- 2016 21st Century Award Winner
Amina Gautier
- 2016 21st Century Award Winner
Amina Gautier
At the Chicago Public Library Foundation, we help Chicagoans of all ages tell new library stories.
Together with our donors, we launch and sustain initiatives that help people find jobs, explore their passions, empower families to learn together, and give teens a microphone (literally). These above and beyond programs meet real needs in our community and build a stronger Chicago.
2019 was a year marked by energizing change. In May, the city welcomed the 56th mayor of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot. In June, Chicago Public Library veteran Andrea Telli was named Commissioner. Amid these transitions, the institution was navigating an in-depth, year-long strategic planning process shaped by thoughtful feedback from more than 10,000 staff, patrons, and other stakeholders. The result, the Library’s 2020-2024 plan is now available.
Aligning with the Library’s strategic process, the Library Foundation Board of Directors, Associate Board, staff, and other stakeholders collectively worked together to bring fresh eyes to our mission, vision, and values.
The result is a new North Star, a living strategic document that defines who we are, what we do, and how we bring transformational private investment to our Chicago Public Library.
Learn MoreThe Chicago Public Library Foundation takes an impact-driven approach to defining our investment in the Library. The priorities detailed below were identified as part of the Library Foundation’s comprehensive 2019 strategic planning process and align with the Library’s own strategy work.
Through these priorities, we invite philanthropic partners to invest in a suite of responses—encompassing both new initiatives and proven program models—that respond to persistent challenges in our city. This flexible approach allows us to effectively leverage the Library’s unparalleled resources in the service of our community.
Too many Chicago children are born into circumstances that limit how far they will go in life. Whether that’s the neighborhood they grow up in, the schools they have access to, the resources their parents have–even the quality of the air–our city has long been divided to the deterrent of not just individuals, but of our collective prosperity as Chicagoans.
The following donor-powered programs leverage our Library’s city-wide footprint, vast free resources, and commitment to lifelong learning to help ensure that all our city’s children have the support they need to succeed early in life–and to keep succeeding.
The Chicago Public Library Foundation takes an impact-driven approach to defining our investment in the Library. The priorities detailed below were identified as part of the Library Foundation’s comprehensive 2019 strategic planning process and align with the Library’s own strategy work.
Through these priorities, we invite philanthropic partners to invest in a suite of responses—encompassing both new initiatives and proven program models—that respond to persistent challenges in our city. This flexible approach allows us to effectively leverage the Library’s unparalleled resources in the service of our community.
Chicago’s world-renowned arts and culture sector fuels tremendous creative, economic, and innovative growth. But access to big ideas and top talent is often far out of reach for lower-income members of our community. As a result, too many Chicagoans are shut out from the marketplace of creativity and the holistic benefits of the arts. Our city, in turn, misses out on opportunities to be elevated and enriched by the inclusion of diverse new voices and viewpoints.
The following investment priorities invite all Chicagoans to explore new ways of expressing themselves and imagining new possibilities not only for their own lives—but also for our city and the world.
According to the Pew Research Center, more than 40% of lower-income households don’t have home broadband services or a traditional computer. Many of these adults and older adults also lack the skills they need to effectively and safely navigate our increasingly digital world. Without this crucial know-how, thousands of Chicagoans are blocked from online opportunities to apply for jobs, find education and health resources, participate in civic life, and connect with loved ones.
Our digital mentorship program removes barriers through curated resources, 1:1 skills-building support, and user-friendly Chicago DigitalLearn modules accessible from any computer. Together, we transform lives through technology.
Our highly-anticipated Night in the Stacks and Carl Sandburg Literary Awards Dinner annual events invite Library lovers to support our city’s most democratic institution—and have a great time while doing so. Last year, guests at these signature events raised a glass with fellow lifelong learning enthusiasts while helping to raise an extraordinary $2.3M to power our public library.
To our dedicated community of donors: Your investment helps to activate all 81 Chicago Public Library branches and makes moments of inspiration, connection, and learning possible for thousands across our city every day. We are deeply grateful. Thank you.