is needed. They continue to screen all clients who visit its healthcare facilities for hunger, asking whether they've struggled to afford food in the past three months. With assistance from community partners, the VA aims to identify a plan of how to meet the needs of food-insecure veterans with the new realities of the pandemic. The McCormick Foundation Veterans Program remains committed to helping them find a solution so no one worries where their next meal is coming from.

Achieving the Civic Mission of News

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 17:25:00 +0000

Mapping Chicago’s local news coverage

In the Democracy Program, we envision a day when all residents of the Chicago region will be informed and engaged citizens. To achieve this goal, we need to ensure there is sufficient high-quality, civically relevant, and personally resonant information available to each resident of our region.

A new study by the Center for Media Engagement reveals topical and geographic gaps we need to fill in our information ecosystem to achieve this vision. It builds on earlier work and shows how these gaps align with low community confidence in the local news media.

Understanding the gaps

Researchers collected all articles published on the websites of 21 local news organizations over a two-week period. They then mapped the locations mentioned and the topics covered in each article. The research revealed a geographic imbalance in local news coverage. Chicago’s North Side and Downtown are mentioned more than twice as much as the South Side and more than five times as much as the West Side.

Furthermore, the researchers found that coverage was dominated by stories about crime, entertainment, and politics. A quarter of all stories mentioning the West Side and nearly a fifth of all stories mentioning the South and North Sides were about crime. On the West Side, there were four times more stories on crime than on health and six times more stories than on education.

Table 1: Top Three Topics Covered, by Chicago region

Topic	North/Downtown	South	West
Crime	19% of articles	18% of articles	25% of articles
Entertainment	17% of articles	15% of articles	11% of articles
Politics	15% of articles	18% of articles	21% of articles

Crisis of community confidence in news

These findings are jarring, though perhaps not unexpected to anyone who has been following the trajectory of news media organizations over the last decade plus. The decimation of outlets’ reporting ranks has hollowed out their capacity to report on civically critical news residents need and want.

The Center for Media Engagement’s 2017 survey of Chicagoans’ news interests surfaced a robust list of civic issues that people thought were important to their communities. Yes, public safety and law enforcement are at the front of people’s minds, but so is housing, the economy, transportation, education, and the environment. However, crime is the only topic among the top five topics of interest and the top five topics covered.

This mismatch between interests and coverage helps explain the rather dismal media report card the 2017 survey returned. At that time, only a third of Chicagoans responded that the local news media were doing a good or very good job covering the issues most important to their community. And only about 40% of South and West Siders thought news stories about their neighborhoods did a good job of showing what is going on (compared to more than 60% of North Siders).

Consequences for Democracy

The geographic imbalances in coverage align (too neatly) with how confidence in news media breaks across regional lines in Chicago. And the topical focus on crime, politics, and entertainment, perhaps at the expense of covering other issues, limits the ability of the local information system to serve all the region’s residents.

Put another way, how can we expect residents of Chicago’s South and West Sides to engage with traditional media organizations if the information served is mostly about one part of the city and limited in scope? Reading this report, it’s less surprising that people on the West Side are more likely to turn to social media than residents of the North Side. And with the well documented threat of disinformation on social media, this has profound consequences for civic engagement.

Disengagement also has profound financial consequences for the media industry. Pew reported in 2019 that only 14% of U.S. adults have paid for local news in the last year. In Chicago, a quarter of people on the North Side report subscribing or donating to a news publication in 2017, which is higher than the national average. However, less than 10% of people on the West Side and less than 13% of people on the South Side report financially supporting the news media.

Developing an Inclusive Information Ecosystem

In the Democracy Program, we have some cause for hope. In light of this report, we reached out to the outlets included in this analysis (and several not included) to initiate a conversation about how we can create a more inclusive information ecosystem. Many of the outlets with which we have shared this report responded positively to the challenge of filling some of the topical and geographic gaps described. There is a willingness among several newsroom leaders to strengthen local media’s civic service, but this is by no means universal.

