Our Giving Philosophy
Summer Oaks is committed to the tenants of Trust-Based Philanthropy. As such, we approach grantmaking as a mutually beneficial, relationship-building process while acknowledging the inherent power imbalance between funders and fund-seekers. Rather than solicit proposals, we explore partnerships by reaching out to eligible organizations to engage in a series of conversations. In line with this philosophy, we focus on multi-year, general operating gifts that may support operations, overhead, and/or programming at the direction of the organization.
Pictured: Gyrls in the H.O.O.D. Foundation
Who We Fund
Summer Oaks Fund supports organizations whose work ensures girls, women, birthing people, and LGBTQ+ youth can succeed on their terms.
We prioritize supporting service delivery organizations while recognizing the secondary need to support organizations working on systems-level change.
New funding is focused on serving Chicagoland, with occasional funding going to those working regionally, nationally, and internationally.
Those closest to the problems already have the solutions. As such, we prioritize supporting knowledgeable and passionate leaders who understand the communities they serve. It is important to us that organizations have staff and board members who also have lived experience in the issues areas they work in, and that they invite affected communities into their decision-making processes.
No one lives a single-issue life, and we appreciate organizations that address intersecting issues through wrap-around services while partnering with other service providers to maximize impact.
We believe in the power of transformational giving and prioritize funding to grassroots-level and new organizations.
Pictured: Chicago Women’s Health Center
We provide funding to organizations through these opportunities:
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Transformative Gifts
Support the stability, growth, and/or expansion of organizations through multi-year partnerships. These unrestricted gifts support operations, overhead, and programming.
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Legacy Gifts
Provide ongoing support to select organizations that Summer Oaks Fund has partnered with since its inception. These unrestricted gifts support existing organizational efforts and programming.
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Responsive Grantmaking
On occasion, Summer Oaks will consider funding to new organizations via pooled funds, collaborative grantmaking, or one-time time-sensitive funding needs.
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Support Beyond the Check
Available only to our current grassroots partners, we provide opportunities to build the capacity and connections of our partners