Chicago Cares mobilizes volunteers to build a stronger, more unified Chicago.

Through community-driven service, Chicago Cares’ volunteer opportunities will build connections and bridges among diverse people in the face of great division and disconnection. As a result of volunteer projects and forums offered every day of the week, Chicagoans are educated and activated to fight for the city we all deserve. Chicago Cares is building the empathetic and connected community that is required for an inclusive and healthy city.

Source: Nonprofit submitted responses

Goal One: Engage a broader community of stakeholders in the co-design of volunteer opportunities that centers collective work toward shared goals and the lived experience of those directly impacted.

Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.

Goal Two: Mobilize resources through abundant collaboration to unlock new programming, partners, and resources, leading to deepened, mutual, and restorative relationships with stakeholders.

Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).

Goal Three: Claim our space through facilitation and thought leadership to raise our public profile and the awareness that an empathetic, connected community is required for a healthy democracy and civil society.

Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.

Describe an investment in leadership

In 2021, Chicago Cares conducted it's annual leader fellowship program. This program gathers staff members who are already strong performers and leaders in their own right and provides space to learn, reflect and cultivate their leadership. Traditionally comprised of six group learning opportunities and six one-on-one coaching sessions, the fellowship provides the opportunity to focus on growth and development personally and professionally. The content of the fellowship is focused on coaching, leading change, influencing and culture setting, so alumni look for influencers and culture-setters positively shaping structure, culture and performance aligned to strategy.

This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:

• Strategic Partnerships

• Networks of Collective Impact Efforts

• Thought Leadership

• Raising Awareness

• Community Building

• Policy Advocacy

What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?

Chicago Cares is committed to community-driven service that is co-designed in partnership with Chicago’s most impactful community leaders and organizations on the South and West sides. These service opportunities are designed to move people along a journey toward awareness and connection to empathy and civic action. 100% of Chicago Cares’ volunteers report that their volunteer experience helped them see things from someone else’s perspective and become more empathetic. Chicago Cares continues to build upon community partnerships and contribute directly to neighborhood revitalization plans along the way. Since 2017, Chicago Cares has followed the lead of community-based organizations to engage 16,317 volunteers across 1,601 projects in neighborhoods like Auburn Gresham, Belmont Cragin, Bronzeville, Chicago Lawn, Englewood, Hermosa, Little Village, and North Lawndale. In that same time, Chicago Cares has leveraged $3.7 million to fuel the work of our community partners.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted Chicago Cares’ operations, programming, and revenue. To reduce the spread of the disease, staff began working from home in March 2020 through the present, requiring the establishment of remote connectivity and teleworking capability for all staff. The organization’s in-person group volunteer programs were also suspended and resumed during the summer of 2020 at reduced capacity. Historically, Chicago Cares has focused on facilitating large-scale volunteer projects that accommodate hundreds of volunteers at once. By prioritizing the health and safety of volunteers and community partners throughout the pandemic, Chicago Cares adapted to engage smaller numbers of volunteers in high-impact initiatives. Many of these projects could only accommodate less than 10 volunteers at once. Though volunteer numbers decreased in 2020 and 2021, engagement of Chicago Cares’ volunteer base increased dramatically. Staff intentionally designed programming to help volunteers expand their involvement over time, setting them on a path from connection to education to action. An emphasis on educational initiatives at each program and the development of project series which allowed individuals to volunteer repeatedly in the same impact area led to greater satisfaction, learning, and retention among volunteers. In 2021, the number of repeat volunteers was at an all-time high with more than 87 percent of our volunteers completing multiple opportunities. As the organization looks to 2022, staff continue to prioritize volunteer retention while also focusing on diverse recruitment strategies to broaden the base of volunteers. Interdepartmental groups of staff members work to continuously innovate programming and develop new, effective ways to help Chicagoans build connections, deepen knowledge, and champion a cause.