What is universal is the financial challenge of shifting how local media works in an era of ever tightening resources. To this challenge, the McCormick Foundation is responding with grants and technical assistance to support how newsrooms center communities in their work. We are also partnering with other Chicago-based foundations to help grow the number of individuals and institutions investing in journalism to increase the resources available for local media in our hometown.

We are also finding hope in entrepreneurial initiatives to better meet the information needs of Chicago’s South and West Side communities. A noteworthy example is The Cord, a project launched by City Bureau and maintained by the Chicago Birthworks Collective to deliver news and resources directly to pregnant women. They were responding to the terrible reality that Black women in Illinois are six times more likely than white women to die of a pregnancy-related complication.

Another effort to meet the needs of communities left out of our local media narratives is the recently announced free, twice-weekly newsletter (sign up here) for West Side residents produced by Austin Weekly News and Block Club Chicago.

Finally, ABC7 Chicago offers an example of how local broadcast news can plug topical gaps in coverage. Earlier in 2020, the station dove into housing on their Building a Better Chicago series. Housing is one of the top issues Chicagoans said was most important to them. However, reporting on housing made up only 7% to 9% of coverage during the period analyzed. A series of ABC7 stories investigated the crisis of affordable housing, explored solutions being tested, and profiled some successes. Given that television remains Chicagoans’ top source for local news (especially on the South Side), this deeper coverage is an exciting model for how to offer a more balanced information diet to consumers.

ABC7, Austin Weekly News, Block Club, and City Bureau offer helpful models for how nonprofit and for-profit outlets, across media platforms, can work to help local news fulfill its civic mission. More work like this is needed to ensure our information ecosystem empowers all people to be fully engaged and informed participants in our democracy.

Medill’s Metro Media Lab Aims to Boost Local Journalism in Chicago

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 16:11:00 +0000

Newspapers across the country have been in decline for decades and Chicago outlets have not been immune from precipitous drops in ad revenue and mass layoffs. But the region has been distinguishing itself nationally with its entrepreneurship in journalism. A new class of collaborative, equity-focused outlets are taking root in the region and attracting national attention with their commitment to listening and serving the public news they need to be civically informed. Innovative nonprofit and forprofit models are emerging to tackle the nation’s local news challenge, making Chicago a unique opportunity for research and partnership.

Photo by Jenna Braunstein, Staff Photographer, Medill School of Journalism

Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications is taking an ambitious step to more deeply engage with Chicago’s information ecosystem and launching the Metro Media Lab, a comprehensive series of initiatives to support local outlets, journalists, and the public they serve. The lab is designed to help local news organizations better engage with citizens; provide quality, solutions-oriented journalism; and strengthen the sustainability of local news organizations through research, training and student-produced storytelling in partnerships with Chicago outlets.

"By pairing our research, our faculty and our students with journalists and future journalists, we can make a difference in helping people understand the importance of local news and establishing successful news organizations to provide this essential service," said Medill Dean Charles Whitaker.

Photo by Jenna Braunstein

The Metro Media Lab will provide reporting, data and training to support a strong future for local news. This includes partnering with leaders of Chicago community and ethnic media organizations to support their financial sustainability. As the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored, these community news outlets are indispensable resources for connecting residents, especially those in disinvested communities, with information that is critical to their lives and livelihoods.

Medill students will continue to partner with local news outlets to engage communities profoundly affected by social, political, and economic inequities to explore and report on potential solutions to some of Chicago’s most vexing issues. The Lab also will coordinate research into Chicago news and information consumption to help practitioners and scholars better understand who is and isn’t being served by the news media and how to develop more inclusive models.

An innovative portion of the initiative is the Lab’s "Teach for Chicago Journalism" campaign, aimed at giving both teachers and high school students the tools they need to nurture writing and multimedia skills for the future. McCormick has made significant investments in youth media. Democracy Program Director, Shawn Healy, PhD has highlighted the critical challenge of low student access in Chicago Public Schools to journalism instruction. "Scholastic journalism is vital to the civic mission of our schools and serves as an important pipeline into the journalism profession, where people of color are also vastly underrepresented," Healy said. "Yet only 1,038 students were enrolled in these courses during the 2017-2018 school year, less than 1% of CPS’ high school student body of 107,352."

