Mid-Year Update from Schreiber Philanthropy
Dear Friends and Partners,
As Schreiber Philanthropy pauses mid-year to reflect on 2025, I would like to share a few observations, and announce several updates about our work.
Solidarity
Over the last six months, we have worked alongside our nonprofit partners, peer funders, and government leaders to understand and respond to the ramifications of the devastating and chaotic federal decisions impacting our neighbors in Chicago, Lake County, and the nation. In these uncertain times, when fears have been stoked, attempts have been made to silence the voices of equity and justice and strip-away liberties. We are buoyed by all of you who are remaining committed to helping people in need while creating opportunities for people to thrive.
John and Kathy Schreiber recognize the importance of meeting this moment. To ensure we are able to deploy critical resources at an unprecedented time, they have approved a plan to increase Schreiber Philanthropy’s giving by 20% year-over-year for the next three years. They’ve also empowered the entire Schreiber Philanthropy team to think creatively and fearlessly about how we can serve the communities we care about, both for the immediate moment and for the future.
Strategic Direction
In February, our board of directors reaffirmed Schreiber Philanthropy’s commitment to our mission–-inspiring hope by supporting well-being and economic mobility–-and to our values and core beliefs. To us, this is more than just language; it’s an ethos that helps anchor us in challenging times. The board also approved a three-year strategic plan to guide our work on early childhood education, k-postsecondary education, community health, affordable housing, and immigrant justice in Chicago and Lake County. You can learn more about these priorities on our website.
I want to recognize the Schreiber Philanthropy team who collectively talked to hundreds of stakeholders to inform our efforts. Collaborating with you, our partners and peers, will be critical to achieving the intended impact we have outlined.
Given the context we are working in, our board and staff are committed to remaining agile and responsive. This winter, for instance, we approved rapid-response grants to several partners who respectively provided critical resettlement services to refugees who had just arrived in our region; led education efforts of residents through a massive Know Your Rights campaign; and mounted legal defenses to counteract Executive Orders on immigration; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; higher education; and more. We have also pushed ourselves to invest in new ideas, including a first-of-its-kind birthing center on Chicago’s south side, an innovative intergenerational apartment building in Bronzeville, and plans for a soon-to-launch Chicago Education Alliance to more efficiently coordinate efforts to ensure every Chicago public school student can succeed.
The Road Ahead
In these challenging times, we remain hopeful. We take solace in knowing that we have the ability to mobilize our mission in partnership with each of you.
As the late Pope Francis said, “Rivers do not drink their own water. Trees do not eat their own fruit. The sun doesn't shine on itself. The flowers do not spread their fragrances for themselves. Living for others is a rule of nature. We are all born to help each other, no matter how difficult it is. Life is good when you are happy, but much better when others are happy because of you.”
I find this to be a powerful reminder of our shared humanity, and our ability to use our time and talents for the greater good. We look forward to partnering with each of you, and welcome your thoughts on how best to collaborate in the months and years ahead.
With deep gratitude,
Whitney Smith | CEO
Board Expansion
On a wonderfully positive note, we recently welcomed two new board members, Brenda Battle and Juan Salgado. Both remarkable individuals and visionary champions for justice in their respective fields, they will bring knowledge and thought partnership as we grow our giving and impact. You can learn more about them below.
Brenda Battle brings expertise and perspective gained from her more than 40-year distinguished career in healthcare, leading efforts to close health disparity gaps in Chicago and St. Louis. Most recently, Brenda served for more than a decade at UChicago Medicine as Senior Vice President for Care Delivery Innovations, Urban Health Initiative, and Chief Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Officer. We have worked closely with Brenda over the past couple of years, identifying solutions to ensure every Chicago resident has access to high quality healthcare. Brenda was recently appointed by Governor Pritzker to serve on the Multi-Sector Plan for Aging Advisory Council and also serves on the Board of Directors of the Cara Collective, and America’s Essential Hospitals Institute.
Juan Salgado has forged a 30-year career dedicated to improving education and economic opportunities for residents in low-income communities in Chicago. As Chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago, he oversees Chicago's community college system, serving more than 73,000 students across seven colleges, 75% of whom are Black or Latine students. Before his time at City Colleges of Chicago, Juan served as CEO of Instituto del Progreso Latino, where he worked to empower residents of Chicago’s Southwest Side through education, citizenship, and skill-building programs that led to sustainable employment and economic stability. We have benefitted from Juan’s vision and understanding of what strategies lead to postsecondary completion and close equity gaps. Juan also serves as Board Chair of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, as well as a board member of the Obama Foundation and Class C Director at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
