Chicago non-profit

NICA Community Center & Banquet Facility

What happens when you try to get a couple of adoptive parents together to write a story for National Adoption Awareness

Month in November? The story gets finished in December. As any parent, adoptive or otherwise, knows: kids keep you busy. However, when it’s discovered your child has autism, if you’re like my friend Arnie Quast, you get busy. And by this I mean Arnie’s amazing work in helping to create the Northern Illinois Center for Autism (NICA).

Nine years ago, Arnie and his wife adopted their son Thomas from Korea when he was five months old. When the foster mother placed Thomas in his wife’s arms for the first time, Arnie says, “This is where reality hit me as I realized that I had just officially become a parent. It was an exciting feeling!”

When you adopt a child, just like birthing a child, it’s forever. There’s no going back. And of course this means you must be willing to accept and parent this kid no matter what obstacles get put in front of you. For Arnie and his wife the above-normal parenting challenges began when Thomas was around two. As Arnie describes it:

Between his second and third birthdays, we started realizing that Thomas was not talking or socializing as much as other children his age. He also developed some unusual mannerisms that concerned us. We had a developmental physician evaluate Thomas to shed more light on his condition and the doctor advised us Thomas was physically healthy, but some of the things we were seeing could be indicative of a condition called autism.

NICA UPS Fundraiser: Annette Gallagher & Arnie Quast on far right

Our life soon took a rapid change.

We enrolled Thomas in our school district’s early childhood program and ramped up occupational and speech therapies. About a year later, Thomas was officially diagnosed with autism and we became involved with a parent support group near us called the McHenry County Autism Group. This group of parents helped provide support and information to each other and we learned we were not alone, that approximately 1 in 150 children born are diagnosed with autism.

After several months our support network started to grow, and as it did we achieved status as a 501 3c non profit. We formed a board and started to grow our network of parents. People from areas outside of McHenry County started to network with us, and about three years ago we decided to change the name of our group to Northern Illinois Center for Autism.

Annette Gallagher, the current President and CEO of NICA, says, “It’s kinda funny how fate takes a hand sometimes. All of us parents didn’t choose to have children with autism…for whatever reason, it chose us. But what we do with the autism…that’s where our choices lie.”

Annette started out working a variety of night jobs to help pay for the medical expenses involved with her two sons and their autism, while spending countless hours during the day attending therapy with them, and learning everything she possibly could to help them overcome their many challenges. After a few years of very little sleep, she decided to open an in-home day care to help create some social interaction for her sons, while earning an income to pay for their therapies and medical expenses. And it had the added benefit of allowing her to get some much needed extra sleep!

Brianna and Thomas Quast

Annette describes how her role as a parent of two autistic children transformed into her current position at NICA.

While running my daycare, I happened to take on some children of employees that worked at the local special needs non-profits in our area. These “Moms” were frustrated in their work, as there was no support agency available to refer families living with autism. As a result, they started to refer them to me. I have always been happy to help a fellow family, and truly believe in the power of parent networking and education, but I became wayyyy outnumbered by parents in need. It was my hope that with the development of our organization, we could help many more families in a much more efficient way, which is exactly what we have done!

These families are soooo worth our efforts. The parents are becoming educated, and many of their loved ones with autism are making great gains as a result. People with autism have incredible potential, as long as they receive the assistance that they require. Providing that assistance is our first priority. It’s what allows NICA to achieve their mission of “integrating community and loved ones.”

“As funding became available,” Arnie says, “our group decided to take a bold move. We leased a building in Lake in the Hills where we could provide further networking and build a platform to provide services to families with autism.”

Gallagher, who took a leadership role in creating the center, says, “Providing the specialized assistance that people with autism require, costs money…and our families living with autism are running out. The expenses involved in raising a loved one with autism are extreme. NICA is making a gallant effort to make this assistance available, in the most cost effective way possible, so that all children with autism can have the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential and live a full and productive life. As an organization, which is currently run 100% via volunteers, we are limited as to the

amount of assistance we can provide. Our organization has grown to the extent that we must raise funds to develop and sustain the operating income required to assist these families full-time. It is with this goal in mind that we ask the community to get involved in helping our many families in need, by helping us raise the funds we require to operate full time.”

