Charity Grant Program

ECF awarded four $5,000 grants in 2024!

Each of these nonprofit organizations were awarded a $5,000 charitable grant to complete a project in 2024.

Chicago State Foundation is a foundation within Chicago State University with a mission to advance the interest and welfare of CSU by building relationships, securing philanthropic support and stewarding assets on behalf of the university. Chicago State foundation’s Pre-Engineering Program (PREP) is specifically designed to address the underrepresentation of African American and Hispanic students in STEM fields. Many high-paying careers are concentrated in STEM, yet access to early college initiatives like PREP remains unequal, especially in lower-resourced schools that predominantly educate Black and Hispanic students. ECF will provide support for the PREP Program that runs for six weeks in the summer and eight months during the school year; serving 60 middle and high school students.

Human Scale was founded in 2018 with a mission to design and build functional, beautiful, and meaningful public spaces in historically disinvested neighborhoods across Chicago. They are committed to increase quality of life of residents, promoting civic engagement, and honoring local culture. Human Scale is able to achieve this through working alongside community members and organization to create environments that support mental and physical wellness, foster community pride and strengthen intergenerational ties. ECF will contribute to Human Scale’s next project to transform a vacant lot in Little Village into community centered green space in collaboration with local organizations such as Yollocalli, Universidad Popular, Enlace, and Beyond the Ball. These partnerships will ensure the space is actively used for community events, educational programs and cultural activities, amplifying its impact.  that will begin construction in 2025.

Chicago Engineers Foundation of the Union League Club has a mission to inspire youth to explore engineering and to create pathways that empower young people to become the next generation of engineers. The organization's programs includes K-12 learning activities to inspire young minds, merit-based scholarship awards to support students through their college studies, and career development activities to equip high school and college students with the tools to achieve their career goals. Their goal is to encourage youth to learn about and pursue engineering concepts and careers, to offer Chicago youth activities and financial support to pursue engineering careers, and to increase the college and career success for local students poised to become the next generation of engineers. ECF will provide support for the Student Success program and help serve more than 200 youth, including 80 scholarship award recipients, at least 50 local, first-generation college students, and more than 75 Chicago area high school students during this academic year.

Science & Entrepreneurship Exchange runs SparkShop, an immersive education program that empowers 4th and 5th grade students to imagine their futures as engineers. Their mission is to inspire and mobilize the next generation of engineers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and manufacturing geniuses. They bring awareness and knowledge of STEM fields to students in the Chicago area, specifically in schools and classrooms where underrepresented students live and learn. Since 2013, SparkShop has served over 5,300 students, and they provide curriculum and materials to 24 schools across the city. ECF will make it possible for them to purchase material kits for 350 students materials during the Industrial Engineering & Manufacturing unit during the school year.