A trust-based fund partnering with organizations working to ensure girls, women, birthing people, and LGBTQ+ youth succeed on their terms
Pictured: Rise Up
How we fund
Summer Oaks follows a trust-based approach to philanthropy with the aim of shifting power to the hands of nonprofit leaders who know best how to serve their communities.
Multi-Year Gifts
We provide transformative unrestricted investments to expand, scale, and stabilize organizations
Invite-Only, Relationship Focused
We aim to alleviate unnecessary effort for potential grantee partners by focusing on relationship-building over traditional application processes
Act on Our Values
We commit to be transparent and responsive with our partners, solicit and act on feedback, and provide support beyond the check
Issue Areas
Includes abortion access, birth equity, perinatal and maternal health, and sex Education
Reproductive
Health & Justice
Includes affirming mental and physical health care, social safe spaces, and community education
Queer & Trans Youth
Support Services
Includes entrepreneurship, and girls and gender-expansive youth-serving organizations
Next Generation Leadership
Pictured: Teen Parent Connection, SameSame, Rise Up
WHO WE FUND
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Geography
New funding is currently focused on the Chicago area, with limited support to those working elsewhere in Illinois, nationally, and internationally
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Leadership
We love orgs led by knowledgeable, passionate and collaborative people with lived experience with the issues they address and who engage affected communities in the decision-making process
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Organization Type
Funding prioritizes service delivery organizations while recognizing the secondary need to support those workings for systems-level change.