Dorri McWhorter and Cherita Ellens Chicago Tribune The recent signing into law of the “no salary history” bill by Gov. J.B. Pritzker has brought the gender pay […]

Philanthropy News Digest While several indicators of women’s equity in Chicago and the surrounding region improved in 2017, rates of violent crimes against women rose […]

Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) today released new data on the status of women and girls in Chicago. The report (available for download at www.cfw.org/swag) looks at […]

Natalie Moore WBEZ Women in the Chicago region fare well in politics and educational attainment but a gender equity gap in pay remains an issue. […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT We Are More Than Enough This quote, which is commonly attributed to George Eliot (the pen name for Mary Ann […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT A More Perfect Movement Several years ago, I attended a community meeting in Little Village and was immediately schooled […]

CHICAGO, IL (July 8, 2019) — Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) is pleased to announce the election of three officers and three new members of […]

Foundation also increases investment in wraparound supports for women in Englewood  CHICAGO, IL (June 27, 2019) – Today, Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) announced 68 […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Let’s get to work It is an honor to join Chicago Foundation for Women in the work of increasing […]

Heidi Stevens Chicago Tribune To borrow a lyric from a certain Broadway musical, Felicia Davis is in the room where it happens. A lot. For […]

Corilyn Shropshire Chicago Tribune Legislation that aimed to diversify corporate boards in Illinois passed during the final days of the General Assembly’s spring legislative session, […]

Stephanie Kim Morning Shift WBEZ For more than three decades, the Chicago Foundation for Women has worked to provide a safe environment for women and […]

Felicia Davis named President and CEO of Chicago Foundation for Women (May 21, 2019) – Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) today announced the appointment of […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Flip the Script In the early days of Chicago Foundation for Women, a woman approached me, checkbook in hand, and […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT A New Chapter for Chicago To be back at Chicago Foundation for Women as Interim President/CEO is like coming home. […]

Sunny Fischer Chicago Tribune Chicago will make history next week with the election of the city’s first African-American woman as mayor. After the celebration ends, […]

Darcel Rockett Chicago Tribune Bill Gates. Warren Buffett. Richard Branson. All members of the Giving Pledge, a commitment by the world’s wealthiest individuals to dedicate the majority […]

Weeklong conversation series asks residents to share their vision for an equitable Chicago region Today, in honor of International Women’s Day, Chicago Foundation for Women […]

The Chicago Status of Women and Girls Working Group announced 20 recommendations to make Chicago a safer and more equitable place for Women and Girls […]

Chicago Foundation for Women envisions a society that values equity, diversity, community, and the inherent worth of every person regardless of gender, identity and/or expression. […]

Cohort brings together Black women leaders in honor of Reverend Willie Taplin Barrow Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) today announced the selection of the second […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT A vision for our region It seems fitting that at the beginning of this Women’s History Month, I am reflecting […]

K. Sujata Giving Compass In the last eight years as President and CEO of Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW), I have been privileged to witness major milestones […]

Daniel Tucker Morning Shift WBEZ 91.5 Chicago For eight years K. Sujata has served as CEO of the Chicago Foundation for Women. The organization works […]

A Note from Chicago Foundation for Women Board Chair Patricia Costello Slovak: As you may know, after eight years of wonderful leadership, K. Sujata will […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Leading Ladies Throughout her life, the Reverend Willie Taplin Barrow played an important role in many of the struggles […]

The Barrow Emerging Leaders award supports innovative work benefiting Black women and girls Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) today announced the selection of Ladies of […]

Community discussions focus on gender bias and equity across Chicago region Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) announced today the fourth annual Talk It Out, a week-long conversation series […]

Alyssa Ochs Inside Philanthropy The giving circle movement has been growing fast in recent years, especially when it comes to women and people of color. […]

Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) is proud to announce the 2019 Impact Awards honoring local leaders for their efforts to create safe, just and healthy […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Big Impacts In the new year, many of us feel compelled to make grand plans and life-changing resolutions. Having […]

South Side Giving Circle awards first grants totaling $33,000 CHICAGO, IL (January 8, 2019) – Today, Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) announced 43 grants totaling […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Thank you, next Between the holidays, cold and snowy weather that keeps us indoors and the end of the […]

