Growing the Good: How Local Gardens Can Transform Communities

This post was submitted as part of our “You Said It” program.” Your voice, ideas, and engagement are important to help us accomplish our mission. We encourage you to share your ideas and efforts to make the world a better place by submitting a “You Said It.” What if as individuals we embrace the task of […]

You Said It: During Disability Pride Month, Communities Should Focus On Improving Accessibility For People With Developmental Disabilities

Each July, we celebrate Disability Pride Month, commemorating the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990. The ADA has become the cornerstone legislation that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, public housing, transportation, and other areas. It has been a crucial tool for holding ourselves accountable and creating […]

The Honeycomb Project: Creating Change — and Reaping Lifelong Benefits — Through Youth Civil Service

Nearly every Saturday, 11-year-old Brody wakes up early, not to scroll on his phone and watch YouTube videos, but rather to volunteer alongside his parents and siblings. Brody is one of many children in Chicagoland who steps up to address pressing challenges in our communities, such as poverty, food insecurity, and homelessness.  According to Illinois […]

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 […]

How Volunteering Can Benefit Your Body, Mind and Community

Research has shown that social connectedness can improve physical health and emotional well-being, and even increased life span. The Volunteer Center provides a path to making such connections and fostering positive emotion through volunteering. Here’s how. Volunteering enhances well being It is a scientifically accepted premise that contributing time and effort to a cause greater than oneself […]

GO Campaign Started with a Goal to Help 20 Kids. 2 Decades Later, They've Helped 200,000 — How to Support Their Exponential Growth

In 2006, former attorney, U.S. Senate Aide and Hollywood screenwriter Scott Fifer started what would become GO Campaign — a small nonprofit — to help 20 street kids he met in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Driven by the singular goal of assisting those 20 kids, most of them orphans, Fifer dedicated himself to supporting the dreams and […]

You Said It: Radical Generosity Chicago Is Connecting, Motivating and Mobilizing to Assist Families in Need

Amidst the beautiful, towering skyline of Chicago lies a silent crisis — a staggering 68,000 souls, unsheltered and struggling. Radical Generosity Chicago, a 501(c)(3) organization, encourages families to not just witness this plight but to step into the narrative, to feel the brutal winter wind that these individuals endure daily. Engage, not out of obligation, […]