Ada S. McKinley Community Services, Inc -Assist individuals and families who, because of disabilities or other limiting conditions, need help finding and pursuing paths leading to healthy, productive and fulfilling lives.

Ada S. McKinley would use awarded funds to assist more than 200 youth participants in our Foster Care and Teen Reach programs, which operate under the Child Development and Youth Services division.

Adler Planetarium -The Adler Planetarium's mission is to inspire exploration and understanding of our Universe.

A contribution from Blackman Kallick Plante Moran will enable the Adler Planetarium to continue to provide hands-on exhibitions, thrilling theater experiences, and engaging education programs to its growing visitor audience.

Advocate Charitable Foundation - Advocate Health Care, including Hope Children's and Lutheran General Children's Hospitals, serves the health needs of individuals, families, and communities through a holistic philosophy.

A $25,000 grant will help to provide support for the essential services provided by the Child Life Services Program. Specifically, this grant would be used to expand much-needed support groups and services to children and families across the Chicago area region in the coming year.

The Alain Locke Initiative - The mission of The Alain Locke Initiative is to close the achievement gap by energizing urban schools with the high-impact leaders of today and tomorrow.

$25,000 support from Blackman Kallick Plante Moran will help provide a steady and qualified pipeline of superb teachers and principals for Chicago's most underserved students. Specifically the funds will support the Inner-City Teaching Corps, Alain Locke Charter School and The Ryan Fellowship.

Albany Park Community Center - All programs are grouped into one of three major program divisions: Children and Youth Development Programs, Adult Education Programs and Community Development Programs.

These funds will be used to expand and/or improve our programs for one of the following critical program areas in the community: Children's Head Start; Veterans Employment; Workforce Development; CeaseFire; and/or Community Technology Center (community computer classes). 

Almost Home Kids - Almost Home Kids provides transitional care in a home-like setting to children with complicated health needs, training for their families and respite care.

The funds would be used to provide respite care to families needing a break from 24/7 care of their child. The majority of AHK's children are medically fragile and/or technology dependent, requiring a feeding tube or breathing tube for sustenance. Respite care allows families a much needed break to rest, tend the needs of their other children or their own health needs.  

Alzheimer's Association, Greater Illinois Chapter - Eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; provide and enhance care and support for all affected; reduce the risk of dementia through promotion of brain health.

The Alzheimer's Association, Greater Illinois Chapter will use this grant to advance important initiatives like our Consumer Education Program, where we work with individuals with dementia, their family members, and healthcare professionals to better help them understand the challenges associated with a diagnosis.

American Cancer Society, Illinois Division, Inc. - ACS is dedicated to eliminating cancer by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service.

Your funding will help the American Cancer Society, Illinois Division provide an opportunity for students to participate in an extraordinary program that gives talented young people the chance to spend eight weeks in the state's top research facilities performing independent research under the guidance of mentors who are expert cancer investigators.

American Friends of the Israel Sport Center for the Disabled - The Israel Sports Center for the Disabled specializes in the physical and psychological rehabilitation of Israeli children and youth

The American Friends of the Israel Sport Center for the Disabled would use the funds to purchase wheelchairs for kids.

Anderson Animal Shelter - Anderson Animal Shelter is dedicated to the compassionate and humane treatment of homeless companion animals through direct care, education and community outreach programs.

If awarded the funds, Anderson Animal Shelter plans to apply it in the three categories of Humane Education, Donor Cultivation and General Operations.

The ARK - Provide for Chicagoland Jews in need by providing vital human services within a framework of Jewish values/laws; build bridges between volunteers and those in need.

All ARK services are provided free of charge for low-income families. The funds would be used to provide medical, dental, and eye care; prescription medications; food; shelter; clothing; job counseling; legal aid; mental health services; and more for people who are unemployed, uninsured, disabled, or otherwise struggling to make ends meet.