Dear CFW community, THANK YOU. Thank you to everyone who joined Chicago Foundation for Women this #GivingTuesday to invest in innovative strategies to build safe, […]

A Note from CFW President/CEO K. Sujata: I write today to share that I will be stepping down as President/CEO of Chicago Foundation for Women, […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Look for the dreamers Image via CreateHER As Halloween costume displays are replaced with holiday decorations, I am still thinking […]

Heidi Stevens Balancing Act Anna Valencia doesn’t like the term “think tank.” “It’s a ‘do tank,’” she said. Valencia, Chicago’s city clerk, is spearheading a […]

FIRST Fund will support planning of new and promising solutions to address domestic violence (October 19, 2018) – Today, Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW), in […]

CFW-convened Domestic Violence Leaders Collaborative Calls for Expanded Commitment to End Gender-Based Violence (October 3, 2018) – Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW), with the support […]

Annual report provides update on education, labor force participation, female-headed households and teen birth rate CHICAGO, IL (October 3, 2018) — Today, Chicago Foundation for Women […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT The Status of Chicago’s Women + Girls Four years ago, CFW toured the Chicago region, hearing women and men […]

(September 18, 2018) – As you may know, hotel workers are currently on strike at 26 hotels around the city, including the Hyatt Regency, where Chicago […]

Jesse Kirsch CHICAGO (WLS) Team USA Olympic gold medalist and prominent #MeToo leader Aly Raisman headlined the Chicago Foundation for Women’s 2018 luncheon and symposium […]

Kristen Thometz Since the #MeToo campaign took social media by storm a year ago, stories of sexual abuse and harassment have come into focus – including those […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT True Strength Aly Raisman was just 18 years old when she flipped onto the international stage as the captain […]

Julia Travers Inside Philanthropy The Crown family’s philanthropic legacy dates back to 1947 and the creation of the Arie and Ida Crown Memorial, named for […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Truth and Dare Many of us grow up playing truth or dare. The game goes like this: we are […]

Investments include second year of Englewood economic security initiative CHICAGO, IL (July 31, 2018) – Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) today announced 75 grants totaling […]

Lee Edwards Block Club Chicago AUBURN GRESHAM — The Chicago Foundation For Women is looking to crown a few new queens. For decades, the Downtown-based […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Life, Liberty, Happiness Many of us spent last week celebrating this nation’s declaration of independence, a step taken in […]

Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) is pleased to announce the election of five new members to its Board of Directors. Joining the Board of Directors are […]

Chicago Foundation for Women condemns the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy and the continued detention of immigrant families. While the new executive order issued by […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT TRUTH+DARE For many of us, telling the truth about ourselves and our lives is a true act of daring. […]

Willie’s Warriors to create network of Black women leaders working for equity and justice Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) today opened applications for Willie’s Warriors, […]

Chicago Foundation for Women firmly opposes the efforts of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to advance an anti-choice agenda by withholding funding […]

FIRST Fund will support innovative and community-based solutions to address domestic violence Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW), in partnership with Crown Family Philanthropies, the Michael […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT The FIRST Step This time last year, Illinois was approaching the end of a second year without a state […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Changing the tune Image courtesy of New York Times Opinion. Two weeks ago, hundreds of women and men across […]

Members will make collective investments in equal opportunities for women and girls on Chicago’s South Side. On Tuesday, April 3, Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) […]

120 groups across region set to participate in Talk It Out: #MeToo (March 19, 2018) – This week, March 19 – 24, Chicago Foundation for […]

Kristen Thometz Chicago Tonight, WTTW Next week, more than 120 groups in the Chicago region will discuss how to end gender bias and sexual harassment […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Making History Three generations of activists: CFW Alumnae Council member Marcia Love with family. What does it take for […]

K. Sujata Crain’s Chicago Business For months, we have walked along the razor’s edge with #MeToo. On one side, a cultural change in which women’s experiences […]

Lisa Bertagnoli Crain’s Chicago Business The YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago on Jan. 1 began offering six weeks of paid leave to employees who meet Family […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT New Legacies REV. JERALD JANUARY SR., REV. WILLIE BARROW AND PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA Black History Month was created to […]

K. Sujata Medium You may not have learned about Reverend Willie Barrow in school, but she is there, in the background of many key moments […]

Marianne Schnall Forbes 2017 was a pivotal year for women, beginning with the historic marches that took place after Trump’s inauguration and continuing throughout the […]

