When a grandmother enrolled her 9-year-old grandson, whom she is raising on her own, in day camp this summer, she was hoping to give him a positive outlet to build friendships and confidence, in order to improve his mental health issues. Unfortunately, he did not know how to swim, and the camp did not offer […]
The caregiver list was already out of date the day Ronna Larsen got it. A caseworker had handed her a photocopied sheet of local caregivers, and one by one, the numbers on it led nowhere: offices that had closed, agencies no longer taking clients. Larsen’s mother had just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and Larsen, […]
Summer always seems to move faster than expected, even when the days themselves can feel long. And as its end comes into view, the feelings that come with it can be complicated. Packing bags for day camp. Organizing activities for your children. Fielding endless requests to do something fun. Navigating family vacations — or the […]
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 […]
By the time my daughter Emma was 7, I could see that her “picture-perfect life,” complete with strong grades, extracurricular activities, and an active social world, also made her a prime candidate for the mental health challenges facing an alarming number of “Perfect Girl” teens in affluent communities like ours. My six children grew up […]
Housing and mental health care are often treated as separate challenges. For veterans, they rarely are. As communities across the country look for better ways to support veterans, two Chicago organizations, both Make It Better Foundation 2026 Philanthropy Award winners, are demonstrating what a more integrated approach can look like. The Road Home Program: The […]
Many of the behaviors that show up in adult relationships — defensiveness, emotional shutdown, perfectionism, people-pleasing, fear of conflict — often begin as survival strategies long before adulthood. At a recent conversation hosted by The Family Institute at Northwestern University — a Make It Better 2026 Philanthropy Award winner — licensed marriage and family therapist […]
In the early hours of October 9, 2017, the Tubbs Fire swept through Sonoma County and destroyed the Anova school, a place that had been a lifeline for its community. For Anova’s students — children on the autism spectrum and with other neurodevelopmental differences — the loss meant the sudden absence of routine, stability, and […]
“I felt misunderstood for so much of my life,” says Monique*, reflecting on years of therapy before receiving an autism diagnosis as an adult. She was labeled lazy by teachers, and what seemed easy for peers felt difficult for her. Monique felt she had to mask her differences to fit in. It was exhausting. Autism […]
We love to believe that change happens because we decree it so. The New Year’s vow, a flash of resolve we committed to just weeks ago, a promise to ourselves — this time will be different. But real change and lasting motivation don’t show up on demand. It’s not because we lack discipline. It’s because […]