Photo by Jenna Braunstein

“Our democracy demands that its citizens be informed, and local news organizations are vital to that requirement,” added Whitaker. “With the launch of the Metro Media Lab, Medill has an unparalleled opportunity to share its knowledge with local media organizations to help them thrive.”

The Metro Media Lab represents an extension of the work already underway at Medill to help struggling local news organizations nationally. This work is vital to the functioning of a healthy self-governed democracy.

The Robert R. McCormick Foundation made a grant in 2020 to support this initiative.

Emergency Supplies For Childcare Providers

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 16:30:00 +0000

As households and businesses reeled in the wake of COVID-19, families suddenly found themselves unable to find or afford urgent child care supplies such as diapers, wipes and infant formula. Even while closed, more than 100 child care agencies across the city with links to those families stepped in to help, first by documenting their families’ needs — sometimes weekly — then by putting out the call more broadly for supplies.

Hoarding at grocery stores depleted child care and cleaning supplies, not only in Chicago but nationwide, and stores were unable to restock fast enough to meet demand.

Working with child care providers such as the YMCA, Gads Hill and the Carole Robertson Center for Learning, as well as the City of Chicago’s Dept. of Family and Support Services (DFSS) and the Cradles to Crayons, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation helped mobilize both a volunteer drive and bulk-purchasing of emergency child care supplies.

Cradles to Crayons, which provides families living in homeless or low-income situations with free clothing, books and gear for children, was forced by COVID-19 to shut down its usual warehouse operations. The Chicago-based nonprofit organization quickly pivoted to bulk ordering of diapers, wipes and child hygiene kits.

Paired with lists supplied from child care providers connected to DFSS and the Latino Policy Forum’s Acuerdo network, within weeks providers primarily on the city’s South and West sides received large deliveries of supplies to distribute to their families, addressing the needs of more than 24,000 young children.

As quickly as product began to slowly reappear on store shelves, it vanished once again in panic after. racial tensions escalated, and local merchants particularly on the south and west sides were looted or were forced to close and board up, creating another dearth of supplies to families.

Cradles to Crayons, along with DFSS and the Latino Policy Forum, launched into action again to re-inventory needs. A second wave of diapers and wipes were ordered and delivered, with help from a small army of volunteers — many from the McCormick Foundation and others in their network — as well as the delivery service, Schlep.

Chicago’s Peace Outreach Continues as Gun Violence Takes No Break

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 15:48:00 +0000

Amidst the continual backdrop of COVID-19, Chicago’s plague of gun violence has raged on, and over several weekends spiked higher than previous years.

Almost no other group is seeing the broad effects of these events more than the outreach workers of Communities Partnering 4 Peace, or CP4P, a city-wide collaborative of community-based organizations whose outreach teams are trained to prevent and intervene in violence using restorative de-escalation tactics. Coordinated by Metropolitan Family Services, the teams are in communities most impacted by violence.

“When COVID-19 was on the rise in Chicago in early March, we saw our situation go from bad to worse,” said Vaughn Bryant, CP4P’s executive director. “Our teams were beginning to experience additional sadness, frustration, and anger as they themselves were having to deal with the virus while still managing to do their jobs to help curb shootings.”

The outreach teams acted quickly and were prepared with the necessary PPE to maintain the program’s forward momentum. They brought with them the latest health and safety information from the CDC and state health officials, and information about Governor Pritzker’s stay-at-home order. And amid the pandemic there was no slowing of shooting and homicides.

Memorial Day weekend in Chicago was deadly for gun violence, serving as a shocking reminder that coronavirus and an active stay-at-home order across the state wasn’t stopping shootings.

But the challenges to the outreach teams were yet to come the following weekend when, sparked by the racial tensions in the wake of George Floyd’s murder by police in Minneapolis, Sunday, May 31st became the deadliest single day in Chicago’s history with a total of 17 homicides*.

