In a year with falling job openings and sluggish hiring, economic and political instability, and an increasingly volatile job market, finding ways to connect job seekers with employers has become urgent. Many job seekers are becoming more disheartened, lacking options in a shrinking job market and in need of professional development. With federal safeguards failing, […]
At six months pregnant, Courtney Williams of Palm Beach County, Florida, was in a dark place. Pregnancy complications forced her to stop working at the job she loved. At home, her partner abused her. “I felt like I was dying inside,” Williams recalls. She suffered from depression and PTSD, which also threatened the well-being of […]
When he was hired as a digital archivist for the PBS show American Masters in 2025, James P. found something he wasn’t sure was possible. “It’s been one of the greatest, if not the greatest, work experiences I’ve had in my life,” James says. “I feel like my life has purpose to it, which I […]
When Patti and Steve Winegar sat down with their planner in 2017 to sketch out their financial legacy, they had two priorities: long term tax strategy and “giving more intentional, larger gifts to our core charities.” Patti was about to sell a company, so it was an important year to consider taxes carefully. And the […]
Access to nutritious food is one of the most basic and important human rights, and yet, more than 700 million people faced hunger in 2023. A staggering 35% of the global population, equivalent to 2.8 billion people, experience “hidden hunger,” the lack of adequate nutrition. Global conflicts and trade disruptions have brought to light the […]
After years of building a career in banking, Kherrington lost his job following health complications, turning his life upside down. Choosing to take control and see the layoff as a new beginning, he moved to Chicago with a friend. But when that arrangement fell through, Kherrington found himself without housing, savings, or a support network. […]
In 2023, the executive director of a youth-serving nonprofit in Chicago got a call she had been dreading. The 12-month grant that had kept her after-school program running was ending. The program was working, graduation rates among participants were up, and families on the waitlist were growing. But the funder had moved on to other […]
New apartment keys. A new career with higher pay. And a growing commitment to giving back. Since returning home after incarceration, Adisa has been building his new life one milestone at a time—putting the confidence, connections and skills he gained through Defy Ventures’ CEO of Your New Life program into action. Adisa joined the program […]
Barry Butler has been photographing Chicago for decades — but more specifically, he’s been capturing its tulips. A native of Ireland, Butler has always loved shooting natural scenery. But while building his photography practice, he also began photographing Chicago’s industrial landscape, a striking contrast to Ireland’s terrain. “I was psychologically saying to myself, ‘Well, I […]
The tension in the room was palpable. Board members dug in on opposing positions. A staff leader threatened to resign. The group’s leader called for a timeout before a vote to buy time. The scene was the 2022 board meeting of the India Philanthropy Alliance. The board members were debating a collective fundraising effort called […]