Thomas smiling his contagious smile

You can make a much appreciated donation to NICA here.

In this difficult economy, it’s tough enough to find a job. Now imagine if you have “ex-convict” on your resume. Five years ago, the non-profit North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN) founded Sweet Beginnings, a wholly owned (for profit) subsidiary designed to create jobs for formerly incarcerated individual and others with significant barriers to employment. Today, Sweet Beginnings, makers of Beeline products, employs seven to ten transitional employees and two semi-permanent Team Leaders at any given time.

Sweet Beginning Workers around an Apiary

This is no ordinary jobs program. You see, Sweet Beginnings runs apiaries. That’s right, beehives. And raising bees is not the only unusual thing about them. These beehives are located at the airport, the only airport apiaries in the country. So, does this make O’Hare the world’s Buzziest airport, too? (sorry) I hereby officially declare, Yes, it does.

Holly Blackwell, General Manager of Sweet Beginnings, says they have three apiary sites in Chicago. Their first was in North Lawndale. A second, for education and honey purposes, was built at Wright College. The apiary at O’Hare came about, she says, when they were approached by several parties from the Chicago Department of Aviation, who had an interest in “urban” beekeeping, sustainability and in NLEN’s social mission to create jobs. “We found the intersection of environmental consciousness, a way to expand our beekeeping capacities, strong partnerships with a world-class organization, and the potential for more jobs creation to be exceptionally compelling,” Blackwell says, adding that although O’Hare is the first US airport to host an apiary, Germany has led the way in the practice, using the bee colonies onsite to test for air quality.

At Sweet Beginnings, employees learn to take care of the bees and harvest the honey, which is then either sold as is, or used in its all-natural line of skincare products called Beeline. The Beeline products include body creams, lotions and balms and body washes. They’re all made at their North Lawndale location on the city’s west side and then packaged and shipped or delivered throughout Chicagoland and around the country. They’ve even placed orders as far away as Australia! (Could Beeline Honey eventually replace vegemite!?! Having tried vegemite, I personally think it should.)

Every potential Sweet Beginnings employees must first participate in the NLEN’s U-Turn Permitted program , where they learn and sharpen skills they’ll need to find, keep and perhaps even use to successfully leave a job. The U-Turn Permitted participants take a one-month workforce readiness class and prospective employees of Sweet Beginnings are taken from this pool for interviews.

Sweet Beginnings Buzzy at Work

One Sweet Beginnings employee said of the program, “I gained a lot of different experiences and gained knowledge of something I thought I would never be doing, but I know I will be able to take this experience and use (it) in other jobs and life. It’s a great start for me to get back on my feet and begin working again and take a positive step forward towards my future. My family is very proud of me for getting this job, so thank you.”

You can find Beeline products in fine shops, at the Peninsula Hotel, Whole Foods and, of course, at O’Hare airport. There’s some buzz (sorry) that Beeline is looking to possibly open another apiary at Midway Airport. I would even go so far as to suggest Northerly Island, so at least something would be flying at the site that was formerly Meigs Field.

The incidents of reoffending for ex-convicts is 65% nationally and 55% in Illinois, yet the rate of recidivism for employees of Sweet Beginnings is less than four percent. And as far as statistics for success go, that’s sweet.

The Chicago Literary Hall of Fame (CLHOF) is set to induct its second class of writers on Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at Harold Washington Library’s Cindy Pritzker Auditorium. This year’s inductees include Cyrus Colter, Theodore Dreiser, Harriet Monroe, Mike Royko, Carl Sandburg and Ida B. Wells. The first class was inducted last November and included Nelson Algren, Saul Bellow, Gwendolyn Brooks, Lorraine Hansberry, Studs Terkel and Richard Wright.

Family members of the deceased writers will come to Chicago from Virginia, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina and other states from around the nation to accept the honorary awards and share in this great accomplishment . The event is free and open to the public.