Week-long conversation series to encourage dialogue about solutions to sexual harassment and abuse CONTACT: Kyle Ann Sebastian ksebastian@cfw.org 312.577.2824 Today, Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) […]

Emily Nerds and Beyond Samantha Smith, who plays Mary Winchester on the show Supernatural, recently launched a campaign entitled “RISE” with Stands. The shirts, sweatshirts, and hats […]

Kerris Guinn Chicago Defender Carolyn, a woman who has lived in Chicago for 49 years, stood with a sign draped down her body that read […]

Ese Olumhense and Angie Leventis Lourgos Chicago Tribune The women of Chicago came out in force once again, with an estimated crowd of 300,000 rallying for equal […]

Carrie Maxwell Windy City Times An estimated 300,000 people gathered at Columbus Parkway near Grant Park for the Women’s March Chicago rally and march Jan. […]

Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) is proud to announce the 2018 Impact Awards honoring six local leaders for their exemplary work increasing resources and opportunities […]

Libby Berry Chicago Reader Arlena Williams’s evenings off work are filled with the sound of trains rumbling past the trailer where she lives with her […]

Sarah Schulte ABC 7 Chicago The Englewood Women’s Initiative held an event Wednesday to provide women on Chicago’s South Side with the skills needed to […]

K. Sujata, Contributor Huffington Post After over thirty years living in the United States, I am still moved by the marking of Martin Luther King […]

Angie Leventis Lourgos Chicago Tribune Around this time last year, Rebecca Groble Hull was panicked about the nation’s future. She feared women and immigrants would […]

44 grants will fund services, grassroots organizing, advocacy and research CHICAGO, IL (January 3, 2018) – Today, Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) announced 44 grants […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT What Fuels Your Resolve? It’s the time of year when many of us are making changes in our habits, […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT PEOPLE POWER At this time of year, many of us are gathering with co-workers, friends, family and loved ones […]

CFW doubles #GivingTuesday grants to support immigrant, refugee women and girls Yesterday, Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) announced $30,000 in #GivingTuesday grants to support services for immigrant […]

CONTACT: Kyle Ann Sebastian ksebastian@cfw.org (312) 577-2824 Chicago Foundation for Women to Award #GivingTuesday Grant up to $20,000 Grant will support local services for immigrant […]

Heidi Stevens Chicago Tribune Sure, the race for Illinois governor is paved with testosterone. But longtime activist Marilyn Katz, co-founder of Chicago Women Take Action, is optimistic […]

Judie Caribeaux, Naperville Letters to the Editor Chicago Sun-Times Speaking at the Chicago Council of Lawyers annual luncheon last month, Chicago Police Board President Lori […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT TAKE ACTION WITH CFW At Chicago Foundation for Women’s 32nd Annual Luncheon, we celebrated the many ways women and […]

Vikki Ortiz Healy and Angie Leventis Lourgos Chicago Tribune When Stacy Bohrer first started reading the #MeToo posts shared by millions on social media, the […]

Lisa Bertagnoli Crain’s Chicago Business Mentoring for women hardly existed when Nancy Wright was building her career. Wright, 60, learned the intricacies of corporate life by observing […]

Carrie Maxwell Windy City Times “Activate” was the theme of the Oct. 19 Chicago Foundation for Women’s (CFW) 32nd annual luncheon and morning symposium at […]

Lisa Bertagnoli Crain’s Chicago Business Most nonprofits and associations could do a better job bringing on new board members, according to research by Heidrick & Struggles and the […]

Shia Kapos Taking Names Women’s events in Chicago feel a lot more energized these days. Maybe it’s due to the Trump Effect, which led to […]

Willie’s Warriors initiative will honor Barrow’s legacy Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) today announced the creation of the Willie Taplin Barrow Fund for Black Women’s […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT MOVING FORWARD WITH HOPE Hope should shove you out the door, because it will take everything you have to […]

Chicago Foundation for Women Statement on Illinois House Bill 40: Chicago Foundation for Women thanks Illinois Representative Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) and State Senator Heather Steans […]

Today, Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) released a new report on the status of women and girls in the Chicago region. Based on the available […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT SHOW UP FOR EACH OTHER What would you sacrifice in the pursuit of justice? We often think about sacrifice […]