“We supported peaceful protests, but often the looting and additional violence that evolved in several instances added additional hardships on everyone,” added Bryant.

Through it all, though, the CP4P teams endured, knowing that their long-term approach, rooted in nonviolence, trauma-informed care, hyper-local collaboration and restorative justice practices, can and would prevail.

“We were in this storm of pain, violence and confusion,” said Bryant. “But we knew that any ground we gained, any success we would see in this aftermath would be from the strong relationships with community members that we’ve built over time.”

CP4P outreach workers were on the front lines in the business corridors and communities most adversely affected by both the virus and looting. “Now, we’re seeing business owners that were once adding life to their community shuttering their businesses because of this looting,” said Bryant. “Today, with Operation Restore, our teams are talking with these entrepreneurs to help get them back on their feet and back in business.”

Among the greatest benefits of the CP4P teams are the one-stop assistance the outreach workers can provide. “If you have emerging health needs, legal issues, housing issues or whatever, we have the people in place to put those folks on a new and hopeful pathway,” added Bryant. “We all must do more to reduce gun violence and help those people and organizations who are part of the solution.”

“While everything else can seem bleak, we’re not giving up. This work is too important.”

*University of Chicago Crime Lab

Team Rubicon and local Veteran Service Organizations Respond to Veteran Needs

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Fri, 08 May 2020 01:24:00 +0000

The McCormick Foundation recently issued two grants to address the needs of veterans amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

is a rapid-response veterans’ organization that mobilizes veterans to help people prepare, respond, and recover from disasters and humanitarian crises. Their “Whole of America” initiative is executing operations and logistics at local food banks, pantries, testing centers, and COVID-19 quarantine shelters in Chicago.

are collaborating to re-open a food pantry that had been operating in the Jesse Brown Veterans Hospital and had to be closed due to the pandemic. Additionally, a rapid response fund for veterans is being established to help maintain stability during this economic hardship. More details will be shared once the rapid response fund is open for applications.

A History of Support in Unique Times

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Thu, 07 May 2020 13:29:00 +0000

We are facing unprecedented times globally, as a nation and locally. Despite the circumstances these unique times we are currently facing, together, we are unwavering in our commitment to serving the needs of Chicagoland. In addition to our mission that supports developing educated, informed, and engaged citizens, we draw strength from our history of providing resources both in anticipation and in preparation for disaster.

In 2012, in response to the 9/11 tragedies, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation Advanced Emergency Response Center at Rush was created as a first-of-its-kind treatment center for a deadly attack or pandemic. Today, this Emergency Response Center was the first hospital to mobilize its infrastructure to receive COVID-19 patients.

“We had received a large amount of funding from The McCormick Foundation for advanced emergency preparedness, with roots in 9/11 and the ebola outbreak. The funding provided allowed us to create an infrastructure that allows us to expand our care for the Chicagoland area in events like this.”

– James DeVries, Instructor of Emergency Medicine

Historians at Cantigny Park, the Colonel's former estate in Wheaton, recently shared the little-known story about the newspaper publisher who left behind a legacy of philanthropy now supporting COVID-19 relief efforts. ‘Full circle': McCormick Place turns into a field hospital a century after namesake survived the flu pandemic.

COVID-19 Health Worker Data Alliance Aims to Establish Best Practices in the Battle Against the Virus

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 21:02:00 +0000

A new health worker data collection campaign, supported in part by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, is tracking the physical, psychological, and occupational effects on frontline medical staff treating patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Health Worker Data Alliance created a confidential, HIPPA-compliant, web-based survey that collects self-reported data from frontline health workers in weekly intervals. The survey link can be texted out by each hospital’s administrators one time, and their workforce can elect to participate. All data is independently collected, contains identifiers that can only be accessed by the researchers, and takes four minutes to complete.

“Health workers are three times more likely to contract COVID-19,” said Maria Demopoulos, project director and Founder of Athe Consulting. “This is an alarming rate. And even after the curve flattens, they will continue to be exposed for a long time. But having information on how quickly they become sick, how long they are staying home, and tracking their mental health can enable the healthcare community to receive better support so they, in turn, can provide the best care to those in our communities battling COVID-19.”

