Big Shoulders Fund

Big Shoulders Fund
Name	Big Shoulders Fund
Formation	1986
Founders	* Albert J. Mayer * Marcel E. Marceau
Type	Nonprofit
Headquarters	Chicago
Region served	Cook County, Illinois
Leader title	President
Leader name	Robert S. Wiedrich

Big Shoulders Fund Big Shoulders Fund is a Chicago-based nonprofit philanthropic organization supporting Catholic schools and other private schools in the South Side, Chicago and West Side, Chicago. Founded in the 1980s, the organization has engaged with community leaders, philanthropic foundations, corporate partners, and civic institutions to provide scholarships, teacher support, and school improvement initiatives. Its work intersects with local and national actors in education reform, urban policy, and faith-based service networks.

History

The organization emerged amid debates involving Archdiocese of Chicago, urban pastors such as Joseph Bernardin, civic leaders like Richard J. Daley, and philanthropic actors including MacArthur Foundation and Gates Foundation. Early years saw collaboration with private donors, business leaders from Chicago Board of Trade, and civic reformers connected to Harold Washington and Jane Byrne. During the 1990s and 2000s, it expanded programs paralleling initiatives by Teach For America, AmeriCorps, and charter advocates like EdisonLearning while interacting with policy actors including Barack Obama's community networks and Rahm Emanuel's education offices. Partnerships and programmatic shifts reflected influences from research institutions such as University of Chicago and Northwestern University, and municipal agencies like the Chicago Public Schools administrative offices.

Mission and Programs

The organization's stated mission aligns with supporters from Roman Catholic Church leadership, corporate philanthropy exemplified by Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase, and civic funders like United Way of Metro Chicago. Programs include scholarship funds, teacher professional development in partnership with entities such as Loyola University Chicago and DePaul University, and out-of-school supports similar to Boys & Girls Clubs of America and YMCA. It launched initiatives influenced by national reform models from Harvard Graduate School of Education, curriculum frameworks used by Common Core State Standards Initiative advocates, and assessment collaborations resembling work by ETS and ACT, Inc..

School Partnerships and Network

The organization supports a network of schools across neighborhoods linked to parishes and diocesan institutions, working alongside actors like Cardinal Francis George (former) and educational leaders associated with St. Ignatius College Prep, Resurrection High School (Chicago), Curie Metropolitan High School alumni networks, and neighborhood schools near Bronzeville. The network has intersected with charter organizations such as KIPP and Noble Network of Charter Schools in shared discussions about enrollment, facilities, and citywide student supports coordinated with the Chicago Public Schools system and municipal agencies like the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services.

Funding and Financials

Funding streams have included corporate donations from firms linked to Exelon Corporation and United Airlines, philanthropic grants from institutions like The Chicago Community Trust and national backers such as Carnegie Corporation of New York, and individual benefactors including business figures akin to Ken Griffin and Michael R. Bloomberg in civic philanthropy contexts. Financial management reflects nonprofit practices comparable to United Way Worldwide chapters and incorporates fundraising events similar to gala models used by Save the Children and auction partnerships like those of Smithsonian Institution affiliates.

Governance and Leadership

Boards and executive leadership have featured leaders from academia, finance, and faith communities comparable to trustees from DePaul University's board, corporate directors with ties to Northern Trust Corporation, and clergy associated with the Archdiocese of Chicago. Governance practices follow nonprofit norms resonant with organizations such as The Rockefeller Foundation and Ford Foundation, with advisory input from education scholars at University of Illinois Chicago and former public officials like Rahm Emanuel-era advisors and civic leaders connected to Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.

Impact and Evaluation

Evaluations cite student outcomes, retention metrics, and programmatic indicators examined using research methods from centers like Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago and evaluators comparable to MDRC and RAND Corporation. Reported impacts include scholarship placement, teacher retention improvements, and facility upgrades paralleling outcomes tracked by initiatives such as Promise Neighborhoods and evaluations used by the U.S. Department of Education in urban contexts. Evidence discussions have referenced longitudinal datasets akin to those at National Center for Education Statistics and performance comparisons similar to Chicago Public Schools accountability reports.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques mirror debates that involve faith-based school support in urban settings, engaging stakeholders like civil rights organizations similar to ACLU and policy critics from think tanks such as Brookings Institution and American Enterprise Institute. Questions raised include equity concerns comparable to controversies around school vouchers and funding prioritization debated in forums with representatives from Chicago Teachers Union and parent-led advocacy groups akin to Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education. Public debates have referenced fiscal transparency issues commonly examined by watchdogs like Charity Navigator and civic media outlets such as Chicago Tribune and Crain's Chicago Business.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Chicago