Atia's Project Ladybug Fund - To ease the struggles of childhood cancer by providing financial and emotional assistance to patients and their families.

This much needed gift would be used to help fund Atia's Project Ladybug Fund's existing programs, including: Emergency Funding, Ladybug Comfort Baskets, Ladybug Lunches and Ladybug Love for the Holidays.

Bernie's Book Bank - We collect, process and redistribute new and quality used children's books to significantly increase book ownership of at-risk infants, toddlers and school-age children in Chicago.

The funds provided by Blackman Kallick Plante and Moran will be used to bring more children into our program. Because of our lean operating focus, the cost to serve a child with 12 books per year is only $3 per child. So $25,000 would allow to us to serve another 8,333 children through the distribution of 200,000 books.  

The Big Shoulders Fund - The mission is to support Catholic schools in the neediest areas of inner-city Chicago through scholarships, programs, equipment, facility improvements, faculty support, and operating grants.

All of the funds would be directed to scholarships to provide inner-city children with access to a high-quality education in a safe environment, regardless of racial, ethnic or religious background.

Boys & Girls Club of Elgin - To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.

The Club would utilize Chicago Community Champions funds to support middle school students at risk of school failure through a targeted intervention that encourages each student to articulate his or her own path to high school graduation and beyond. Students will be paired with mentors to assist in working toward academic success.

Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Catholic School - Cardinal Joseph Bernardin School stems from and supports the evangelization and catechetical ministries of four sponsoring parishes by providing an academically excellent, Christian educational program.

These funds would modernize the Student Broadcast-Media Center. Additionally, 25 iPads with a charging cart would be made available for teachers to utilize with their students in the classroom.

Cathedral Shelter of Chicago - Working with love and compassion to end homelessness in Chicago, particularly for people dealing with addiction.

Funds from Blackman Kallick Plante Moran's Chicago Community Champions would be used to implement the roll-out of Cathedral Shelter's new brand and visual identity including updating the agency's website, signage, print collateral and informing key constituencies (donors, community agency partners, funders, and clients). 

Center for Economic Progress - The Center for Economic Progress helps hard-working, low-income families move from financial uncertainty to financial security through free tax and financial services.

We would invest the funds in new year-round financial literacy and financial coaching programs that will empower our clients to "feed" themselves, their families, and their communities.

Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) - Inspiring people to discover why design matters.

Your funding will support Open House Chicago, CAF’s free annual weekend festival that offers behind-the-scenes access to over 150 buildings across the city. By exploring new communities, we discover the complex cultures and histories of our city and ourselves. Vote for the Chicago Architecture Foundation to help keep this event free and accessible to all.

Chicago Botanic Garden - To promote the enjoyment, understanding, and conservation of plants and the natural world.

With a $25,000 award, the Garden can purchase a cargo van to deliver fresh, affordable or donated produce to communities in need as well as local businesses that support program growth and development.

Chicago Cares - Chicago Cares builds volunteer experiences that mobilize and inspire people to make Chicago a stronger community.

The Chicago Cares Youth in Service program has introduced more than 16,000 youth throughout the city of Chicago to volunteerism over the past five years. Funding from this award will help develop service and leadership skills for thousands of under-resourced Chicago youth.

The Chicago Classical Recording Foundation - The Chicago Classical Recording Foundation supports Chicago's finest classical musicians by producing and promoting their efforts on recordings of the highest musical and sound quality.

The Foundation will release and promote recordings (on its Cedille Records label) with Chicago musical artists including violinist Rachel Barton Pine, new music sextet eighth blackbird, the Pacifica Quartet, pianist Jorge Federico Osorio, and the Chicago Sinfonietta (among many others). The recordings will be used to promote the careers and reputations of these seminal Chicago musicians and ensembles.

Chicago Opera Theater - COT produces new and rare operas of high artistic excellence in a contemporary way so as to enrich and educate a diverse audience.

