Sgt. Kevin Fowler organizes food at a food bank distribution by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, in Cleveland. (AP Photo / Tony Dejak File)

Many organizations will look to make up the difference on GivingTuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which started as a hashtag in 2012 and has grown into one of the biggest fundraising dates on the calendar. 

In this photo provided by Gabriella Rico, Vietnam War-era Army veteran Harold Tilson Jr., stands in a room on the campus of the Veterans Empowerment Organization in Atlanta, Nov. 10, 2023. (Gabriella Rico via AP)

Since January 2020, the numbers of homeless veterans have fallen 11% and have gone down 55% over the past 13 years, according to a government count. That's in sharp contrast with the general homeless population.

(Courtesy of Tutoring Chicago)

Chicago students are still struggling to make up for COVID-era learning losses, and a local tutoring organization is trying to help students close that gap.

(WTTW News)

The state is partnering with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to mail new books to Illinois children each month. The Dollywood Foundation pays for the books, while state and education partners provide the shipping costs.

(WTTW News)
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The West Side nonprofit offers workforce development and mental health and substance abuse services, among other supports. Leadership said their recidivism rates are a fraction of the state average.

(Courtesy of Lever for Change)

When it comes to philanthropy, it’s usually universities, museums and hospitals that get major donations. But there’s a Chicago organization shaking up that paradigm.

Chicago City Hall. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

The proposal requires human service organizations that contract with the city and have more than 20 employees to agree not to fight efforts by their employees to unionize as long as workers agree not to disrupt the company’s operations while they organize.

(WTTW News)

The proposal would require human service organizations that contract with the city and have more than 20 employees to agree not to fight efforts by their employees to unionize as long as workers agree not disrupt the company’s operations while they organize.

Chicago City Hall. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

The proposal would require human service organizations that contract with the city to agree not to disrupt efforts by their employees to unionize as long as workers agree not disrupt the company’s operations while they organize.

Volunteers from MedGlobal work in Turkey following the earthquake. (Courtesy of MedGlobal)

MedGlobal, a humanitarian organization based in Chicago, is composed of 12 physicians who deploy to disaster-struck countries to help in times of need. Most recently, three physicians traveled to both Syria and Turkey to help those affected by the disaster. 

At HHP Lift’s Liftworks social enterprise program, participants are taught how to manufacture home goods while also learning basic workplace skills. (Courtesy of HPP Lift)
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Research shows formerly incarcerated people who maintained employment for one year after release had only a 16% recidivism rate, compared to a 52% rate for those who did not stay employed.

Local nonprofit Young, Black & Lit donates books featuring Black characters to kids across the U.S. (WTTW News)
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For young Black book lovers, it can be tough to find books that reflect the readers and their worlds. In 2018, the local nonprofit Young, Black & Lit took it upon itself to make sure that Black children have plenty of options for their bookshelves.

Emergency responders aid in recovery efforts in Turkey. (CNN)

Aid organizations say the next few days are crucial when it comes to rescue operations. One local organization is leading its own emergency response team in Turkey. 

In this image provided by the Des Moines Public Schools, Will Keeps reads a Dr. Seuss story to students at Lovejoy Elementary School in Des Moines, Iowa, during their “VIPs Read to Students” event on March 2, 2020. (Kyle Knicley / Des Moines Public Schools via AP)

Will Keeps was a 15-year-old member of a Chicago gang when he witnessed rival members kill his friend. He escaped the streets and moved to Iowa to help other young people from troubled backgrounds.

(WTTW News)

The Chicago nonprofit already has locations in Pilsen and the West Loop. Open Books promotes literacy through programming and the sale of new and used donated books.

(WTTW News)

Advocacy groups around the city have banded together in an effort to shift that shame by trying to address the root causes of gender-based violence. The Survivor Power Institute, made up of 10 organization across Chicago, launched their pilot in November.