In order to raise funds for the ceremony, as well as other CLHOF initiatives, like the creation of busts for each inductee, CLHOF is hosting a silent auction at the Cliff Dwellers Club on October 12, 2011. Attendees will enjoy appetizers and drinks (free for the first hour), as well as the opportunity to bid on a wide range of items, including sports and literary memorabilia, theater and dining experiences, private performances, and much more. Janet Davies, of ABC-TV, will be the emcee.

The Chicago Literary Hall of Fame’s mission is to promote and celebrate Chicago’s rich and proud literature tradition by honoring the authors whose words have best captured the essence of our wonderful city. The Chicago Literary Hall of Fame is a project of the Chicago Writers Association, a tax-exempt non profit organization that connects both published and unpublished writers. Donald Evans, Executive Editor of the CLHOF is expecting more than 100 people to attend and is very excited about the work of the project and is positive that the fundraiser will be a great success.

To learn more about the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, visit http://chicagowrites.org/. You can purchase your ticket to the Silent Auction Fundraiser at http://clhofauction.eventbrite.com/.

When you look at Magnum, the 150-pound bulldog mix pictured here, it’s hard to imagine anyone raising a hand against him; actually, it’s hard for me to imagine anyone abusing any dog, much less being dim enough to pick on one that’s their own size. Unfortunately, Magnum was regularly “beaten to a pulp” during the first year of his life, when he was a puppy, according to Alicia Boemi, Executive Director of Found.

Fortunately for Magnum, he did find Found, a no-kill animal shelter located on Chicago’s northwest side. Found started as an unintentional offshoot of Stay, the dog hotel co-located at the northwest side location, when people would sometimes abandon their dogs outside of Stay, and its proprietor, Michael Heltzer, began to take them in, letting them swim in Stay’s pool and socialize with the other dogs. Found became an official non-profit organization two-years ago. What makes Found so different from other shelters is not only its no-kill policy, but its animal rehabilitation program, or “re-homing” as they like to call it.

Found takes animals from Chicago’s Animal Care and Control almost exclusively. They choose the animals they take in based on Found’s available space, funding, and the amount of dogs with certain behavioral issues they already have on the property. Each dog brought in is given a thorough evaluation, fifteen pages worth of steps, at the end of which, the handler really knows the dog and they’ve begun to establish a foundation and develop a relationship.

Before he was rescued, Magnum was severely and repeatedly beaten. A kind soul, a man named Cody, took him in, but couldn’t keep him due to financial restraints (Just imagine how much a 150-pound bulldog mix eats!) and other issues, which is when he was turned over to Found.

A fundraiser for Magnum is in the works and you can donate to Magnum’s cause, or any of the other worthy animals currently sheltered there, at www.FoundChicago.org The organization can always use volunteers (you must be at least 18 years of age, fill out a volunteer application, sign a waiver and take a training course). Learn all about how to volunteer at Found, here!

You can also help by coming to Day of the Dog (because every dog should have its day!) on October 16th. A fall festival for dogs, cats and their families, Day of the Dog raises money for Found Chicago. The fest will be held at Found, 4100 N. Rockwell, 11 a.m – 4 p.m. $5 suggested donation to enter.

Boemi says Magnum is not available for adoption and it’s unknown when he will be. He likes to run on the treadmill (Really!) and his trainers are working with him to build his confidence, introducing him to other dogs to socialize him. They’re also trying to expose him to as many things he may never have been exposed to (fireplugs?!) before. Boemi says the “re-homing” process can take anywhere from a month, to a year, to five years. She says for Magnum, it’s all about getting him over all the fear his early abuse induced. We’ll try to keep you posted on his progress.

Whether you volunteer, attend Day of the Dog or simply make a donation, know your kind action(s?!) will go a long way toward helping Magnum, and all the other animals at Found, experience something they may never have been exposed to before: happiness.

The 3rd social fundraiser in less than a year has helped BUILD's Associate Board raise close to $10,000 for the nonprofit.

