The grants listed below are those obtained by Catalyst from the foundations and from Board of Education board reports. The dates refer to the issues of Catalyst in which they were published, beginning with the most recent.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
BP Foundation
Chicago Department of Children and Youth Services
The Chicago Foundation for Education
The Chicago Public Education Fund
The Coleman Foundation
The Field Foundation of Illinois
Harris Bank Foundation
IBM Corp.
Illinois Humanities Council
Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
The Joyce Foundation
Lloyd A. Fry Foundation
The McCormick Tribune Foundation
McDougal Family Foundation
NEA Foundation
Northern Trust
The Oppenheimer Foundation
Peoples Energy
Polk Bros. Foundation
Prince Charitable Trusts
The Spencer Foundation
The Staples Foundation for Learning
U.S. Dept. of Education
Woods Fund of Chicago
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
May-June
- $6 million to the University of Chicago’s Center for Urban School Improvement to open two charter schools, and to incubate and support creation of seven additional high schools.
- $2.3 million to Chicago Public Schools to develop a comprehensive strategy for managing a portfolio of high-performing high schools.
- $1.4 million to Noble Network of Ch arter Schools to create two new high schools based on the existing Noble Street model.
- $786,000 to New Leaders for New Schools to recruit, train, place and support future and existing principals for CPS.
- $550,000 to Perspectives Charter School to create one new school based on the existing Perspectives Charter model.
- $200,000 to Parents United for Responsible Education to promote effective parent-school partnerships in CPS.
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BP Foundation
October-November
- $50,000 to Providence-St. Mel School to encourage African American students
to consider careers in technology by developing interactive math and science
lessons.
$40,000 to Noble Network of Charter Schools to start a high school chapter
of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and build rockets for national
competition.
- $18,000 to Chicago Childrens Museum to create roller coasters with
household objects.
- $15,000 to Louisa May Alcott School for a program in which students will
garden, raise honeybees and forecast the weather from the school rooftop
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Chicago Department of Children and Youth Services
October-November
- $15,000 to Agape Youth Development and Support Services to improve staff/youth
relationships by matching youth with staff and introduce more small group
work between teens.
- $15,000 to Howard Area Community Center to work with youth on new rules
of conduct for upcoming programs.
- $15,000 to Hyde Park Neighborhood Club to increase activities for youth
and offer daily tutoring after school.
- $15,000 to Life Directions to increase the diversity of their youth program
by working with Robert Morris PEACE project to host a picnic in Douglas Park
for Palestinians, Jewish, Hispanic and African-American students.
- $15,000 to Street-Level Youth Media to improve their studio, evaluate and
improve workshops and create new opportunities for paid internships.
The Chicago Foundation for EducationJanuary-February
- $175,000 to 552 CPS teachers who received $400 grants for innovative classroom
projects.
October-November
- $13,100 to Teachers Network Leadership Institute for a fellowship to conduct
research on the teaching practices of 16 teachers.
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The Chicago Public Education Fund
May-June
- $200,000 to the CPS Summer Fellows Program, a six-week internship to recruit new teachers from colleges and universities across the country.
- $48,000 to the CPS Fund Fellows Program for general support.
March-April
- $2,000 to each of the 130 Chicago Public Schools teachers who received National Board Certification this year.
July-September
- $200,000 to CPS for Summer Fellows, an internship program for college education majors to work in public schools.
- $150,000 to Teach for America Chicago for general operating support.
- $100,000 to Education Resource Strategies to complete an analysis of per-pupil spending and the use of resources in CPS.
- $48,000 to CPS to support fellowships for MBA candidates and public policy graduate students to work in the CPS central office.
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The Coleman Foundation
July- September
- $1,200 to the Illinois Institute for Entrepreneurship Education to support entrepreneur day.
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The Field Foundation of Illinois
July-September
- $15,000 to the Chicago Healthy Schools Campaign to advocate for policies to impact student health.
- $15,000 to the Chicago Metro History Education Center for a reading history initiative.
- $15,000 to Kohl Children's Museum to train early childhood teachers in project-based learning.
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Harris Bank Foundation
May-June
- $150,000 over four years to the Chicago Public Education Fund to support ‘Leadership Fund II,’ a fund that will invest $15 million into master teacher deployment, principal development and curriculum development for new schools.
- $15,000 to Free Spirit Media for humanities and sports media programs with a partnership with North Lawndale College Prep.