Chicago Opera Theater will use the funds towards the production of its first opera to be staged outside the Harris Theater, in the Bridgeport neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago.

Chicago Public Media - Chicago Public Media is a public service media and broadcasting institution that provides informative and emotional media experiences that enhance civic life and our communities.

This generous contribution will be used to enhance education coverage in our Chicago community, creating new content to inform, inspire, enrich, and entertain.

Chicago Sinfonietta -  Chicago Sinfonietta, the nation's most diverse orchestra, serves as a model for inclusiveness and innovation, presenting high quality concerts and educational outreach programs.

The generous donation of $25,000 from Blackman Kallick Plante Moran Chicago will help support the Chicago Sinfonietta's 25th Anniversary season, its unique mission and dynamic vision.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra - The central mission of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association is to present classical music through the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to Chicago, national and international audiences.

A $25,000 award from Blackman Kallick Plante Moran would support the CSO's artistic and education programs, playing an exceptional role in bringing the highest caliber of music to the people of Chicago and the world.

Children's Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County - Our Mission: To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. 

The Center's funding for ongoing support and free counseling services for child victims of sexual abuse, and their families, was recently cut by the state. The Chicago Community Champion funds would ensure that these vital services continue to be provided.

Children's Home + Aid - Children's Home + Aid is a leading child and family service provider in Illinois. Our mission is to give children help, hope and opportunity.

Children's Home + Aid would use funding from the Chicago Community Champions program to support youth in foster care and give them help, hope and opportunity. Children's Home + Aid's recently expanded Foster Care program serves over 1,000 of Illinois' most vulnerable youth.

Children's Research Fund - Raise funds for medical research/education and donate such funds to organizations conducting medical research or providing medical treatment, education or services relating to medical care.

Children's Research Fund would use the funds to support this research training program, which trains the next generation of scientists and develops them for prolific research careers, one of the most far-reaching investments one can make to ensure innovation and breakthroughs in medical research. Children's Research Fund is an affiliated organization of Lurie Children's and CHCRC.

Child's Voice - To empower children with hearing loss to be successful in all educational and social settings by optimizing their listening, speaking and academic skills.

Child's Voice will utilize the $25,000 from this donation to support the Early Intervention Program. This effort provides specialized listening and spoken language education to children from just a few weeks old through the age of three.

Chinese Fine Arts Society (CFAS) - CFAS is dedicated to promoting the appreciation of Chinese culture, enhancing cultural exchange and pursuing excellence in Chinese music, dance and visual arts.

We would use the funds to support our Community Engagement events - many of which we present with little to no funding. Our goal is to nurture and share the beauty and majesty of Chinese cultural arts and to promote diversity within the Chicago community.

Christian Brothers Services - Our mission is to serve the Catholic Church community and other faith-based organizations
by responding to their managerial needs. 

We will use the $25,000 award to help ensure underserved children in the surrounding counties are fed on weekends. Providing backpacks containing ready to eat, nonperishable food items to at-risk students will ensure they have healthy food on the weekends.

Clean Energy Trust - Clean Energy Trust leverages the region's world-class research institutions, corporations and financial firms to cultivate a clean energy ecosystem to invigorate the region's economy.

The Clean Energy Trust plans to use funds awarded to plan and execute a Clean Technology Research Showcase for clean energy, water and waste technologies.   

Common Threads - Our mission is to educate children on the importance of nutrition and physical well-being, and to foster an appreciation of cultural diversity through cooking.

With the $25,000 gift received from Plante Moran, Common Threads would have the pleasure of providing at least three 10-week courses for students where they will be taught skills that empower them and have been proven to change the way they view the world around them, be provided with meals each week that are healthy and cultural, and become more equipped to share their cooking skills with their families.

Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) - C4 provides compassionate and effective mental health services, substance use treatment, crisis counseling and parenting classes to adults, children and families at five sites.

