Chicago Foundation for Women

06/05/2026

Our grantee partner, 773 Dance Project, is hosting a performance in the Austin community on Saturday, June 20!

773 Dance Project increases access to dance and performs modern and contemporary dance exclusively on the South and West Sides of Chicago.

Tickets for this all-ages event are available for donations starting at $5, and free tickets are available for individuals in need. Dancers will perform works from the organization's 2026 season, including Wonder, What A Difference, and Heft.

Purchase your ticket today: https://www.773danceproject.org/austin.

773 Dance Project is nonprofit organization working to increase access to dance. We perform modern and contemporary dance exclusively on the south and west sides of Chicago. Join us for this donation-based performance in the Austin community! We'll perform Wonder, What A Difference, and Heft from ou...

06/05/2026

We are proud that CFW was featured in a recent Block Club Chicago article!

The article spotlights Veronica Arreola’s picture book, “J Is For Justice!: An Activism Alphabet."

The Chicago writer, activist, and police district councilor first published the book in 2023, and its subject matter has become even more resonant this past year.

Learn more about Arreola’s book on activism, which helps spark conversations about injustice in the world:

Veronica Arreola’s picture book, “J Is For Justice!: An Activism Alphabet,” is among the most banned in school districts nationwide, according to a new report.

06/03/2026

Join The Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, GoodKids MadCity, Southside Together, Mothers Opposed to Violence Everywhere, and People Matter tonight in Bronzeville for the ninth annual We Walk For Her March.

Across the city, Black women and girls account for over one-third of Chicago's active missing persons cases despite representing only 15 percent of Chicago's population.

While there has been progress to address gender-based violence against Black women and girls, there is more work to be done. Tonight's youth-led march raises awareness, uplifts community voices, honors lives, and demands action.

The march will kick off at 5 PM at 35th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue due to construction on King Drive.

Guest speakers will include Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling, 20th Ward Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor, and Kaleena Burkes, Director of Minnesota's Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Office. Food and refreshments will be provided.

06/01/2026

This , we are celebrating CFW’s LBTQ Giving Council!

The LBTQ Giving Council is a vibrant community of le***an, bis*xual, and q***r women, femme, trans, and gender non-binary individuals who are engaged in community-based philanthropy.

Since 2004, the Council has awarded nearly $300,000 in grants to community-led organizations advancing the gender, racial, and economic equity of LGBTQIA+ people in the Chicago region, including this year's grantee partners Affinity Community Services, Youth Empowerment Performance Project (YEPP), Life Is Work, and One Roof Chicago.

The Council’s Lavender Fund was one of the first in Chicago to exclusively support le***an communities through grantmaking.

The Council also hosts the popular annual International Women’s Day Dance. This year’s event raised a record-breaking $41,950 (over $10,000 more than the event raised in 2025), demonstrating the power of in action.

All year long, and especially this month, we are incredibly proud to support the Council’s work and to invest in grassroots organizations led by and for LGBTQIA+ people.

Would you like to get involved with the Council? Learn more: https://bit.ly/3RoKNvL. Membership opens on July 1!

05/29/2026

Are you a teen or a teen-serving organization passionate about reproductive education, advocacy, and liberation?

Two of our grantee partners, S*xpectations and Resilience, are seeking applicants for the R.E.A.L. Youth Collective, a paid, five-week summer leadership program for youth ages 14 to 18.

Leaders in s*x education and s*xual violence prevention will lead participants through engaging curriculum, interactive discussions, peer-to-peer facilitation practice, and hands-on learning. By the end of the program, participants will step into the role of peer educators and advocates and facilitate a breakout session at SisterSong's Let's Talk About S*x Youth Pre-Conference in August.

Priority will be given to youth from or currently living in Austin, but youth from across Chicago are invited to apply. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until all spots are filled, and the application will close on June 24.

Learn more and apply today: https://bit.ly/4nVA48p.

05/27/2026

Today, Chicago Foundation for Women is proud to launch our digital 40th Anniversary Commemorative Book.

