This is our city, our future. Impact starts with us, and it starts with action. On June 27, 2015, 5,000 people came together in one goal: to make our city stronger and more vibrant as part of the 22nd Annual Chicago Cares Serve-a-thon.

Volunteers rolled up their sleeves and made a huge impact in just one day, giving 20,000 hours of service at 32 sites. They breathed new life into public spaces, elevated learning environments and fostered community among seniors.

And they had lots of fun along the way, building camaraderie with coworkers and meeting new people.

So much has been accomplished, but we can’t stop here. Your continued support allows Chicago Cares to provide meaningful volunteer programming 365 days a year, making a difference in every corner of the city, from mentoring to job-skills training to adult education. We hope that you’ll continue to serve with us. In the meantime, thank you for making an impact.

THE 22ND ANNUAL

SERVE-A-THON1 DAY. 5,000 PEOPLE. TO CHANGE A CITY.

AT A GLANCE

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97% feel more pride in their company

94% of Serve-a-thon volunteers feel they made an impact

97% plan to participate in Serve-a-thon again next year

98% would recommend Serve-a-thon to their friends or family

BY THE NUMBERS

“FROM VOLUNTEERS

FROM A COMMUNITY PARTNER

The thought of the students coming to see something vibrant on their playground brought me joy.

It is a great way to make an impact with a single day to thousands of children across the city.

Impact is such a small word when it comes to all of the work and planning that goes with a service project... It’s almost like a fairy tale. These people come from far and near to help a community that they know nothing about.The dedication and desire they have to lend a helping hand is heartwarming.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

It was truly incredible to see so many people spending their Saturday volunteering.

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VISIBILITY

We engaged in a multi-channel marketing campaign leveraging advertising, PR, social media, video, and email, as well as grassroots marketing efforts. On the day of Serve-a-thon, hundreds of engaged volunteers shared their stories on social media with the hashtag #ImImpact.

MEDIAAn aggressive Serve-a-thon PR campaign resulted in millions of impressions across print, Web and broadcast, with hits including CBS, WGN, the Chicago-Sun Times, Univision and more.

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THANK YOU

ABOUT CHICAGO CARES

Founded in 1991 by Leslie Bluhm and Mary Prchal, Chicago Cares is a nonprofit organization that has mobilized 500,000 volunteers to meet Chicago’s most challenging needs. Chicago Cares designs programming that meets the needs of our city and our corporate partners. And while we’ve been here almost a quarter century, Chicago Cares starts each day fresh, with programming that’s inventive.

We focus on the details so you can focus on your business. Chicago Cares provides a holistic, meaningful volunteer experience that profoundly impacts our city.

We match your goals to needs. We help companies address critical needs through targeted volunteer projects while also enhancing team-building, employee engagement and visibility.

We are established & entrepreneurial. Our deep expertise allows us to nimbly respond to emerging issues, introducing new models to meet new needs.

We offer breadth & depth. We’re the only nonprofit that comprehensively addresses our city’s critical needs through service—across issue areas, neighborhoods and demographics.

We make sure your gift keeps on giving. Your financial contribution supports your company’s engagement and enables us to offer tens of thousands of volunteer opportunities to Chicagoans each year.

We understand that small acts lead to big commitments. Chicago Cares has the passion, expertise and relationships to continue to propel our city and your company. Contact our corporate relations team to learn about ways to engage with us.

Here are some of our upcoming initiatives:

FIND YOUR CAUSE (Oct 20) Connect with millennials as they identify ways to support area nonprofits.

SKILLS FOR SOCIAL GOOD SUMMIT (Nov 6) Translate corporate thought leadership into community impact through this conference.

WARM UP CHICAGO (Nov - Jan) Heat up the holiday season through our winter hat and glove drive.

CORPORATE LEADERSHIP BREAKFAST (Mar 2016) Convene with other business leaders and define the future of CSR.

EMPOWER TO EMPLOY (Apr 2016) Create a stronger workforce through our job-readiness program.

CORPORATE LEADERSHIP BREAKFAST

Without the hard work of our volunteers and the generous support of our sponsors, Serve-a-thon would not be the amazing, city-transforming day it is.

The Chicago Cares staff would like to extend a warm thank you to our top sponsors, including PepsiCo, GCM Grosvenor and Northwestern Medicine.

FIND YOUR CAUSE

FINDYOURCAUSE

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