K. Sujata Crain’s Chicago Business As I write this, one in two female-headed households in Illinois is just one emergency away from total poverty. That […]

Maureen Foertsch McKinney NPR Illinois UIS Kellia Phillips’ teen-aged daughters Jaleece and Janae run track. They have had to do so in ill-fitting shoes sometimes […]

Alysia Tate Op Ed Chicago Sun-Times My dad had a love-hate relationship with the University of Virginia, where white nationalists marched by the hundreds last […]

Carole Levine Nonprofit Quarterly In the appropriately titled “Damage Done,” the Chicago Foundation for Women documented the devastating results of two years without a state budget in […]

Alyssa Ochs Inside Philanthropy Six months into Donald Trump’s presidency, foundation support for embattled immigrant and refugee populations continues to be strong nationwide—and is even […]

Kristen Thometz Chicago Tonight, WTTW After two years of political deadlock, Illinois finally passed a budget last month. But the financial uncertainty caused by the […]

Brandon Richard WSIL Though Illinois lawmakers passed a budget, the two years it took to do it caused lasting damage, according to a new report. Researchers […]

New report details impact of Illinois budget stalemate on women and children CHICAGO, IL (August 2, 2017) — Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW), Voices for […]

Nona Tepper  Crain’s Chicago Business Women and children who rely on state services are still feeling the effects of the Illinois budget impasse, despite the […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Beyond the Bridge Illustration © Deva Pardue 2016, ForAllWomankind.com   In a society comprised of diverse people and interests, […]

Melissa Wylie BizWomen New additions. The Chicago Foundation for Women elected Patricia Costello Slovak, partner at Schiff Hardin LLP in Chicago, as board chair, according to a press release. […]

Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) is pleased to announce the election of Patricia Costello Slovak as Board Chair and the election of four new members to the […]

New investment will support the foundation’s long-term efforts to achieve gender equity in Chicago (July 17, 2017) – Chicago Foundation for Women has received a […]

Alyssa Ochs Inside Philanthropy It’s been a little while since we’ve caught up with the Chicago Foundation for Women, a local grantmaker with a history that […]

Heidi Stevens Chicago Tribune One hundred and sixty-nine years (almost to the day) after hundreds of women and men met in Seneca Falls, N.Y., for […]

(July 12, 2017, Chicago) — Teamwork Englewood, the Englewood Quality of Life Plan and Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) launched the Englewood Women’s Initiative (EWI) […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Finding Strength in Our Diversity Women are not a monolith; their experiences, opinions and priorities are shaped by their […]

Additional grants will support new Englewood Women’s Initiative  CHICAGO, IL (July 10, 2017) – Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) announced 68 grants totaling $913,550 to support […]

In early May, I was asked to represent CFW as the chair of the Women United Giving Council (WUGC) as part of a panel for […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Learning from Diverse Voices Over the past year, we have learned the danger of the echo chamber that creates […]

K. Sujata, President/CEO, Chicago Foundation for Women, joins Justin to discuss the 100% Project, where the idea for the 100% Project comes from, trying to reach […]

How do you celebrate Mother’s Day without Mom? For children of the over 160,000 mothers incarcerated in the United States, Mother’s Day is a day […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Growing Women’s Leadership Bears Fruit Spring is a time of renewal and growth, and across the country we are […]

Heidi Stevens Chicago Tribune April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, but awareness is only half the battle. “The next step is prevention,” said Corielle Heath, founder […]

Chicago Foundation for Women Manager of Communications Kyle Ann Sebastian sits down with Radio Free Bridgeport to talk about how women are impacted by new […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Disrupting Gender Bias. Three years ago, Chicago Foundation for Women set out on a cross-Chicago listening tour to better […]

The conversation about equal pay tends to focus on professional and salaried women. But the wage gap affects women of every education level, in every […]

Maya Miller Chicago Tonight The familiar advice to “talk it out” is being put into practice this week in Chicago. More than 100 organized conversations […]

Weeklong series encourages honest conversations about ending gender bias (March 27, 2017) – This week, March 26 – April 1, Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT A Day Without A Woman. What would our communities look like without the contributions of women? On January 21, […]

Rebecca Koenig The Chronicle of Philanthropy The unprecedented sums individual donors have given to progressive nonprofits since the presidential election have drawn ample attention. The […]