This book celebrates the advocates, leaders, and movements that made this journey possible. From our first $50,000 in grants in 1986 to more than $54 million invested today, this is the story of what collective action can build.

Explore the Commemorative Book here: cfw.org/our-history.

05/22/2026

We are still energized from this week's Giving Councils and Circles Spring Event at the National Public Housing Museum!

Chris Grumm and Laura Risimini, two of the co-authors of The Uprising of Women in Philanthropy, joined moderator Mary Morten for an insightful fireside chat. They discussed the history of the global women’s funding movement and how to apply past learnings to democratize philanthropy and build and sustain the fight for justice—now and into the future.

From celebrating the bold leadership of women’s funds and cultivating infrastructure built on care to shifting from a scarcity mindset and pooling resources to multiply impact, the event demonstrated that philanthropy belongs to us all.

Thank you to Women & Children First Bookstore for selling copies of the book on-site and Edible Passport for catering the event.

If you left Wednesday's discussion excited about the power of collective giving, visit https://www.cfw.org/giving-councils/ to get involved. Membership for the Giving Councils and Circles opens on July 1.

05/22/2026

Congratulations to our grantee partner, Apna Ghar, Inc. (Our Home), on celebrating 35 years of service to domestic violence survivors in immigrant communities.

What began as a single crisis line has grown into a thriving organization that provides robust wraparound services for survivors, including emergency and transitional housing, legal and medical advocacy, economic empowerment, and more.

Since its inception, Apna Ghar has served over 100,000 community members from more than 50 countries. Recently, the organization celebrated this milestone at its 35th anniversary gala, "Together We Thrive."

Learn more about the organization's steadfast commitment to supporting survivors and driving solutions to end gender violence: https://americanbazaaronline.com/2026/05/19/chicago-domestic-violence-shelter-apna-ghar-marks-35-years-of-service-481123/.

Chicago nonprofit Apna Ghar celebrated 35 years supporting immigrant domestic violence survivors through community programs.

05/20/2026

"If she could trust herself in a pirouette, she can trust herself in the board room." — Erin Barnett, Founder of Black Girls Dance

While Chicago prepares for the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center in June, many South Side organizations like our grantee partner, Black Girls Dance, are already seeing its impact.

Black Girls Dance helps young girls build confidence and opportunity through movement and mentorship. Barnett is dedicated to helping girls grow, on and off the stage. The nonprofit organization provides dance instruction and holistic career and educational development for girls aged 3 to 18.

With investments from the Obama Foundation's Girls Opportunity Alliance, Black Girls Dance is gaining access to workshops, events, and more with the Obama Presidential Center.

Learn more about Black Girls Dance, community programming, and youth engagement on Chicago's South Side: https://abc7chicago.com/post/barack-obama-presidential-center-supporting-local-groups-like-black-girls-dance/19130266/.

As Chicago prepares for the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, some South Side organizations are already seeing its impact.

05/14/2026

Two of our grantee partners were recently featured on WBEZ's "In the Loop" with Sasha-Ann Simons.

Sally Schulze, Communications Manager at RefugeeOne, joined a conversation on how sweeping changes to SNAP are driving the largest loss of benefits Illinois has ever seen. Since April 1, eligibility changes impacting immigrants and refugees have put thousands of residents at risk of losing critical support. Hear more about RefugeeOne's essential work advancing safety, dignity, and stability for refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants while navigating SNAP cuts: https://bit.ly/4nsmkli.

Cristóbal Cavazos, Executive Director at Casa DuPage Workers Center/Immigrant Solidarity DuPage, joined fellow advocates to discuss how rapid responders have pivoted in response to a quieter approach to immigration enforcement. With rapid response funding from CFW, the organization continues providing fast, on-the-ground support to individuals and communities when they need it most. Listen to the episode here: https://bit.ly/4tD3DwL.

At CFW, we are proud to support our grassroots partners' urgent, community-driven work.

Policy advocates at the Greater Chicago Food Depository say the changes are causing the biggest loss of SNAP benefits the state of Illinois has ever seen.