Chicago has long been one of the nation’s most philanthropic cities — residents give at rates nearly 50 percent higher than the U.S. average — and women have always been at the heart of that generosity. In a city where cultural giants, world-class hospitals, and top universities sit shoulder to shoulder, women’s boards have become an unmistakable force. According to the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, nearly three-quarters of Chicago-area households donate to nonprofit organizations each year — compared with 59 percent nationally — underscoring the region’s extraordinary commitment to giving and the powerful role women play in sustaining that culture of generosity.
Twenty years ago, Make It Better Foundation founder Susan B. Noyes captured this uniquely Chicago phenomenon in “A League of Their Own: How Chicago Women Built the City’s Most Powerful Philanthropic Boards.” The article, published in the September 2005 issue of North Shore Magazine, spotlighted a network of women whose collaboration and leadership helped shape Chicago’s civic and cultural landscape. Two decades later, research from the Women’s Philanthropy Institute affirms what that story foreshadowed: women’s giving has proven more resilient and wide-ranging than men’s—sustained across more causes and deeply rooted in community values and inclusion. The Institute’s latest findings, including its 2025 Women and Philanthropy: A Literature Review, underscore women’s growing influence as transformative agents in philanthropy, driving collective giving models and advancing more inclusive leadership across the sector.
Chicago’s women’s boards have long defined the city’s spirit of generosity, channeling tens of billions in philanthropic support to sustain its most vital civic and cultural institutions. Over the past two decades, the Make It Better Foundation has worked to elevate these leaders and the nonprofits they champion through storytelling, venture-philanthropy partnerships, and the Philanthropy Awards. The women’s boards highlighted here represent the next chapter of that legacy — a powerful collective shaping the future of giving in Chicago and beyond.
The Arts
The Woman’s Board, Art Institute of Chicago
The Woman’s Board was formed in 1952 to provide support to the Art Institute of Chicago as well as to underwrite educational programming for families, students, educators, and the general public. The Lecture + Luncheon is the Woman’s Board’s principal fundraising effort, with the 2025 fall event featuring painter Lisa Yuskavage.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra Women’s Board
The Women’s Board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association supports the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) through advocacy and fundraising. Members are nominated to serve and meet four times a year. They host the annual Symphony Ball, a red-carpet event featuring a concert and gala that raises more than $1 million annually. Through donations, the Women’s Board contributes more than $500,000 each year to the Women’s Board Guest Artist Endowment Fund, which sponsors a guest artist, conductor, or composer, like conductor Karina Canellakis.
Goodman Theatre Women’s Board
The Goodman Theatre is Chicago’s oldest and largest not-for-profit theater. Since its founding in 1978, the Women’s Board has raised more than $70 million for 40 productions as well as education and engagement programs. The 44 board members serve and offer crucial support through annual events, including a gala and an auction.
Women’s Board of the Joffrey Ballet
Since September 2001, the Joffrey Ballet Women’s Board has been promoting the activities of the Joffrey Ballet, elevating it to a leading cultural and educational institution. They have been instrumental in the development of the community engagement program, which offers Chicago’s youth equitable access to arts and dance education. Each year, the Women’s Board raises a total of $2 million and $50,000 for its signature program, the En Pointe Initiative.
Lyric Opera of Chicago Women’s Board
The Women’s Board is one of the six boards supporting the Lyric Opera of Chicago, but it is known as the true development powerhouse. Members often serve for life — there is no term limit for this coveted board. Founded in 1955, membership is by invitation. The 63 women currently serving are not only passionate about opera, but they also play an essential role in sustaining the institution. Through events like the Season Opening Gala and triennial wine auctions, the Women’s Board raises more than $3 million annually.
Ravinia Festival Women’s Board
Since its founding in 1962, the Ravinia Women’s Board has raised more than $35 million for Ravinia, the longest-running and most programmatically diverse outdoor music festival in North America. First envisioned as a high-end summer amusement park featuring musical performances, Ravinia’s mission today is to educate, foster, and provide access to a diverse range of music and arts experiences. Nearly 400,000 guests attend the more than 100 events each year that are subsidized by the fundraising efforts of the Women’s Board, including the annual summer Gala, Ravinia Festival Shop, Wintrust Chair & Table Rental, the Tribute Fund, and the biennial Ravinia Cruise.
