How We Help

With funds raised through Chicago Tribune Holiday Giving and matched by McCormick Tribune Foundation, Chicago Tribune Charities last year awarded grants totaling more than $4.3 million to more than 140 Chicagoland Nonprofit organizations. Chicago Tribune Charities helps the community by funding programs that support employment and literacy skills, alleviate hunger and homelessness and support family stability to help at-risk children and adults.

Developing Literacy and Employment Skills

Everyone deserves the ability to be literate and have the opportunity to develop employment skills.

Your donation strengthens these reading and employment programs and the lives of the individuals that they serve.  

Literacy programs help adults and children and parents to acquire basic reading skills. These programs support adults starting anew, immigrants and their families as well as struggling students. Reading programs and services include Adult Basic Education (ABE), English as a Second Language (ESL), General Equivalency Diploma (GED) preparation, family literacy, and tutoring.

Employment programs provide adults, who have multiple barriers to employment, the opportunity to learn and develop skills and self-sufficiency. Employment programs focus on vocational and employment training and job placement as well as job readiness skills.

Alleviating Hunger and Homelessness

Children, families, adults and senior citizens unable to acquire basic nutrition and food need meal delivery, food banks and community services.

The housing program helps families and youths who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless through prevention services, emergency and transitional shelters and affordable housing.

Your donation sustains organizations and programs that alleviate hunger for people in need and prevent homelessness for families in our community.

Helping At-Risk Children and Families

Parents and children at risk of abuse and violence need to acquire healthy family relationships nurtured by counseling and supportive services.  Programs support positive parenting, children’s trauma treatment for domestic violence or sexual assault and advocacy. Your donation supports programs and organizations that work to stabilize at-risk children and families.

For more information on specific programs supported last year, see Who We Help.

Donations for this year’s campaign will be matched by McCormick Tribune Foundation, 50 cents on the dollar. Because McCormick Tribune Foundation and the Chicago Tribune cover administrative costs of the program, you can be confident that your entire donation will go toward programs that directly benefit those in need.