Chicago Cares

We are thrilled to celebrate our colleague and friend ángela munguía, Executive Director of AMPT: Advancing Nonprofits, for receiving the prestigious Leaders for New Chicago Award! This award seeks to build a more inclusive city by recognizing leaders who are designing new and impactful approaches to civic discourse and action. Awardees also included two of our partners on Chicago’s South side, Malcolm Evans (Urban Growers Collective) and Alia J. Bilal (Inner-city Muslim Action Network).

It’s back! Get ready for an enriching experience at our upcoming 'Chicago Cares Volunteer Networking Hour,' co-hosted with our community partners, TEAMWORK ENGLEWOOD, at “the Englewood Breakroom.” This will be an opportunity not only to strengthen ties within our volunteer community, but also to deepen your engagement with leaders from the Englewood neighborhood. Attendance is free, but spots are filling quickly, and so register today! https://lnkd.in/g9jM2B-9. Can’t make this one? No worries! Keep your eye out for our next mixer in the coming months.

Join our amazing North Lawndale partners the NORTH LAWNDALE COMMUNITY COORDINATING COUNCIL (NLCCC), New Covenant CDC and LISC Chicago as they celebrate the grand opening of Sheila’s Concession Stand at Douglass 18! Sheila's @ Douglass 18 aims to support young local entrepreneurs, generating revenue and enhancing program offerings. Operating from late June to early Fall, Sheila's @ Douglass 18 is a vital part of the North Lawndale Quality of Life Plan. RSVP at https://lnkd.in/gmaWAwsW We’ll see you there!

Director of Development and External Affairs Cheyenne Shelby-Petersen was accepted into the 2024 cohort of the Brava Leader Institute! Over the next year Cheyenne will have the opportunity to participate in programming around power, leadership, communication, and how to manage the unique sets of challenges and opportunities presented by multiracial/multicultural institutions and the community (and so much more!) We are so proud of Cheyenne, and excited to see what the learnings from this fellowship make possible for her and our organization! Peek above for some behind the scenes at the in-person kickoff in April!

Chicago Cares and our friends in North Lawndale are grieving the loss of Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deer. Commissioner Deer was the true definition of showing civic love and devoting his time to make positive change. As a dedicated friend and advocate to our community, this loss is deeply felt across Chicago. In honor of his work, we will continue to carry forward his mission. Rest in power, Commissioner Deer. 

We’re inspiring the sector to redefine volunteerism! Last week, at the Points of Light Conference, our amazing program team leaders, Viviana Barajas and Lyana Funches, led an interactive session on empowering volunteers to engage in democracy change-work year-round. Chicago Cares invites you to be a civic engager beyond election day! Check out our calendar to learn how to get involved at https://lnkd.in/evmMhQZp

One of our favorite events of the year is just a few months away! Find Your Cause brings together local organizations and passionate volunteers who are ready for hands-on, skills-based, and board service opportunities. Grassroots organizations from the South, West, and Northwest Sides will highlight the incredible work they do in their communities and connect attendees to meaningful opportunities to engage and volunteer. Attendees can learn South Side history by catching one of our complementary shuttles from the West or Northwest Sides, enjoy wellness and meditation activities, and treat yourself to a scoop of Ida’s Artisan Ice Cream while discovering your civic love language. Register today at https://lnkd.in/gvAHNBgJ

This summer starting today, June 7th, until August 30th, our office will be closed every other Friday so our staff can enjoy some beautiful Chicago summer! Here at Chicago Cares we believe in the radical power of rest, and at our best in class workplace we prioritize wellness weeks and wellness days throughout the year for our staff. While our office will be closed, you can find our staff enjoying Chicago’s beautiful beaches, festivals, and movies in the park! Civic Love is a philosophy our staff lives and works by, and with our summer Fridays you can bet we will continue to invest and love on our communities! Miss us? Come spend time with us by attending a volunteer engagement: https://lnkd.in/evmMhQZp

Chicago Cares is celebrating another year in partnership with Northwestern Kellogg Golub Capital Board Fellows Program! Thank you, Sophie Erhart, for equipping Chicago Cares better understand how AI can be used responsibly and effectively. We’re excited to welcome Rishant Varshney and can’t way to see the new project you spearhead! Sophie shared: “I was excited when the team tasked me with helping them understand how to manage the potential risk new Generative AI technologies might pose. Through my research and conversations with staff and non-profit peers, I was able to develop an AI Risk Management Policy to help Chicago Cares understand where and how this technology can be used responsibly and effectively. Throughout, the Chicago Cares staff and board were so welcoming and supportive, and I learned so much from watching them lead. It is bittersweet to be wrapping up my fellowship with Chicago Cares, but I look forward to staying involved with the work they do to build a better Chicago.” Sophie Erhart, Northwestern Kellogg Golub Capital Board Fellow with Chicago Cares Are you looking for other leadership opportunities with Chicago Cares? Apply to our newly launched Associate Board by May 31: https://lnkd.in/gjiXGgrh

We are launching the 2024 class of the Chicago Cares Associate Board! Applications are closing soon. Join us as we cultivate civic love for the rest of the year! Board activities will include building relationships with individuals from other sectors, envisioning new community-centric pathways to fundraising, and carrying the Chicago Cares mission forward. The deadline to apply is May 31st! Apply now at https://lnkd.in/gjiXGgrh