Birth Parent Support Improves Adoption Outcomes: On Your Feet Foundation Raises $65K for Vital Programs

For birth parents who choose adoption, finding a community that understands their journey can be transformative. On Your Feet Foundation provides that space — one where birth parents are met with empathy, lifelong support, and resources that empower them to move forward with confidence. As the only secular, independent organization in the U.S. dedicated to […]

Growing the Good: How Local Gardens Can Transform Communities

This post was submitted as part of our “You Said It” program.” Your voice, ideas, and engagement are important to help us accomplish our mission. We encourage you to share your ideas and efforts to make the world a better place by submitting a “You Said It.” What if as individuals we embrace the task of […]

Helping Heroes: Top Military Nonprofits Supporting Veterans and Their Families

Members of the military and their families make tremendous sacrifices on behalf of our country. Yet when they return home, many face challenges like homelessness, unemployment, medical expenses, mental health conditions, and financial difficulties.  According to Statista, as of 2022, there were about 16.2 million veterans in the United States. Of that number, approximately 235,000 […]

Chicago International Film Festival Closes 60th Year With Tribute to Robert Zemeckis and Screening of 'Forrest Gump' Reunion 'Here'

The Chicago International Film Festival concluded its 60th annual celebration on Sunday, October 27, 2024, by honoring legendary director and Chicago native Robert Zemeckis with the Founder’s Legacy Award. Festival founder Michael Kutza presented the award at the Music Box Theatre during the festival’s Closing Night, which featured a special screening of Zemeckis’ latest film, Here. […]

Matching Grant Fuels Metropolitan Family Services’ 2024 Mpower the Night Gala, Boosting Support of Chicago Families

Since its founding in 1857 as The Chicago Relief Aid Society, Metropolitan Family Services has become a cornerstone of support for families across Chicago, offering vital resources that empower individuals to overcome life’s greatest challenges. Whether helping a single mother access childcare while she pursues a college degree or guiding a family through the legal […]

Joffrey Ballet Premieres 'Atonement' in Chicago: A Q&A with Artistic Director Ashley Wheater on Bringing Ian McEwan’s Novel to the Stage

This week, The Joffrey Ballet brings Atonement to the Lyric Opera stage. This is the first ballet adaptation of Ian McEwan’s best-selling novel turned Academy Award®-winning film, choreographed by Cathy Marston in a co-production with Ballet Zürich. Make It Better (MIB) spoke with Joffrey’s Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director, Ashley Wheater MBE, last week before […]

Penelope Steiner’s Lifelong Love of Film Sparks $2M Gift, Fueling the Chicago International Film Festival’s 60th Year and Beyond

Penelope Steiner is a philanthropist and cinephile in equal measure. While Steiner has long supported prestigious cultural institutions like the Lyric Opera, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Joffrey Ballet, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Newberry Library, she walks into every movie screening with an open mind. Whether it’s a Bollywood import or Joker: Folie A […]