We put time, talent, and money to work for women and girls who lack economic security and opportunity, freedom from violence, and equitable access to health care and services.
* Because of the sensitive issues addressed by their work, some of the organization's addresses will remain confidential. For a more complete listing of grants, click here.
Last year, working with nearly 3,000 donors and local partners on the front lines, we funded more than 160 projects serving over 50,000 women, girls, transgender and gender non-binary individuals.
We create networks of small investors-individuals, corporations, and other foundations- and work with them to make strategic investments in women and girls throughout Chicago. We make sure the money goes where it is needed most and can do the most good. We look for innovation, and we demand results.
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Policies, systems, and institutions in the Chicago region and beyond should work for everyone they serve, women and men. When they don't, we speak up. And we keep talking until they do.
Good programs can help hundreds of women succeed. Good policies can help thousands. That’s why Chicago Foundation for Women invests in research to identify the most pressing issues facing women and girls- and advocacy for the solutions to address those issues.
Cora Fletcher, a 17-year-old jailed for retail theft, lay with her arms and legs shacked to opposite sides of a hospital bed for three days before giving birth. Jennifer Farrar, charged with forgery, had her legs chained together through most of her labor.
We see women as leaders. We help them see themselves that way, too. We give them the skills, experience, and confidence to influence, organize, and direct.
OVERALL LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS BY GENDER BY POSITION (Percentile Scores)
More than half of employees at the lowest level in organizations are female. At the top, that number falls to between 3 and 4 percent. We can do better than that.
When you lose a woman's point of view, you've lost half the picture. Take a one-question quiz to see how.
Women are smart, and they're informed. They control more wealth than ever before. And they happen to excel at networking, collaborating, and knowledge sharing - the three most essential skills for effective philanthropy today.
Identify the need. Gather the facts. Find out who's doing what. Convene. Collaborate.
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