As a community mental health organization that helps nearly 7,000 at risk families every year, C4 will use the $25,000 grant to provide Healing Heart groups for families, neighbors, teachers and community members impacted by the violence and bullying.

Connections for Abused Women and their Children - CAWC is committed to ending domestic violence. Using a self-help empowerment approach, CAWC provides counseling, advocacy, 24-hour hotline and a shelter for women and children.

Funding would be used to support CAWC's 42-bed emergency Greenhouse Shelter for women and children forced to flee their homes due to domestic violence. Open 365 days a year, the shelter provides crisis intervention, counseling, legal advocacy, safety planning, specialized services for children, and community referral. Greenhouse is handicapped accessible and provides bilingual (English and Spanish)services.

Connections for the Homeless -Connections is ending homelessness by preventing people from losing their homes, housing the homeless, and providing support to people at risk achieve long-term self-sufficiency.

Connections for the Homeless would use the funding from this challenge to help pay for Learn & Earn—a workforce education and development program leading to economic empowerment for homeless families.

Creative Go-Round - Assist nonprofit organizations in capacity building by establishing an intern-based design firm that bridges the widening gulf between quality design services and the nonprofit sector.

The funds will be used to increase Creative Go-Round's capacity to fulfill the communication design needs of area-wide nonprofits by means of a strong, diverse team of emerging designers.

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation -To assure the development of the means to cure and control cystic fibrosis and improve the quality of life for those with the disease.

The Blackman Kallick Plante Moran funds would be used to help support our seven local CF Care Centers where many of our patients receive care.

Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago - The Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago leads the fight to stop seizures, find a cure, and overcome challenges created by epilepsy.

We propose to use the $25,000 "Chicago Community Champions" award to extend our delivery of resources to people with epilepsy, as well as their families and friends, across Chicagoland.

Erasing the Distance - Erasing the Distance uses the power of performance to disarm stigma, spark dialogue, educate, and promote healing surrounding issues of mental health.

Erasing the Distance (ETD) would use the $25,000 to support its 2012-2013 artistic season of shows for the general public.

Evanston History Center - The Mission of the Evanston History Center is to collect, preserve & interpret the rich history of Evanston through exhibits, educational programs and research facilities.

We would use the Plante Moran funds to create and implement four new projects for the citizens of Evanston to add to the 150-year celebration of our remarkable city. 

Free Spirit Media - Free Spirit Media provides education, access, and opportunity in digital media production to under-served urban youth.

Free Spirit Media is currently running seven digital media education programs at five locations. If awarded, the funds would directly support these dynamic programs that collectively serve roughly 500 Chicago youth each year.

Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance - Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance changes lives through the power of nature. We inspire and educate through innovative programs and special events, provoking curiosity and wonder.

Funds from Blackman Kallick Plante Moran would be used to support development of the Play and Grow Garden project.

Generation Mirror - Revolutionize the way people view their bodies & provide community-based services that inspire support for those affected by eating disorders.

Funds would be used to jump-start development and implementation of our eating disorder education and prevention program in schools and student organizations throughout the Chicagoland area.

Great Books Foundation (GBF) - Empowering readers of all ages to become more reflective and responsible thinkers, by teaching the art of civil discourse and publishing enduring works of literature.

GBF will use the funds to help veterans making the transition to civilian life come to terms with their challenges by participating in Shared Inquiry™ discussions of powerful literature that addresses their concerns. Funds will enable GBF to implement the discussions in veteran centers by providing leaders and discussion materials, and to produce a video documenting the project.

Hektoen Institute - Improve the care of the sick by supporting programs that enhance patient care and extend the boundaries of knowledge through education and research.

To extend Hektoen mentorship program which sponsors students from inner-city schools who will spend time at the Institute and its afilliates developing skills in biological research or writing and publishing.

Hispanic Housing Development Corporation - Stabilize Latino communities by creating, managing and investing in ventures that increase availability of affordable housing and promoting economic opportunity and enhancing quality of life.