While hospitals and the broader health community have raced to prepare facilities and health workers to diagnose and care for patients with COVID-19, personal health and well-being data from these practitioners has not been systematically tracked.

The results, to be presented free of charge to organizational participants on a weekly basis, will equip hospital administrators with information for how best to use their most valuable and limited resource: their workforce.

For those institutions with high levels of participation, data will be analyzed at the institutional level and shared without personal identifiers with the institution’s administrators to give them key insights into how COVID-19 is impacting their workforce. The data from all participants will be anonymous and aggregated at the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) level and made available to the broader public health community to strengthen insights at the city and regional levels without identifying individual institutions.

The project will better inform the battle against the virus, especially in communities who are preparing for the surge.

“This effort is vital as it will provide hospital administrators and health associations indicators on their staff or membership that highlight their physical and mental health conditions and needs, including burnout,” said Rebekah Levin, Director of Evaluation for the McCormick Foundation.

For more information on the survey project, visit the Health Worker Data Alliance.

Strengthening Local Journalism in 2019

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 15:53:00 +0000

December 2019

Recapping Our Goals

In 2019, the Foundation set forth four goals to guide its journalism philanthropy. We want to:

Broaden and deepen public affairs reporting
Enhance collaboration, engagement, and entrepreneurship in journalism
Invest in human capital, to increase the racial and ethnic diversity and the capacity of reporters working locally
Defend press freedom, to ensure journalistic independence and effectiveness

In 2019, the Foundation made over two dozen journalism grants, totaling over $2.5 million, to organizations whose work aligned with one or more of these goals. We hope that investing in these four areas will help us achieve a journalism ecosystem that is inclusive, sustainable, and free of coverage gaps so that all people, regardless of social or economic distinction, have access to the news they need to be informed and engaged in our democracy.

To understand the Democracy Program’s progress on these goals in our first year, we have looked to our partners’ achievements in 2019. There are many other ways to measure advancement. For example, we have partnered with the Center for Media Engagement to look at Chicagoans’ perceptions of the news and characteristics of local coverage. We’ve also worked with our partners to understand the policy impacts their reporting has achieved and organizational revenue mix as other proxies for progress. Each is a helpful metric, and we are trying to consider them together to inform our work.

For this post, however, we are highlighting a few organizations and initiatives modeling ways of working that we hope will become the norm in a more inclusive civic information ecosystem. In the meantime, we are grateful for our partners’ perseverance and admire their resilience.

Following is some information about a selection of organizations the Foundation has supported to advance each goal. We encourage you to learn more about them to understand why they were compelling partners for our work.

Broaden and Deepen Reporting

Borderless Magazine

A nonprofit news outlet that is reimagining immigration journalism for a more just and equitable future

The Promise, the true story of one man’s asylum journey from Syria to Chicago.

The Promise, a new nonfiction comic by The Artist Jon Brown, @sarahanneconway and @AVHndz. Years in the making, this comic shares the story of Abu Omar, a young man who deserts the army in Syria and eventually makes his way to Chicago. @IWMF https://t.co/lJUTxiITfU pic.twitter.com/Jwc3k8YGrI
— Borderless Magazine (@Borderless_Mag) December 11, 2019

Our interest: For a region that is about a fifth foreign-born, the quantity and depth of reporting on immigrants, their communities, and their experience in Chicago, and the policies that affect their lives are significantly undercovered. Borderless is bringing new original reporting, partnering with outlets such as the Chicago Reader, to disseminate those stories, and experimenting with new forms of journalistic communication — as exemplified in The Promise — to engage and educate a broader audience.

