GreenLight Fund Chicago

How does GreenLight Fund identify the right nonprofit partner to bring into a community? Three executive directors sat down to discuss the select phase of the GreenLight Method and how it unfolds in our cities. Hear from Simone Hardeman-Jones, Twin Cities, Tish Johnson-Jones, Newark, and Erin Saul, Cincinnati.

Propelling Impact: An Engine for Scale - GreenLight Fund We actively engage with local communities to identify needs not being met and invite in best-in-class nonprofits uniquely suited to address them.

We have officially finished our Discover Phase of the GreenLight Method. See our approach here: https://greenlightfund.org/approach/

GreenLight Fund Chicago has spent the last few months deep in community conversations, talking with nonprofit leaders, government officials, Chicago residents, and school leaders learning about what their priorities and needs are in their communities.

In honor of Women's History Month, Victoria Costa, Marketing & Communications Manager at GreenLight Fund, reflects on a powerful quote from Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the latest blog post. Marking her four years at GreenLight, she shares participant stories from across our portfolio that have stayed with her the most, highlighting women and girls building stability, finding their voice, and shaping their futures while empowering others to do the same.
Read the full blog here: https://greenlightfund.org/as-women-see-what-women-can-do/

Happy International Women’s Day!

For Black History Month, we shared and celebrated the stories of black leaders who changed Chicago. We continue the trend of story telling by sharing uplifting impact from women and girls who are connected to GreenLight Fund and GreenLight Fund Chicago. Through the series, you will see what is possible when women and girls are given resources to pursue meaningful careers, navigate motherhood, and start early learning at home.

Our full collection of impact stories will be shared at: https://greenlightfund.org/stories-of-impact/

To conclude our brief series highlighting just a few of the impactful black men and women who have made a significant contribution to our city, we want to highlight revolutionary leader, Fred Hampton. Fred grew up in Maywood, Illinois and worked at the NAACP youth chapter in his teen years organizing protests while in high school. In 1986, he joined the Illinois Black Panther Party and became the chairman and a prominent leader in the Illinois civil rights movement. He built coalitions with multicultural groups and established breakfast programs for children and health clinics in Chicago’s under resourced communities.

Fred’s most prominent and passionate issues of equity centered around the public pool. Though swimming pools were technically for all people, it was a space that felt uninviting for BIPOC communities. Fred organized protests, demonstrations, and raised awareness that these public spaces were being denied to the city’s BIPOC communities. Eventually, he raised funding from businesses and city officials to establish a non-segregated pool. The Fred Hampton Aquatic Center was opened in 1970 and named in his honor after he was killed prior to its opening.

Continuing the recognition of prominent black individuals who made a positive impact on Chicago, GreenLight Fund Chicago wants to recognize Marjorie Stewart Joyner. Marjorie, was a pioneer in the beauty school industry with much of her career’s success taking place in Chicago. Alongside Madam C.J. Walker, she was able to create a network of 200 beauty schools that trained over 15,000 stylists in black women’s hair styling.

In addition to the success of her hair styling business, Marjorie was an innovator and lobbyist. In 1928, she was one of the first African American women to receive a patent for a “waving machine” and a scalp protector device to ensure clients were comfortable during the waving process. She wrote the first cosmetology laws for the state of Illinois in 1924 and became one of the founding members of the National Council of Negro Women in 1935.

ICYMI: We announced our second portfolio investment, SIRUM, who is committed to expanding healthcare access by providing low cost medication to the people who need it most. Learn more:

GreenLight Fund Invests in Bringing SIRUM to Chicago - GreenLight Fund We actively engage with local communities to identify needs not being met and invite in best-in-class nonprofits uniquely suited to address them.

ICYMI: We announced our second portfolio investment, , who is committed to expanding healthcare access by providing low cost medication to the people who need it most. Learn more:

GreenLight Fund Invests in Bringing SIRUM to Chicago - GreenLight Fund We actively engage with local communities to identify needs not being met and invite in best-in-class nonprofits uniquely suited to address them.

Grateful to our investor coalition for supporting community-driven change, making our investment in SIRUM possible! Learn more: https://greenlightfund.org/greenlight-brings-sirum-to-chicago/

In 2026 alone, our latest portfolio organization, SIRUM, will open access to prescribed medication for 9,000 patients with low incomes in Chicago. SIRUM's reach will continue growing in subsequent years, connecting thousands of Chicagoans with unused, lifesaving medications that would have otherwise been wasted. Read more: https://greenlightfund.org/greenlight-brings-sirum-to-chicago/

GreenLight Fund Chicago’s investment in SIRUM accelerates the next chapter of healthcare access in Chicago. Partnering with trusted, on-the-ground organizations and building new community alliances to prioritize medication access, we’ll reach Chicagoans who need care most so families can remain healthy and thrive.

Just announced! GreenLight Fund Chicago announces its second portfolio organization investment, bringing SIRUM (Supporting Initiatives to Redistribute Unused Medicine) to Chicago in response to rising prescription costs and the need for affordable healthcare access.

SIRUM partners with pharmacies, health facilities, and community organizations to redirect donated, unused medicine to those who need it most, including through its nonprofit pharmacy, Good Pill. In Chicago, SIRUM aims to serve 60,000 patients over the next four years, saving individuals and families an estimated $8 million while working with local hospitals, clinics, and health centers to expand access across the city. Read the full press release: https://greenlightfund.org/greenlight-brings-sirum-to-chicago/