HHDC will build on the REO to Rental program to realize broader community impact in areas with widespread foreclosures and lack of new reinvestment.

The Holiday Heroes Foundation - To provide low income, long term hospitalized children– and their families – with holiday or birthday celebrations they would not otherwise be able to enjoy.

We strive to bring as many parties to hospitals in the Chicago area as possible. Should we be the recipient of your generosity, we will throw a series of holiday and birthday parties for low-income long-term hospitalized children at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.  

Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center - Applies the universal lessons of the Holocaust to empower students, teachers, law enforcement, and the community to confront hatred, bullying, and intolerance in society today.

Funding will support the Museum's character education programming which includes a strong anti-bullying component. Specifically, the $25,000 will support our three Student Leadership Days in the 2012-2013 academic year.

IMD Guest House Foundation - The IMD Guest House Foundation provides for affordable accommodations where family members can stay while their loved one receives medical treatment.

We would redesign our website and Facebook page to recruit more volunteers and increase our community presence. We would enable our volunteers to access the webpage through a secure portal to track and schedule their volunteer activity with us.

Infant Welfare Society of Chicago - Provide health services for healthy physical and mental development of children and women to give them a future productive and wholesome life.

The award would be used to support Infant Welfare's child development and bilingual child and adolescent counseling program that identifies developmental delays early and provides children skills to cope with current and future personal/family crises.

Inspiration Corporation -With dignity and respect, Inspiration Corporation helps people who are affected by homelessness and poverty to increase self-sufficiency through social services, employment training and housing.

Inspiration Corporation would use support from Blackman Kallick Plante Moran to help serve 35,000 restaurant-style meals cooked and served by volunteers at Inspiration Cafe in Uptown and The Living Room Cafe in Woodlawn, in Chicago's Uptown and Woodlawn neighborhoods.

Irish Music School of Chicago - To preserve and pass on the living tradition of Irish music to a new generation of players in the Chicago area.

The Irish Music School of Chicago will use a grant from Plante Moran to develop a series of master workshops with seminal musicians in the Irish music tradition, including the master musicians of the 1950's and 1960's still living and playing in Chicago.

Japan America Society of Chicago - Our mission is to create and promote Japanese and American friendships. We do this through business, social, educational and cultural activities. 

Funds will be used toward the development of new Japan-US culture and educational related programming to further our mission.  

Jewish Council for Youth Services - Jewish Council for Youth Services ("JCYS") provides educational and recreational programs that nurture individual growth and promote responsibility to others.

Funds would be used to support JCYS TEAMcorps, a life skills program that uses the four core principles of Teach, Experience, Achieve, and Motivate to empower more than 1,200 at-risk Chicago public high school students each year.

Jumpstart for Young Children - Jumpstart pairs motivated college students with low-income preschool children, working towards the day that every child in America enters school prepared to succeed.

A generous grant of $25,000 from Plante Moran and the Chicago voters would enable Jumpstart to serve a greater number of low-income children in the Chicago area with our life-changing program. This is our primary goal – to work toward the day that every child in America enters school prepared to succeed.

K.I.D.S.S. for Kids - K.I.D.S.S. for Kids ensures Family Services programs, which focus on the emotional well-being of pediatric patients and their families, remain available at Lurie Children's.

K.I.D.S.S. for Kids (Kindness Is Doing Something Special for Kids) is an all-volunteer, non-profit affiliated organization of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago (formerly Children's Memorial Hospital). Chicago Community Champions' gift would directly benefit the hospitals' Family Services programs.

KEEN Chicago - KEEN's mission is to foster the self-esteem, confidence, skills and talents of its athletes through non-competitive activities at no costs to their families.

We are currently in the process of opening a second site located on the North Side of Chicago. The funding will help us maintain both locations and to keep all activities for our special needs athletes and their family completely free.  