The Chicago Reporter

Founded on the heels of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, The Chicago Reporter confronts racial and economic inequality, using the power of investigative journalism

Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx turned away more than 5,000 cases her predecessor would have pursued mainly by declining to prosecute low-level shoplifting & drug offenses, an analysis produced in partnership with @MarshallProj and @puddingviz finds. https://t.co/qbISwHvXn3
— The Chicago Reporter (@ChicagoReporter) October 30, 2019

Recent Project of note: "The Kim Foxx effect: how prosecutions have changed in Cook County"

Our interest: Investigative journalism can instigate sweeping policy changes by exposing major flaws in our public institutions. Such reporting has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for people of color, who make up about half the region’s population, if the problems explored are rooted in their experience and the challenges they face. And a collaborative reporting project, such as the story about Kim Foxx profiled above, has the potential to reach even more people and achieve broader impact.

We are also excited about…

The Better Government Association, the Center for Investigative Reporting, Chicago Public Media, City Bureau, the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, ProPublica Illinois, Public Media Institute, and South Side Weekly — important partners aligned with our goal of filling critical civic information gaps in our region.

Enhance Collaboration and Community Engagement

Lens on Lightfoot

A collaboration between the Better Government Association, Block Club Chicago, Chalkbeat Chicago, The Chicago Reporter, The Daily Line, La Raza and The TRiiBE, facilitated by the Institute for Nonprofit News, to examine the first year of Mayor Lori Lightfoot's administration.

Our interest: We believe collaborations unlock new opportunities for journalism. This collaboration is harnessing complementary subject matter expertise, audiences, styles, and more to bring more transparency and ensure greater accountability in local government. Nonprofit and for-profit outlets are partnering on a long-term project that is piloting a new way of working and already resulting in fascinating stories. Stories published to date include:

The Daily Line: “At 6-month mark, Lightfoot’s effort to scale back aldermanic prerogative a work in progress”
Better Government Association: “Lightfoot’s Actions on Environmental Campaign Promises Are Off to a Slow Start”
Chalkbeat: “Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot promised to spend more money on students in need. Could change be imminent?”

Follow #LensOnLightfoot on Twitter to stay up to date on forthcoming stories.

People Powered Publishing Conference 2019

Strengthening the connections between journalists and the communities they cover

The #PPPC19 brings together journalists, civic-engagement practitioners, and community storytellers to work on a shared goal: strengthening the connections between news organizations and the people they cover to produce better journalism. https://t.co/ZFfe874Oa2 pic.twitter.com/FjeeR0wE98
— Illinois Humanities (@ILhumanities) October 24, 2019

Our interest: Annually, Illinois Humanities convenes outlets from across the country to support their work engaging residents in their communities. Driven by an understanding that journalism can best achieve its civic mission if it connects with residents at multiple points in the reporting process, the conference offers journalists peer learning and networking opportunities so they can become increasingly fluent in community engagement.

Invest in Human Capital

National Association of Black Journalists, Chicago Chapter

The purpose of the NABJ-Chicago is to bring together Chicago-area African-American journalists dedicated to truth and excellence in newsgathering and reporting, and equality in the media industry

National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Chicago Chapter

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists is the leading organization for Latinos in the media. It is dedicated to the recognition and professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry, plus excellence in coverage of the entire Latino community

Our interest: Representation of people of color in media remains dismally low. McCormick joined several other foundations committed to furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion in calling for newsrooms to create more inclusive environments. McCormick supports these efforts in Chicago, through trainings and direct engagement with newsroom leaders, but we also recognize the importance of creating independent networks of support for journalists of color. The National Associations of Black and Hispanic Journalists have a long-standing commitment to building these networks of support and fostering a diverse talent pipeline for newsrooms, but they require additional capacity to meet the needs of individual journalists in an era of increasingly constrained resources and mounting pressures. Supporting these chapters’ work in Chicago is one step towards building newsrooms that reflect the region’s racial and ethnic diversity.

