Stories

Spotlights on community issues, the people, and the organizations who contribute to effective philanthropy as well as a stronger Chicago region and world.

All Stories

Access, Equity, Opportunity: Building a Moral Economy

Aug 2 2016

How can communities access full employment, fair credit, early childhood education and an increased health and life expectancy in the American heartland? These were the…
Through Collaboration and Community, a New Model of Leadership

Aug 1 2016

Reflecting the recent passing of the 26th anniversary of the ADA I had those words in mind: “Let the shameful walls of exclusion finally come…
Giving a Voice to Children in Foster Care

Jul 29 2016

Almost 18,000 children are in foster care in Illinois. Many of these youth face a challenging and disrupted childhood, as they are placed in a…
Fifty Years Later, Chicago Pastor Continues MLK's Local Legacy

Jul 28 2016

On August 5, 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and a diverse group of 700 civil rights activists, religious leaders and courageous community members marched…
Setting Tables Across America for Community Conversation

Jul 26 2016

Since On the Table debuted in 2014, thousands of people from across the Chicago region have gathered to forge new relationships and foster fresh discussions about making…
Remembering a Son, and a Community of Compassion

Jul 20 2016

In the early 1980s, Tom Graziano and his wife adopted a baby boy named John. John was constantly sick, but his doctors were never able…
Fighting Homelessness for a New LGBTQ Generation

Jul 19 2016

Hundreds of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer young people in Chicago have no place to stay tonight. Longtime activist Richard Turner is helping to…
Remixing the Art of Protest

Jul 18 2016

“How can we conduct ourselves in this space in a way that is counter to all of what is oppressive outside of this space?” [pullquote]At…
My High School: Diverse, Enriching, Unpredictable

Jul 14 2016

I was definitely not planning on attending Roosevelt when I was an eighth grader at Palmer Elementary. As a kid on the north side of…
My High School: Creative, Inclusive, Challenging

Jul 13 2016

I grew up in Stone Mountain, Georgia and went to Stone Mountain Middle School. Once I started sixth grade, I immediately joined the band and…