Kohl Children's Museum of Greater Chicago - Kohl Children's Museum nurtures a love of learning in young children ages birth to 8 by providing interactive exhibits and programs that promote complex play.

Funds will be used to support Kohl Children's Museum's Art Adventures and Daily Discoveries programs. These programs provide daily, interactive activities for young children that assist in the development of cognitive, linguistic, STEM-related (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), physical, and social skills. Programs are conducted in the Museum's 1,000 square-foot Adventures in Art exhibit.

LEARN Charter School Network - The Mission of LEARN Charter School Network is to provide children with the academic foundation and ambition to earn a college degree.

With the support of Blackman Kallick Plante Moran, LEARN will implement its first ever - STEM program. LEARN will use the $25,000 award to cover the cost of the necessary equipment and materials used in the classroom. Equipment like: Classroom Laptops, Digital Projectors, Robotic Software, Energy and Environment Lab Materials, Kidwind Kits, and Design and Modeling Equipment.

Lumity - Lumity empowers nonprofits through technology and financial consulting services and trainings and partners with Community Technology Centers to be sustainable and offer workforce development trainings.

Initial start-up funding for CTC Connect ends in mid-2013 and we would use the $25,000 grant to build off our successes in 2012 to expand the program statewide and add components such as creating career paths for CTC staff and program participants.

Luna Negra Dance Theater - To celebrate Latino culture through the creation and performance of dance by contemporary choreographers, and through dance education that leads to discovery & exploration of personal & community identity.

Luna Negra Dance Theater would use the award money to further its DanceReach education program for Chicago public school children in underserved schools and communities.

Mended Little Hearts of Chicago (MLH) - MLH provides families of children with heart defects an outlet where they can find answers, education, resources and peer support– building hope for the future. 

All awarded funds would support MLH's most active program - Care Bag Delivery to children in the hospital after their heart surgery.

Merit School of Music - Merit transforms the lives of Chicago youth by providing access to high quality music education, inspiring them to achieve their full musical and personal potential.

Merit School of Music would use the Plante Moran funds to help send 25 students (20 violinists and 5 cellists) from its Suzuki Alegre Strings Program to Japan for the 16th Suzuki Method World Convention. Any funds received would be matched dollar-to-dollar by a Merit donor.

Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago - To be an innovative and compelling center of contemporary art where the public can directly experience the work and ideas of living artists.

As a recipient of the Chicago Community Champions award, the MCA would use the $25,000 award to support School Programs which serve more than 11,000 elementary through high school students annually.

National Able Network - National Able Network, Inc. provides military-to-civilian career counseling and education services to help veterans transition 'From the Front Line to the Front Office'.

An award would provide Able with the means necessary to assist approximately 250 veterans 'From the Front Line to the Front Office' over the next program year.

National Football Foundation - Chicago Metro Chapter - To promote and develop the power of amateur football in developing leadership, sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the drive for academic excellence in America's young people. 

100% of the funds will be used to provide college tuition scholarships to Chicago area high school student-athlete seniors that excel in the classroom, in the community and on the football field.

National Latino Education Institute (NLEI) - For 40 years, NLEI's mission has been to enhance the quality of life for Latinos through educational, vocational and employment services and through advocacy.

We would use the $25,000 award to continue and enhance the educational programs for adult Latino students, residing in Chicago and in the collar counties (McHenry, Will, DuPage, Grundy, Kankakee, Kane and Kendall.)

Northwestern Memorial Hospital Physicians Group (NMPG)- NMPG is an organization of caregivers who seek to improve the health of the communities we serve by delivering a broad range of healthcare services.

The funds would allow for provision of the smoking cessation program at locations throughout the city most convenient to the most in need participants.

One Hundred Club of Cook County - To help provide for the surviving spouses and dependents of law enforcement officers, firefighters and paramedics who lose their lives in the line-of-duty.