Defend Press Freedom

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press provides pro bono legal representation, amicus curiae support, and other legal resources to protect First Amendment freedoms and the newsgathering rights of journalists

Our interest: Watch this video; it presents a compelling case for caring about press freedom. In 2019, RCFP continued its active defense of the press, supporting hundreds of journalists and newsrooms when their abilities to access and report information was threatened. This video was of particular interest to us last year as it was part of a coordinated, stepped-up effort to engage the public in defending the press. RCFP chaired a new #ProtectPressFreedom campaign to improve how the press and its partners communicate with the public to explain the importance of an independent press. The new ProtectPressFreedom.org website offers helpful information on the history of press freedom in the U.S., describes types of threats, and helps individuals understand how they can help defend the press.

Student Press Law Center

Founded in 1974, the Student Press Law Center is an independent, non-partisan 501c(3) which works to promote, support and defend the First Amendment and press freedom rights of high school and college journalists and their advisers.

"The district did not really understand what our rights are as journalists." High school journalists in Illinois say censorship by their school district broke state law. https://t.co/7yAnj7Q7I5
— Student Press Law Center (@SPLC) November 12, 2019

Student voice is at risk in our country. Censorship, intimidation, and the threat of other actions put the independence of student journalists especially at risk compared to their professional counterparts. The recent case of a Naperville, IL student paper underscores how close and current this risk is. Thankfully, SPLC offers resources to support these newsrooms and their advisers as they report on their communities.

Our Chicago. Our Opportunity to Build a Brighter Future for Everyone

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 15:23:00 +0000

Will You Help?

Every person who lives here deserves a chance to reach for their dreams, but many people in our region experience more than their fair share of challenges. Every day, the local news is full of stories of gun violence, struggling schools, and a lack of good jobs. These challenges are real, and they disproportionately affect some communities more than others. But together, we can write a different story.

When you donate to the McCormick Foundation Communities Program, you help expand opportunities for every Chicagoan, regardless of ZIP code, race, or income. 100% of your donation goes directly to local nonprofits that are working to make a difference in their own communities — from Little Village to Englewood, and beyond.

Over the last year, thanks to your contributions, the Communities Program has continued to expand its support in communities where there is both great need, and great potential. We’re working together with local organizations, community leaders, and donors to help ensure every child gets a quality education, every adult has a pathway to stable employment, and every family has access to health and wellness services. But this work is far from done. Your support is essential to realizing the vision we all share for a Chicagoland where everyone can thrive.

Chicago Jobs Council, HEART, and Erie House are just a few of the many local organizations that receive grants from the McCormick Foundation thanks to generous support from donors like you. This upcoming holiday season, I hope you’ll help create more life- changing opportunities for people throughout our region with a gift to the McCormick Foundation.

Chicagoland can’t truly be a great place for any of us to live until it’s a great place for all of us. We appreciate your donation and look forward to working with you in the months ahead to build a brighter future for everyone who calls this region home.

To find out more or make a donation, visit our donation page.

Our Chicago. Our Opportunity to Pursue Career Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (McCormick Foundation) — Sun, 01 Dec 2019 15:27:00 +0000

Will You Help?

Chicagoland will be a great place for us to live when it is a great place for all of us. Unfortunately, many people in our region face barriers that hold them back from a bright future.

Your support can help kids like Xavier overcome these challenges. Not long ago, Xavier struggled with reading. At his Little Village elementary school, 95% of students come from low-income households and test scores fall far below national averages.

Xavier got the extra support he needed when he started attending a literacy program at Erie House, a nonprofit community center in his neighborhood. There, Xavier works one-on-one with volunteer reading tutors. Now, he's reading at his appropriate grade level and exploring new opportunities for his future. He dreams of becoming an animator and creating stories about heroes like those in his favorite books.

Xavier’s story is just one example of the many opportunities you can help unlock with a donation to the McCormick Foundation. When you give to the McCormick Foundation, we’ll match your gift at 50 cents on the dollar and cover all expenses. Then, we’ll pass 100% of these funds on to local nonprofits like Erie House that are creating life-changing opportunities for people like Xavier.

Your donation makes a difference. We truly appreciate your gift, and thank you on behalf of all those who benefit from your generosity. This holiday season, let’s help make Chicago a land of opportunity for everybody, regardless of ZIP code, race, or income.

Make a donation here!