Schreiber Philanthropy recognizes that not all families and individuals in Lake County are afforded the same access to critical resources and opportunities. As one of the largest and most diverse counties in the state, more individuals and families should benefit from all Lake County has to offer.
Throughout its 20-year history, Schreiber Philanthropy has built deep relationships with grantees working in a variety of ways toward this goal.
Funding Area
Lake County
Our Strategy
Schreiber Philanthropy anchors its future Lake County investment strategy in a four-pronged approach.
This work is focused within Lake County, and will evolve based on the dynamic nature of the world we live in. With that in mind, we are committed to learning alongside our partners and being nimble in our strategy to achieve these goals.
Lake County Priorities
Maintain and strengthen existing relationships with grantees working across a range of issues in Lake County.
Align strategic portfolio investments across early childhood, education, health, housing and immigrant justice, and launch new initiatives around college/career access and affordable housing.
Invest in the long-term stability and sustainability of critical basic needs providers.
Disrupt the patterns of entrenched poverty and trauma impacting Lake County communities by testing and scaling bold new ideas to shift trajectories of individuals and families.
Grantee Spotlight
Catholic Charities of the
Archdiocese of Chicago
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago has been a Schreiber Philanthropy grantee for nearly two decades. Their work spans across the Chicagoland region and straddles multiple areas of aligned focus, including immigrant justice, housing, and basic human needs. In Lake County specifically, Schreiber Philanthropy has invested in Catholic Charities’ work on family self-sufficiency, food access, diaper distributions, and more. In 2019, Schreiber Philanthropy made a $5M commitment to support the construction of the Schreiber Center for Human Services in Round Lake. This facility, which is now open and offering services and programming, provides Lake County residents – particularly those in the western part of the county – with a safe, welcoming place to access support services.
Grantee Spotlight
Lake County Community Foundation
The Lake County Community Foundation (LCCF) focuses on addressing current community issues, and anticipating new ones, to ensure a thriving Lake County now and for years to come. LCCF has been part of Schreiber Philanthropy’s grantee portfolio since 2005. This partnership deepened considerably in 2020 as the pandemic exacerbated the inequities of systems for individuals and families living across Lake County. With a shared focus on long-term sustainability, Schreiber Philanthropy has made significant investments in LCCF’s capital campaign, designed to build the organization’s operating endowment to ensure they can continue improving the quality of life for all Lake County residents.
Grantee Spotlight
Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB)
Schreiber Philanthropy’s support of Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB), which works to provide nutritious food and resources for neighbors with dignity, equity, and convenience, increased in 2020 in response to the drastic increase in need during the pandemic. Then, in 2021 – after thoughtful collaboration and creative ideation – Schreiber Philanthropy proudly supported NIFB’s “big idea” to scale their pilot program called My Pantry Express (MPX). MPX is an online food pantry ordering system, which allows individuals to select desired food items and designate a time for pick-up or delivery. The program is designed with dignity and convenience in mind, recognizing that there are many barriers that can make accessing a traditional food pantry difficult. Support from Schreiber Philanthropy also enabled the Food Bank to build an Innovation Team which has been instrumental in designing MPX with input from neighbors using the service and scaling the program to food pantries. MPX started with four sites in two counties, and in five years, it's expanded to nearly 20 sites across Northern Illinois. In 2023, over 75,000 orders were fulfilled through the MPX platform providing more than two million meals, and demand continues to grow.
Impact
The Schreiber Philanthropy team is developing a broader Lake County strategy, which combines our work in service of the organization’s four key giving areas, along with more intersectional investments designed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the county and its thriving social services sector.
Since 2005
$55M+ in Grants
Across all Giving Areas
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