We will provide financial assistance to the spouses and children of fallen police officers, firefighters and paramedics for higher education, including trade and vocational schools, colleges and universities at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

One Million Degrees - One Million Degrees (OMD) empowers low-income, highly motivated community college students to succeed in school, in work, and in life.

In the 2012-2013 academic year, we are seeking additional funding as we expand the Signature Scholar Development Program (SSDP) to 100 scholars. This support enables OMD to continue offering high-quality professional development training to our first-year scholars, and financial literacy training to our second year-scholars, while adding a civic engagement component for our third-year scholars.

Pioneer Center for Human Services - Pioneer Center serves McHenry County residents with mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, autism, TBI, as well as victims of sexual assault, the homeless and at-risk youth.

Funding would be used towards the operations of the programs most in need of support at this time including Pioneer Center's Youth Service Bureau and PADS Homeless Services Divisions.  

The Posse Foundation - Posse is a successful college access and youth leadership development program. In partnership with top colleges, Posse Scholars receive four-year, full-tuition merit scholarships.

A $25,000 grant will provide hundreds of traditionally underrepresented Chicago public high school students with access to highly selective colleges and the proper support to succeed at those colleges.

Ravinia Festival Association - Ravinia is committed to making high-quality music education and live performance opportunities accessible to underserved communities and Chicago Public Schools that lack any music resources.

Funds from the Blackman Kallick Plante Moran Chicago Community Champions contest would be used to support the launch of a youth orchestra.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and NW Indiana - Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana improves the health and wellness of children through our four Houses, Family Room, CareMobile and scholarships.

This generous grant will help us provide Activity Night programming throughout the calendar year for the families at the RMH near Lurie Children's.

Seguin Services, Inc - Seguin Services is committed to integrate, enrich, and empower adults and children with disabilities so they can be productive, valued members of society.

Seguin Services will use the $25,000 Chicago Community Champion donation to support one of its vital social enterprises: Seguin Gardens & Gifts, which employs over 30 adults with developmental disabilities, while also providing horticulture therapy and training to more than 200 adults with disabilities annually.

Special Olympics Illinois - We provide children and adults with intellectual disabilities with an environment of camaraderie, community connections, and opportunities to excel through year-round sports training and competition.

Funding from Plante Moran Chicago Community Champions will help us to sustain our premiere MedFest event in Chicago, while growing it in new neighboring areas. It is our goal to use this model to attract and serve even more athletes in Chicagoland.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company - Steppenwolf is where great acting meets big ideas; presenting over 16 productions on three stages and offering over 700 performances, educational programs and events annually.

Funding from the Chicago Communities Champions would directly support Steppenwolf Theatre Company's exciting and innovative 2012/13 Steppenwolf for Young Adults season.  Steppenwolf for Young Adults provides teens and families with high quality performing arts experiences, offering vital arts resources to Chicago public and area schools.

Strawdog Theatre Company - Strawdog Theatre is committed to ensemble acting and immersive design experiences. We develop new works, re-imagine classic plays, and explore fusions of music and theatre.

Strawdog Theatre will use the funds to help underwrite our 25th Anniversary Season, which launches this September. Our longevity is a testament to the hard-hitting theatre we're known for producing and our success in engaging audiences with Strawdog's quirky and unique take on the theatre.

Thresholds - Thresholds assists/inspires people with severe mental illnesses to reclaim their lives by providing the supports, skills, and the respectful encouragement needed to achieve successful futures.

Funding from Chicago Community Champions would be directed to Thresholds Veterans Project, which serves veterans with severe PTSD/mental illness and disproportionately high rates of unemployment, homelessness, and substance abuse.

TRI Industries, NFP -TRI Industries NFP, a non-profit manufacturer and distributor of ink and toner, provides employment opportunities to Americans with significant disabilities in the Chicago area.  

If chosen as Chicago Community Champion, TRI would enhance the support of our workforce through increased job-training at all skills levels, ongoing assistance in finding and utilizing relevant community resources, and more frequent individual job observation and evaluation.