Thursday, July 21 marked the 3rd social event in just under a year that BUILD’s Associate Board has put together since it’s inception in August of 2010 according to their associate board president, Scott Lieber. “We’re pretty happy with the turnout, though I think it would’ve been a better showing had we been closer to the loop” he chagrined. “Regardless,” Scott noted, “we have helped raise close to $10,000 in the past year.” This after-work social fundraiser was held at West End- located at 1326 W. Madison in Chicago.

Since beginning the associate board last year with only 4 other people, BUILD has grown their associate board to over 20 members, each committing to a minimum give/get of $250 annually. “Our board members are fantastic, and they’re reaching $250 each easily.” Scott admits. “It been great to see the growth of our board and their commitment to raising money and awareness of this organization – they’ve just been outstanding.”

Lieber noted that he’s also been getting great support from BUILD’s executive board. “They [BUILD's Executive Board] have been really supportive of our initiatives,” noted Scott. “I think all of <the associate board members> really value the access we have to the mentoring of senior board members, both personally and professionally.”

Jared Stabiner, left, joined BUILD's Associate Board late last year after applying on-line through their website.

One thing that is done well is the ability to link to BUILD’s Associate Board directly from the front page of the home website of BUILD – making it easy to centralize and direct traffic while maintaining brand integrity. One thing that both Scott and a couple of the BUILD staff members who were on hand for the event wish to improve upon, however, is their use of social media. Chicago Non-Profit hopes to help address that problem beginning August 24th at their first Social Media for Nonprofits workshop series.

For more information about BUILD, click on any of the links provided in this post. For more information on Chicago Non-Profit’s Social Media workshops, follow us on Twitter (@ChicagoNP), Facebook, or sign up for our e-newsletter on our Home Page (lower right-hand column).

Many nonprofits inquire about starting Junior Boards (AKA Executive Boards, Associate Boards, Leadership Boards, etc.). No matter what you call them, boards consisting of young professionals designed to generate fresh ideas and attract the next generation of donors and volunteers are a vastly untapped resource for many nonprofits.

However, junior board members can be pretty tricky to find and retain. In looking at younger nonprofits who have active board members under the age of 35 or well established nonprofits who have an active Junior Board the following 5 things are what I’ve seen them to have in common:

1) They have a strong social media presence. Not just the nonprofit itself, but the junior board members specifically. This means they use Facebook, Twitter and/or Linked In to communicate with one another and the nonprofit. Both for personal messaging and for promoting their cause and/or events.

2) Nonprofits recruit junior board members though networking events designed to attract young professionals. Some are at volunteer fairs like the one Chicago Non-Profit puts together, others go to social networking events put on by young professional organizations or chambers. Young Professionals of Chicago, the Metropolitan Club and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce all put together open networking events targeting young professionals, so attending one of those events will at least help increase the awareness of your organization and give you an opportunity to collect business cards.

3) Organizations who successfully recruit young professionals are tenacious at following-up. When you do come across someone and talk to them about your organization, get their contact information and follow-up in a timely manner. Nonprofits looking to recruit volunteers/junior board members should send an e-mail the next day thanking them for the opportunity to meet, talk to them and ask them to come out again and suggest that they join their Facebook page or follow their nonprofit on Twitter. It’s a bonus if the organization has an upcoming social event – but they should at least invite the potential volunteer to meet at the office or have a cup of coffee if nothing else. Follow-up with an opportunity to engage or at least a note of thanks to make you and your organization more memorable.

4) Have defined roles for junior board members. Not just a role of President, VP, and secretary – but roles such as an events chair or a social media chair – spots designed to provide structure both for the board and for the planning of events to help raise money and awareness of your nonprofit. Let the young people design events that they would be interested in attending and support them through the network established by the nonprofit to supplement the unique network that the young professionals are bringing.

5) Have a well-defined level of expectation. Give/gets are often avoided by nonprofits for junior boards, but this is a mistake. I’ve often sat on junior boards with no defined or enforced level of expectation, and what you get are a lot of ideas and little action. Nonprofits tend to shy away from asking board members directly for money – but the ones that do are not only more efficient in not wasting time talking about what to do but much more successful in having good attendance to the events and retention of junior board members. If you take the approach of “we’ll establish a give/get later – we just want junior board members now” is only delaying the time at which you’ll find some great value (read: raise money) out of your junior board. Asking for as little as a $250 annual commitment can go a long way in cutting out the do-nothings from a junior board. If your junior board members can’t commit to giving or raising a little over $20/month for a year, don’t waste your time. That’s a fraction of many young professionals’ Starbucks habit.

