At a pitch event for entrepreneurs in Tampa, Florida, Melissa Neeley, CEO of the Ryan Nece Foundation, finished describing her organization’s work preparing teenagers for adulthood through volunteerism and mentorship. The questions and answers section of the event had gone well. People were nodding and asking how to get involved, until the last question hit […]
The Ottawa National Forest is one of the Midwest’s great public landscapes: mature hardwoods, wetlands, waterfalls, cold-water streams, wildlife habitats, and outdoor recreation. On any given day, one may find a gray wolf moving through a forest; a family hiking beside a cold-water stream; or a small-business owner supplying anglers, paddlers, and campers in Michigan’s […]
A fellow cancer survivor suggested Lynn Leiro apply to a creative arts program focused on providing support and community to those touched by cancer. She thought it might offer Leiro something different. It did. Leiro, 40, is a double cancer survivor whose diagnoses — triple negative breast cancer and acute lymphoblastic leukemia — left her […]
From the World Cup stage to Olympic competition to neighborhood fields, courts, and boathouses, sports create belonging, build confidence, open doors, strengthen communities, and teach us what it means to show up for one another. I saw this with my own kids. Our Make It Better partners and Philanthropy Award winners have long proven this. […]
Ebony had a new apartment, five kids counting on her, and nothing to put inside it. No beds, no table, no place to land after a hard day. She had a roof, but what she didn’t have was a home. A caseworker referred her to the Chicago Furniture Bank (CFB). A few weeks later, Ebony […]
Whenever Soe Meh leaves her apartment in Chicago, she is struck by her freedom and confidence. From birth to marriage and motherhood, Soe Meh lived in a refugee camp along the border of Thailand and Myanmar (formerly Burma). While safer than the violence in Burma that her parents had fled, she says of her time […]
Not too long ago, London Booker was driving through Rochester when something made him stop. In an abandoned lot, a group of kids was running lacrosse drills, fully equipped, calling out plays, and moving with confidence. He hit the brakes, put the car in reverse, and asked what they were doing. Their answer surprised him. […]
Chicago’s golf legacy began long before the modern era of destination resorts and public-access championship courses. The region’s influence on American golf can be traced back to the late 1800s when visionary architects and club founders established layouts that would help shape the game’s future. Today, Chicago and neighboring Wisconsin are home to an extraordinary […]
Through competing fiscal responsibilities, budget constraints, and rising bias shaped by the sociopolitical climate, the public education sector is under immense pressure, and it almost certainly has a magnified impact on a specific group: students. As students navigate an environment facing multiple crises, it’s no surprise that access to a quality arts education falls low […]
The boat sits motionless, but the air is charged with anticipation. Every breath, every grip, every heartbeat and blade sharpen at the start. Then silence breaks, and everything explodes into motion. It may be hard to imagine the grueling and rigorous sport of rowing thriving in the heart of Chicago, yet the Chicago Rowing Foundation […]