Alyssa Ochs Inside Philanthropy Not surprisingly, a big theme in our coverage lately has been grantmaking in response to new Trump policies. We’ve written about […]

Grant funds support grassroots organizing and civic engagement in first 100 days of the new administration February 20, 2017 — Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT A Quarter of a Million Voices. In a world that so often ignores the voices of women, it is […]

Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) is proud to announce the 2017 Impact Awards honorees — local leaders who have worked across generations to increase resources […]

¿Qué sigue para las mujeres de Chicago tras la marcha por sus derechos en Washington? Alysia Tate, directora del programa Chicago Foundation for Women, dijo […]

Laura Washington, Chicago Sun-Times The women marched. The politicians boycotted. The Man is still in. Nothing, not the grieving, the sleepless nights, nor the tears, […]

After the Saturday marches, K. Sujata who is the president and CEO of Chicago Foundation for Women stops by the show.  They’ll discuss what comes […]

Alysia Tate is the Director of Programs for the Chicago Foundation for Women. On January 4, they announced the creation of The 100 Day Fund […]

Martin Yate, author of the 31st edition of Knock ‘Em Dead: The Ultimate Job Search Guide joined Amy on the show to talk about his […]

Rebecca Koenig, The Chronicle of Philanthropy Here are notable new grant awards compiled by The Chronicle: Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation $28 million to the […]

Don Haider, Nonprofit Quarterly What is it that makes a nonprofit merger work well? The Chicago Nonprofit Merger Research Project, a partnership between Northwestern University’s […]

Kelly Bauer, DNA Info A group that pushes for gender equality is offering thousands of dollars worth of grants during the first 100 days of […]

Stephen Gosset, Chicagoist The election of Donald Trump brought forth a wave of outreach and support for a seemingly endless spectrum of rights and benefits […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT January 21 is Only the Beginning. Since the election, we have heard from people across the Chicago region.  Men […]

Grant funds will support grassroots organizing and civic engagement in first 100 days of the Trump administration January 4, 2017 — Chicago Foundation for Women […]

Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) announced 47 grants totaling $1,087,000 to Chicago nonprofits committed to strengthening women’s economic security and reproductive justice. CFW’s fall grant […]

We don’t yet know everything 2017 will bring, but as we revisit the major events and cultural moments of the past year, it is helpful […]

Mahjabeen Syed, Chicago Woman Magazine   In light of current events, there is no better time to assess the current state of women and women’s issues […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT What Sustains Us. The tumultuous presidential election will no doubt bring many changes over the next few months and […]

By Tim Sandoval and Eden Stiffman, The Chronicle of Philanthropy  Credit: The Chronicle of Philanthropy Thousands of nonprofits across the nation that participated in Giving Tuesday raised […]

Dear Friends, We faced an unprecedented election last night. The results might have seemed contrary to all expectations. It might also seem to be a […]

Paul Sullivan, The New York Times K. Sujata, president and chief executive of the Chicago Foundation for Women, oversaw a merger in 2012, when her nonprofit […]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT What Happens on November 9? Just like most other people who read or watch the news, I cannot wait […]

K. Sujata, Crain’s Just as the economy was emerging from the Great Recession, Illinois was battered by the Great Budget Impasse. Despite the temporary budget […]

Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune Most of us don’t have to evolve our deeply held values under the watchful eye of the public. We believe what […]

Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW), the leading grantmaking organization supporting opportunities for women and girls, has announced its Spring cycle grants to Chicago nonprofits, with a […]

By Linze Rice Originally posted in DNAinfo WEST RIDGE — A new campaign aimed at harnessing “Girl Power” from elementary schools across the city hopes to remind […]

By Ariel Cheung and Linze Rice Originally posted on DNAinfo Chicago ROGERS PARK — If you’ve gotten a bad taste in your mouth reading about the […]

Funding underscores focus on importance of economic security Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW), the leading grantmaking organization supporting opportunities for women and girls, has announced […]

Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune When we look around Thursday for objects of our gratitude, let’s include K. Sujata, who is giving Chicago a reason to […]

By Maudlyne Ihejirika Originally appeared in The Chicago Sun-Times When actress Jennifer Lawrence, writing last month in fellow actress Lena Dunham’s feminist newsletter, expressed outrage […]