You can also learn to be more social-media savvy at our upcoming Social Media Workshops for Nonprofits that we’ll be beginning at the end of August. Look for more information on that within the next 2 weeks either on our Blog, Facebook page, Twitter feed (@ChicagoNP), Linked IN group and e-newsletters (AKA all of our social media outlets). We’re also looking to put together some panels of nonprofits with well-engaged Junior boards to share their insights on what makes them successful, so be on the lookout for those as well this fall. You can also always contact us or post on our Facebook page or blog if you’d like further information.

Last night’s event recognized the fifty years worth of inspirational and influential people who have made Better Boys Foundation (BBF) what it is today. Carnivale, as always, supplied excellent food and drinks and there were quite a few unique packages in the silent auction (I didn’t win the 2 tickets to the Emmy’s, but how cool would that have been?!).

Ryan Chiaverini and Valerie Warner from ABC’s Windy City Live were there to interview the guests and VIP’s as they arrived on the red carpet. Spotted were Chicago Bear’s legends Gale Sayers and Richard Dent, current star Israel Idonije (who presented an award to the Payton family), and Taj Gibson from the Chicago Bulls.

Proceeds from the 50th Anniversary Celebration go to support BBF’s ongoing work in the North Lawndale community. BBF was founded by Joseph Kellman in 1961 to provide the community’s children with a safe alternative to the streets. The agency has developed over the last 50 years into a multi-faceted youth development organization that serves hundreds of children, youth and families each year. Check out more in the video below:

Chicago’s Better Boys Foundation Celebrates 50 Years of Success: MyFoxCHICAGO.com

Lillstreet from the L

If you seek a euphoric blend of inspiration and humanity, pay a visit to Lillstreet Art Center at 4401 N. Ravenswood in Chicago. I went there to pay a visit to ArtReach at Lillstreet - a nonprofit organization that, through artistic processes, promotes self-discovery and bringing ideologies to light within the community at large. What I was introduced to was a place that fosters inspiration, provides an atmosphere for creative expansion and promotes service to the community through all artistic mediums. All are on display at this place, and I could not help but to come away with a sense that I had been given a glimpse of how we are all are a work of art.

To be fair, my chi had been positively charged as soon as I stepped off the Brown Line. It was a beautiful summer day in Chicago – Friday afternoon on my way home I had arranged to meet Jayson Lawfer, the Executive Director of ArtReach at Lillstreet. Along the 100-yard walk from the L stop at Montrose and ArtReach is Margie’s Candies, AKA best ice cream shop in Chicago – and a chocolate malt was calling my name. I walked into Lillstreet with an aftertaste of sweet, cool joy still on my pallet. What I didn’t realize, however, is that another incredible little kitchen has found a home within Lillstreet in First Slice Pie Café – an organization that provides wholesome food for those living in need in Chicago. You can literally help the hungry by eating pie (there are a number of other ways to support the organization, too, but none are offered in a flavor of cherry, apple, or peach). I was preparing myself to simply ride the wave of chocolate and goodwill for the rest of my time with Jayson – but it only got better.
When I turned my attention to the gallery I found many wonderful pieces of art on display and for sale created by artists from around the world. I suddenly began to appreciate the inspiration that is fostered at Lillstreet. This is literally a world-renown location within the arts community and it resides in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago. Jayson then introduced me to a guy changing a lightbulb in the gallery. The humble worker was the founder of Lillstreet – Bruce Robbins. This is the man responsible for creating this environment back in 1976. The person who has brought together artists from around the world who are on a waiting list for an opportunity to have a residence here and create their masterpieces… and he was on a ladder adjusting the lighting for a display in the gallery.