Community Development
Women’s Board of Catholic Charities, Lake County Service
The mission of the Women’s Board of Catholic Charities, Lake County, is threefold: to raise funds for Catholic Charities programs in Lake County; to provide opportunities for volunteerism; and to increase awareness of the organization’s work. Board members participate in service opportunities and act as ambassadors. They serve on committees and pledge support for fundraising initiatives, including the annual Art of Caring dinner. In years past, the board has raised at least $250,000 at each event.
Northwestern Settlement Auxiliary Boards
Northwestern University Settlement House serves nearly 20,000 individuals in Chicagoland with programs and services designed to uplift and empower individuals while addressing the root causes of generational poverty. There are four auxiliary boards in Evanston, the North Shore, Winnetka, and the newly formed Chicago board that support the organization. Each board offers unique opportunities to support the organization. The North Shore Board raised more $400,000 at their 2024 House in the Wood Gala, with all proceeds going directly to support the camp programs for children.
Education
Northwestern University Women’s Board
The Women’s Board of Northwestern University was established in 1978 by the wives of five members of the Board of Trustees. The goal of the board was to bring the university and the community closer together by fostering and encouraging interest in educational, cultural, and research activities at Northwestern. The organization has executive and membership committees and holds membership meetings three times a year. There are five lectures/luncheons per year featuring distinguished faculty from University departments, as well as speakers affiliated with Northwestern.
University of Chicago Women’s Board
The University of Chicago Women’s Board was established in 1960 to give women the opportunity to personally engage with members of the University’s research programs. The board also allowed faculty to serve as advocates to the larger community and raise funds. In the past 15 years, the Women’s Board has raised $10 million. Each spring, the Women’s Board awards grants of $10,000 to $100,000 to members of the University community in faculty research and support, arts and cultural institutions, quality of student life, and community outreach.
Health and Wellness
The Breakthrough Board – Cancer Research Foundation
It’s been more than 70 years since a group of women formed the University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation Women’s Board. In 2021, the board joined forces with the Cancer Research Foundation to create The Breakthrough Board with a goal of investing in research programs with high breakthrough promise that lack the critical level of funding needed to fuel discovery. The organization has raised $21 million since the first board’s founding, averaging more than $1 million throughout the past 4 years.
Hadley Institute for the Blind Woman’s Board
Hadley was founded in 1920 by William Hadley, an educator who lost his eyesight later in life, to provide practical help, connection, and support free of charge to anyone with a visual impairment, their families, and the professionals supporting them. The Hadley Woman’s Board was established in 1953 to support the organization and is a vital source of personal and financial support. The board has raised more than $5 million through events and unique efforts like selling greeting cards at farmers’ markets, a dog wash, and face painting.
The Founders’ Board of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Women have been advocating for children’s health care in Chicagoland since 1882, when the 8-bed Maurice F. Porter Memorial Hospital opened. Nine women served on an advisory board of managers for that hospital. Today, there are 150 active and associate members on the Founders’ Board of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. They support the hospital’s mission through four pillars of commitment: advocacy, education, fundraising, and service. The Founders’ Board hosts several annual events that raise significant funds. The 65th Annual Dinner on the Bluff and Pro Am Golf Championship raised more than $2.23 million for the Lurie Children’s Heart Center.
Misericordia Heart of Mercy Women’s Board
The Misericordia Women’s Board has been supporting the mission of the Misericordia Community of Care since 1921 through volunteering and fundraising. The work of the board impacts more than 600 children and adults with profound developmental disabilities. The annual Angel Appeal campaign has been a major source of funding since the 1980s, with gifts of anywhere from $25 to $100,000 from loyal donors. The 2025 Heart of Mercy Ball, the signature event of the Women’s Board, raised more $1 million. The 2025 gala is in November.
Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Founded in 1897 as The Passavant Woman’s Aid Society, the Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, one of Chicago’s oldest charitable organizations, is dedicated to supporting the programs and services provided by Northwestern Memorial Hospital, including those related to women’s health issues. Since its founding, the board has donated more than $65 million to the hospital. In 2022, the board committed a pledge of more than $4.5 million to address women’s reproductive health throughout their lives.
Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center
The Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center works in partnership with the medical center to support patient care, research, and community outreach. Initially, there were two distinct boards, one for the Presbyterian Hospital in 1884 and one for St. Luke’s Hospital in 1892. They merged in 1959 shortly after the two hospitals united. Currently, 234 women serve on the board. In addition to operating two in-hospital gift shops, the board hosts two major fundraising events annually. Author Anne LaMott was the featured speaker at the 2025 spring event. In the past 20 years, the board has raised more than $10 million.
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab Keystone Board
In 2016, Pathways, a leading nonprofit research and rehabilitation center for children struggling with developmental, delayed a merge with Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago’s (RIC) state-of-the-art research hospital and was renamed the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. In 2017, the institution combined its Foundation Board and Women’s Board into the Keystone Board to maximize reach, visibility, and impact. The Board is responsible for organizing the annual fundraising event, Spark!, which raised more than $4.6 million in 2025, the most in the event’s history. The funds support cutting-edge research and patient recoveries, reinforcing the hospital’s role as the world’s leader in rehabilitation.
Museums, Zoos, and Botanical Societies
Costume Council of the Chicago History Museum
Mrs. Philip K. Wrigley founded the Costume Council in 1974 to support the Chicago History Museum in documenting and interpreting the history and art of fashion. The museum’s extensive collection of more than 50,000 costumes, textiles, and accessories dates from the 18th century and includes works by numerous more recent designers, including Chanel, Worth, Yves Saint Laurent, Halston, and Versace. The council celebrated its 50th anniversary with the Dressed in History gala. Since its founding, they have raised $5 million.
Woman’s Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society
The Woman’s Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society was established in 1951 as an integral part of the founding and development of the Chicago Botanic Garden. As the Auxiliary Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society, the Woman’s Board plans its year of activities to increase awareness about the Garden’s horticulture, conservation, and plant science work. It is a passionate ambassador for the Garden’s local, national, and global efforts. The board hosts the Fall Bulb Sale (starting in 1999), and Lightscape Preview Party (starting in 2019), the Garden’s annual fundraising event, hosted in conjunction with the Board of Directors.
Women’s Board of the Chicago Zoological Society
The Women’s Board and Brookfield Zoo Chicago work in partnership to advance the mission of connecting people with wildlife and nature. Founded in 1981, the Women’s Board officially became an organization in 1992 and has grown to include more than 70 members from throughout Chicagoland. To date, they’ve raised more than $30 million. More than 550 guests contributed a record-breaking $2 million at the 2025 annual gala, The Whirl. Each year, the Women’s Board offers 5 scholarships of up to $5,000 to students pursuing environmental studies.
Women’s Board of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA)
Members of the Women’s Board at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) have worked hand in hand with the staff since the museum’s founding in 1967. The board creates dynamic programs and projects that have helped establish the MCA as an important cultural institution. Lecture and film series, foreign and domestic art travel programs, a community affiliate, and a docent program are just a few of their projects. They sponsor Vernissage, an annual brunch that includes first access to EXPO CHICAGO each spring. The fall Visionary Luncheon usually raises around $600,000 for the museum.
Field Museum Women’s Board
The Field Museum Women’s Board was founded in 1966 by Ellen Thorne Smith, an associate curator of the Ornithology Department and the first female museum trustee. In addition to raising more than $2 million annually for the museum, the Board of close to 200 women supports programs that invest in young women interested in science with internships, a fellowship, and special programming like the annual Women in Science luncheon.
Lincoln Park Zoo Women’s Board
Since it opened in 1868, the Lincoln Park Zoo has never charged an entrance fee. Thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Women’s Board, the Zoo remains free. The Women’s Board, founded in 1976, also supports the institution’s capital, conservation, and education efforts through the annual Zoo Ball, which recently raised a record-breaking $1.8 million. Each fall, the board hosts the Women Supporting Wildlife luncheon. The 2025 featured speaker was Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and United Nations Messenger of Peace, who passed away Oct. 1, 2025 at the age of 91.
Susan Yem is an internationally published writer who likes telling other people’s stories. She enjoys writing about parenting, education, and how individuals achieve greatness in their chosen endeavors.