Trilogy Inc. - Trilogy's mission is to assist people in their recovery from serious mental illness by helping them discover and reclaim their own capabilities and life direction. 

We have drawings to expand our Beacon, a peer-to-peer drop-in center for anyone who presents as having mental illness and increase our capacity to help this most vulnerable population. If awarded $25,000 we would be able to build a space that could be used for many years to come.

U.S. Green Building Council - Illinois Chapter - The U.S. Green Building Council – Illinois Chapter is a nonprofit membership driven organization that advances buildings and communities that are sustainable, prosperous and healthy.

Funding would support Illinois public and private schools to take action in their schools or communities on the first annual Illinois Green Schools Day of Service, September 29, 2012. This event is being held in conjunction with the nation-wide Center for Green Schools’ Green Apple Day of Service. On this day, with support from our Chapter leaders, board members and volunteers we’re helping K-12 students, teachers, and administrators implement school sustainability service projects to create positive environmental change.

Union League Boys & Girls Clubs - We intend to inspire and empower all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. 

The funds will be used towards the general operating support of our underprivileged youth development programs. These programs are grouped into the following three Pillars of Success: Academic Success, Good Character and Citizenship, and Healthy Lifestyles.

United Way of Elgin - Building community. Improving lives. Making every contribution count. 

The funds would be used to expand our school readiness work. 1) Our Getting Ready for Kindergarten Calendar--now in its fifth year--has been completely revised to align with School District U-46 Project Charter for School Readiness. We are expanding our distribution to the entire school district rather than limiting it to schools in the UWE service area. 2) We continue to seek funds to support the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which provides free books to all children from birth to five in our area. The cost is $30 per year for each child. In just a little over three years, we have enrolled over 5,000 children and distributed over 75,000 books. 3) Our Reading Buddies program was successfully piloted last year, recruiting and matching volunteers with preschools. We plan to expand that program in the upcoming school year. 4) Finally, we are part of a school readiness collaboration known as the Elgin Partnership for Early Learning (EPEL).

Wounded Heroes Foundation - WHF provides support, care and opportunities for service disabled veterans through various programs ranging from grants, military medical center visits to Paralympics sports camp programs.

WHF would apply the Plante Moran Chicago Community Champions grant to the 2013 Paralympics Military Sports Camp, to help fund essentials like venues and equipment for the sports clinics, transportation to and from Chicago and lodging for participants.

WTTW -WTTW is a source of quality television programming for and about Chicago that seeks to educate, engage and inspire our viewers.

This grant will enable us to build and strengthen our American Graduate initiative, which is designed to raise awareness of the high school dropout crisis in Chicago, through the increased development of community partnerships, by enhancing the quality and quantity of American Graduate online content, and by allowing WTTW to delve deeper into the issues and potential solutions surrounding the dropout crisis through its news coverage.

Youth Job Center - We prepare youth ages 14-25 for success in the workplace. We provide job readiness, placement and employment support in partnership with employers.

The $25,000 would help the Center provide even more services to teens and young adults who desperately need it. With funds for youth development programs shrinking, the grant award would help prevent the Center from reducing its level of services throughout metropolitan Chicago.

YWCA Elgin - To provide services that are dedicated to embracing diversity, empowering women and families and supporting our community's youth with a strong educational foundation.

The YWCA Elgin is requesting your support for invaluable programs that serve needy children, youth, and families in our community. In the past, we had the good fortune to receive assistance from state and federal grants to help subsidize these services, but as our country continues to face economic crisis, such funding has diminished.

YWCA Metropolitan Chicago -The YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.

The YWCA provides services to more than 138,000 women and their families throughout the city and suburbs in the areas of Sexual Violence and Support, Early Childhood, Economic Empowerment, and Racial Equity. Support in the form of general operating is the most crucial, as it allows the YWCA to direct the funding to the area of greatest need.