Do you know a young person who may need some extra help? Maybe they are having problems at home, in school, or are enduring difficult experiences like grief, loss, unstable living environments, or other traumatic events. They don’t need to go through it alone–Mercy Home can help!

As the school year draws near, we will have openings in our Home this fall for boys ages 11-24.

If a young person is committed to changing their life, Mercy Home can be a great solution!

If you know of a youth who is struggling, there is hope. To refer a young person in need, please contact Mercy Home by calling (312) 738-7590, send us an email, or visit our website for more information.

There is a race for every age and fitness level, as well as opportunities to volunteer. it’s a family-friendly evening to celebrate the life-changing work for Strides for Peace’s nonprofit partners and provide a platform for people who care about ending gun violence in Chicago to connect and get involved. Strides for Peace has nine Community Partners and 49 Affiliates who are the beneficiaries of the event.

We believe all of Chicagoland has a stake in ending gun violence and that by working together, we change more than the narrative of our city – we save lives. By focusing on what we share in common, we can find new ways to support the work on the ground and bring out the best in our city.

The 8K and 5K runs are USATF-certified, with a beautiful, lakefront course. There is also a 2- mile walk and a Tots for Peace sprint for children 2-10 years old. Opportunities to participate as a volunteer or virtual runner are also available.

– 2019 Fast Facts –

1862 registered runners and walkers – a 20% increase from 2018!

• 39% of runners from Chicagolands wealthiest zip codes.
• 47% of runners from Chicagolands the poorest zip codes.
• 215 different zip codes and 18 states represented overall
• 18% youth participation (21 and under)

register here

We Will Answer Your Questions The Nonprofit Utopia community is totally committed to your success in developing and implementing your #GivingTuesday campaigns.  As a member of the Nonprofit Utopia community, you are more than welcome to post questions and comments and share strategies and you are using to ensure your success. You can even post content for feedback. If there are questions you have that you choose not to share publicly, you can send me a direct message through the Nonprofit Utopia community, or email me at valeriefleonard@nonprofitutopia.com. We Will Let You Hear From the People That Drive the #GivingTuesday and #ILGive Movements Asha Curran, Chief Innovation Officer of 92Y and Kathleen Murphy, Director of Communications for  Forefront, will be guests on the Nonprofit Utopia podcast to discuss what we should be doing to prepare ourselves for #GivingTuesday and #ILGive.  Forefront started the #ILGive movement, and 92Y started the #GivingTuesday movement. I will share particulars once we have settled on a date. We are shooting for September. Continue reading…

For a number of reasons, many nonprofit leaders don’t focus on community needs assessments until they are responding to a question on a funding application. Even so, they typically copy and paste the answers from previous proposals.   Ideally, community needs assessments should be conducted independently of any proposal writing process. The information gleaned from the process should be used to design relevant programs and services and make informed decisions. This webinar is designed to give you an overview of the community needs assessment process. More

This 90-minute webinar will provide an overview of the community needs assessment process and review the 23 questions you should answer before starting any nonprofit organization, program, service or project. You will be able to download a worksheet to help you follow along during the webinar and lay the groundwork for a community needs assessment that may be used to apply for tax-exempt status, inform your case for support and to develop strategies and programs that are responsive to the changing environment.

The live Q and A session will provide an opportunity for you to clarify your understanding of the material covered in the webinar. Use the downloadable worksheets to help you organize your notes and begin to flesh out your community needs assessment. Nonprofit Utopia members can share their draft  needs assessment in the online community for peer and expert review and feedback. Register here.

Every year, Girls in the Game impacts more than 3,600 girls by helping them find their voice through sports, health and leadership activities. This October 11, celebrate all that Girls in the Game does to empower girls by participating in The International Day of the Girl Child. Along with the UN and many international organizations, Girls in the Game will be drawing attention to the work they do to strengthen girls, help them discover their voices and create the leaders of tomorrow.

Help Girls in the Game create more leaders and gamechangers this year. Girls in the Game has empowered over 40,000 girls since 1996, and will support thousands more this year.

Just last year, Girls in the Game proved how much stronger girls are after participating in their programs:

76% of girls demonstrated significant increases in GRIT (perseverance & determination)

88% of girls supported using non-violent strategies in a conflict

91% of teens improved their body image

“Sometimes, it is difficult to find the confidence to break the stereotypes that tell us it is harder for a girl to beat the odds. Girls in the Game serves as proof that it can be done. For over two decades it has reached out to young girls, welcoming anyone who wants to join and has taught us to cultivate the perfect character needed to succeed despite any struggles,” -Mily, Girls in the Game Alumna

You can help girls like Mily to be confident, to breakdown gender stereotypes and to become a gamechanger in their communities. Make a gift today.