Great Hearts Community

09/18/2026

CARS Route 66: Cruisin for a Cause

Rev your engines and get ready to cruise down memory lane! Community Assisted Rides (CARS) invites you to our 24th Annual Fall Benefit — Cruisin’ for a Cause — a Route 66-themed celebration supporting our mission of providing free, compassionate transportation to those in need.

Date: Thursday, September 24th, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Drury Lane

https://my.onecause.com/event/organizations/sf-001C000001l0bExIAI/events/vevt:7669831c-003f-4c82-adb0-5f0d5c23b49b/home/story

09/16/2026

C.A.R.E. Strut For Strays

Community Animal Rescue Effort - CARE is getting ready to Strut For Strays, walking 2.5 miles along the Northshore Sculpture Path on September 19.

Learn more - https://secure.qgiv.com/event/strutforstrays2026

09/15/2026

Community Environmental Council Green Gala

Saturday, September 19, 2026
4:30-9 p.m.
Santa Barbara Historical Museum

Join the Community Environmental Council (CEC) for Green Gala 2026, an unforgettable evening celebrating community, connection, and climate action on California's Central Coast.

Learn more here -
https://cecsb.org/green-gal

09/12/2026

MCP Rescue Backyard Bark-B-Q

Tomorrow is MCP Rescue and Outreach's Annual Backyard Bark-B-Q from 12 - 3 pm!

Includes all-you-can-eat shrimp seafood boil and all-you-can-drink premium drinks.
Vegan, vegetarian, and kid-friendly options will be available.

2959 N California Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
Shrimp Dump at 1 pm

Buy Tickets Here -
https://givebutter.com/backyard-bark-b-q-p8qhdc

09/11/2026

SkyART is celebrating its 25th Anniversary Tomorrow!

SkyART is turning the block into one big celebration! Twenty-five years of art, community, and creativity deserve a party, so come make some noise. Expect hands-on art activities, live music, good food, and plenty of joyful chaos as the whole neighborhood comes together.

Free and open to everyone. Bring your family, bring your neighbors, bring your dancing shoes. Let's make our mark together!

Donate and buy tickets here -
https://givebutter.com/25th-anniversary-block-party-wqs5cj?utm

09/10/2026

Fall is Better Together: Join In!

Fall is full of fun ways to get involved! Whether you’re looking for an autumn outing close to home or a way to support a cause you care about, there are plenty of opportunities to make a difference while having some fun.
For example, this Saturday, September 12, the Greater Chicago Food Depository September Repack Session will take place.

Sign up here -
https://bit.ly/SepRepack2026

05/15/2026

✨ Is Your Board Leading or Just Meeting? ✨
Strong boards do more than attend meetings — they help nonprofits grow, adapt, and stay mission-focused. From fundraising and advocacy to strategic planning and financial oversight, engaged board members strengthen leadership and build community trust.

To help strengthen nonprofit leadership, Great Hearts Initiatives is sponsoring five scholarships for the BoardSource Board Support Program — offering year-round access to governance resources, expert guidance, and a network of nonprofit leaders committed to board excellence.

✅ Apply for an individual or full-board scholarship today!
https://forms.gle/haZkYMpKhMGMw9Nw9

04/13/2026

Sarah Stusek’s Proper Help has wiped out $80K+ in student meal debt and plans more, as unpaid lunch balances rise and communities call for universal free lunch.

With donor support, she has erased over $80,000 in lunch debt nationwide and says the foundation still has more than $100,000 to distribute.

Watch this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND3279a2v4o

Consider supporting Proper Help.

04/10/2026

What One Person Can Do - The Power of One

Throughout April, Great Hearts will be sharing powerful stories of individuals and small groups who are going above and beyond to lift others up and support the causes closest to their hearts. Each story is a testament to the extraordinary impact one person can have—and a reminder that even the smallest act of compassion can ripple outward in ways we may never fully see.

Comment and tell us about something you have done or someone as done for you that shows the power of one!

03/16/2026

Inspiring Story - Tutoring Chicago 60th Anniversary

Long-term, one-to-one tutoring. Entirely free of charge. That’s Tutoring Chicago. For 60 years, they have been connecting economically challenged students with volunteer tutors who care. Tutoring Chicago has reached the halfway point of its 60th anniversary program year, and students and volunteer tutors have been hard at work. The organization is already seeing strong results and continued growth in several key areas.

So far this year, Tutoring Chicago has served 1,434 students, surpassing last year’s record of 1,347. Volunteer engagement remains strong as well, with 756 tutors returning from the 2024–25 program year, representing a 62% volunteer retention rate. Long-term tutor-student partnerships remain a cornerstone of the organization’s one-to-one tutoring model and a key factor in its impact.

Congratulations to Tutoring Chicago for 60 years of remarkable impact!

Tutoring Chicago’s mission is to deliver the power of education to children facing economic barriers through one-to-one tutoring at no cost to families. Cele...