If you are planning to mail a check by the end of the year, please note that the U.S. Postal Service has updated its rules, and machine postmarks will now be applied when mail is processed at regional processing centers (not at the local drop off point). To ensure your check is postmarked in time to be eligible for a 2025 charitable deduction, we recommend requesting a manual postmark in person at a post office or using certified/registered mail. Click here for more details on giving dates and deadlines.
Tracy Baim is the executive director of Press Forward Chicago, housed at The Chicago Community Trust.
Press Forward Chicago is a new initiative seeking to support Chicago’s community media ecosystem—and also part of a national initiative to bring new resources to local media.
Tracy has worked in community journalism for 41 years, including nearly 40 years as co-founder and publisher of Windy City Times. She spent almost five years as publisher of the Chicago Reader, turning it into a nonprofit. She has authored 14 books, produced three films, and was a key organizer of major LGBTQ+ events including Gay Games VII and the March on Springfield for Marriage Equality. She is also passionate about smaller-footprint housing, and has hosted two tiny home conferences to push for new solutions to the housing crisis.
