How a Small Church Built a Big-Impact Model for Grassroots Philanthropy

In a time when many nonprofits are struggling to sustain year-over-year support — and donors seek more transparency about where their money goes — a small church just north of Chicago has quietly built a model of grassroots philanthropy that’s helped dozens of local organizations not just survive, but thrive. Kenilworth Union Church’s approach might […]

Bank Account Fraud Is Growing — How to Protect Yourself

In October, we shared the story of the Carleo family, whose bank accounts were cleaned out to the tune of $130,000 after a mysterious phone call. The Carleos got their money back only after a little media attention. Thefts like what happened to them continue to proliferate — so it’s time to take extra precautions […]

You Said It: I’m an Economist — Here’s Why DEI in Business, Education and Community Leads to Economic Prosperity

In 2020, President Donald Trump signed an executive order revoking all federal government diversity, education, and inclusion (DEI) training. While several lawsuits followed that order, and President Joe Biden has since reversed the ban on DEI training, federal government agencies, businesses, and nonprofits that contract with the federal government already felt the impact from the […]

8 Tips on Investing with Impact from ESG Leaders Kathy Roeser and Emily Thomas of Morgan Stanley

The most successful investors understand that investing is about more than just compounding cash. Rather, savvy investors use their money to support the most important things in life, because that’s good for their bottom line financially and emotionally. In other words, they look to maximize “social impact” — because burgeoning data demonstrates that the businesses […]

13 Most Powerful Philanthropists and Nonprofit Leaders Driving Change in Chicago and Beyond in 2022

According to the Giving US annual report on philanthropy, published by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, charitable giving in the United States increased by 4 percent last year. An Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy study commissioned by the Chicago Community Trust demonstrated that Chicago is an astonishing 50 percent more philanthropic than any […]

Baseball, Beer and Sustainability: Why the Chicago Cubs and Anheuser-Busch Partnership Is a Win for the Environment

Beer and baseball have gone hand-in-hand for over a century. Now, Anheuser-Busch’s CEO Brendan Whitworth wants to pair them with civic engagement.   On Sept. 22, the Executives’ Club of Chicago and the Chicago Cubs hosted Whitworth for a discussion with former MLB player and Marquee Sports Network analyst Doug Glanville on how Anheuser-Busch is thinking […]