From left, Artreach Executive Director, Jayson Lawfer, and the founder of Lillstreet, Bruce Robbins

Let me pause for a moment. Take the best weather Chicago can offer, put it on a Friday afternoon, add ice cream, pie, and incredible art. Sprinkle in the fact that I’m in the presence of a cog of inspiration that brings together art and community while giving back to the needy. No offense to Jayson, but I had a difficult time focusing on what he was saying. I was on sensory overload.

I was shown the workshops where residents created their works of art. I toured the space used to teach children how to expand their minds through virtually any artistic medium – from colored pencil to ceramics to paint. I walked among the raw materials used to create the clay used by the hands of the inspired. All of these things are present within the walls of Lillstreet Art Center – and ArtReach is merely a benevolent by-product of some of the most incredible art that mankind is currently creating; supported by the sale of these masterpieces around the globe.

When I reflect on my time with Jayson I find it difficult to organize a logical path to describe the awe of this place. The people, the art and the goodwill of human nature reside there. The bricks and mortar are simply a visual structure that gives a home to the art of mankind. My words cannot express the environment fostered there – you simply must go to experience it yourself. If you’re not able to visit, you can support the beauty created by donating to ArtReach directly, enrolling in one of their programs, or purchasing a piece of their art. Of course, doing any of those things with while enjoying a piece of pie or chocolate malt can only increase the joy you’ll likely experience from this place.

*must represent a nonprofit for 24-hours that enjoys pizza & caffeine. Freakish sci-fi affinity a plus.

The Nerdery is an organization with offices in Chicago and Minneapolis where more than 200 self-proclaimed nerds/web professionals partner with creative minds and big thinkers to engineer and execute their interactive projects. This encompasses websites, mobile apps and other social media outlets. Over the past four years The Nerdery has hosted an annual “Nerdery Overnight Website Challenge” in the Twin Cities where volunteers have freely given more than $1.5 million in professional web development services to 57 nonprofits. Now they’re introducing this wildly successful event to Chicago.

The Nerdery Overnight Website Challenge: An Overview from The Nerdery on Vimeo.

The inaugural Chicago Nerdery Overnight Website Challenge is gathering fellow web professionals (self-described “nerds”) to volunteer their time and talent to help nonprofits create websites they couldn’t otherwise afford at the 24-hour event beginning on Saturday, August 20th at Resolution Digital Studios. Nonprofits have until July 15th to apply as a benefactor of these services by articulating their vision of how these “nerds” could further their mission through better use of interactive technology. Fans of nonprofits are encouraged to post online testimonials on why the organization they support should get a new website for the price of a good night’s sleep. Volunteer teams self-organize with eight to 10 people where team captains recruit nerds covering these skill sets: front-end development, back-end development, project management, strategy, UX, graphic design, copywriting and QA.

If little to none of that last sentence made any sense to you and you’ve been waiting for good website for your favorite organization, apply here for them to benefit from this event!

Last Saturday marked the 10th annivesary of the Lookinglass Theatre Junior Board’s annual “Madhatter’s Ball” – an event that draws some of Chicago’s favorite celebrities such as David Schwimmer & Billy Dec among others.

In a first for the Junior Board, the event was hosted atop the John Hancock Observatory. The setting, views and weather could not have been better as there were approximately 450 people enjoying appetizers, drinks and dancing well past midnight while enjoying the ambiance and atmosphere of the event. An after-party was hosted by Dec at The Underground that went into the early morning hours.

Joey Slotnik emceed this year’s event as many of the actors from the Lookingglass Theatre engaged and entertained the audience over the course of the evening. The event brought in over $30,000 for the organization which, in addition to generating Tony-worthy performances, creates acclaimed education programs which encourage self-esteem and creativity in thousands of children every year. If you’ve not experienced this event in the past and would enjoy an opportunity to support a great cause in one of Chicago’s best settings this is well worth putting on the calendar for next year. Visit the Lookingglass Theatre’s profile page to stay current on upcoming events and opportunities to engage the organization. Of course, you’re always encouraged to attend one of their performances. You can visit their own website for information on shows and tickets.