Communities Program

Our Program Mission

Expand opportunities for all Chicagoans, regardless of ZIP code, race, or income, through partnerships with donors, local nonprofits, and community leaders.

Our Approach

The Communities Program invests in programs that improve the education, health, employment, and economic opportunities for individuals living on Chicago’s south and west sides and suburban communities where racial and economic disparities are prevalent. We raise money from individual donors, with local sports teams, and through philanthropic organizations, matching each donation at 50 cents on the dollar to maximize support of nonprofit organizations working in these communities.

Here are the key elements of our approach:

• We work closely with and get input from the communities we serve, particularly in our Place-Based communities of Little Village and Englewood, because great knowledge and ideas live in the community
• We focus on root causes and systems, not just symptoms, to effect change at the community level
• We seek partnership and collaboration, because no one can solve big issues on their own
• We use data and other evidence to find the most effective strategies to solutions

Our sports team and philanthropic partners follow similar focus areas but use a slightly different approach, making grants to individual organizations providing direct services throughout Chicagoland.

Our Goal

A Chicagoland where all individuals have equitable access to the opportunities they need to thrive, and where life outcomes are not predicted by ZIP code, race, or income.