- $10,000 to Chicago Botanic Garden for North Lawndale College Prep juniors to participate in horticultural, entrepreneurship and nutrition programs.
- $7,500 to Chicago Communities In Schools Inc. for general operating support.
- $7,500 to Youth Guidance for a parent involvement program at Chalmers Elementary in North Lawndale.
- $7,000 to Junior Achievement of Chicago to support their Major Gifts Campaign.
- $5,000 to the Chicago Foundation for Education for general operating support.
- $2,000 to Aurora University for college scholarships for students from North Lawndale.
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IBM Corp.
July-September
- $1,000 to CPS for the student science fair.
- $1,000 to Thurgood Marshall Middle School for a student mentoring program.
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Illinois Humanities Council
July- September
- $10,000 to Young Chicago Authors for a yearlong 20th century literature and creative writing project for teens in Chicago area high schools.
- $10,000 to Cycle Wiz Factory of Learning for three public creative learning events for children and families who live in Cabrini-Green.
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Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry
October-November
- $5,000 to the Young Womens Leadership Charter School of Chicago to
study the physical, environmental, chemical and biological characteristics
of the Chicago River.
- $5,000 to the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Education, for
a six-week workshop for parents to learn how to monitor their childrens
homework and for students to learn time management, organizational and study
skills.
- $5,000 to Marwen School and Teacher Partnerships to provide Nettlehorst
Elementary, North Grand High, and Lane Tech High with transportation, curriculum,
artist-teachers and materials for 20 weeks of art instruction in professional
studios
- $5,000 to Chicago Lights as part of the Near North Magnet Cluster School
project, which serves three elementary schools in the Cabrini-Green housing
projects: Jenner, Manierre and Schiller. The project aims to stabilize the
role of schools in the community by coordinating literacy and arts efforts.
- $5,000 to Chicago Metro History Education Center in support of the Reading
History Initiative at eight middle schools.
- $5,000 to Street-Level Youth Media for a music production program to support
increased student literacy, foster student engagement and retention, and teach
advanced technology-based music production skills.
- $5,000 to Hostelling International Chicago to serve 60 CPS high school students
through its cultural kitchen program, which fosters cultural understanding,
strengthens group communication skills and guides students through research
on a country of their choice.
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The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
January-February
- $2 million over two years to the University of Chicago’s Center for Urban
School Improvement to support work on CPS’ plan for transforming schools in
the Mid-South area.
October- November
- $250,000 to the University of Chicagos Center for Urban School
Improvement to support a pilot after-school media literacy program.
- $202,000 over two years to the University of Chicagos Center for Urban
School Improvement in support of professional development and principal leadership
training in nine schools.
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The Joyce Foundation
May-June
- $798,975 to the Consortium on Chicago School Research to study teacher turnover, new teacher support programs and teacher effectiveness in CPS schools.
- $75,000 to the Illinois Network of Charter Schools for a data-driven public awareness campaign to provide information about charter schools to policymakers.
January-February
- $684,822 to the Center for Urban School Improvement to expand the New Teachers Network, a support program for newly certified CPS teachers.
- $434,500 to the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago to analyze alternative certification in Chicago.
- $100,000 to Business and Professional People for the Public Interest to organize and co-sponsor, with Leadership for Quality Education, the Chicago School Alliance for Innovation and Excellence, a union of small charter and contract schools.
July- September
- $500,000 over two years to Erikson Institute to create an early childhood policy research and analysis center to serve the Midwest.
- $400,000 over two years to Community Renewal Society to support Catalyst Chicago.
- $167,239 to the Education Commission of the States to create resources for policymakers seeking to redesign teacher compensation.
- $104,000 to the Citizens' Commission on Civil Rights for a report on state progress in meeting the teacher quality mandates of No Child Left Behind.
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Lloyd A. Fry Foundation
May-June
- $60,000 to the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy for a program that improves middle teachers’ skills in math and science and gets more students interested in those subjects.
- $40,000 to The Rochelle Lee Fund for reading programs and to evaluate its annual awards to teachers.
- $30,000 to the Chicago Metro History Education Center for a history program for CPS students.
- $25,000 to the Chicago Foundation for Education for teacher study group program, which pairs experienced teachers with others seeking to improve their teaching skills.
- $25,000 to Donors Choose for general public awareness about giving opportunities to CPS children.
- $25,000 to Strategic Learning Initiatives for Scaling Up Best Practice, a program that teaches parents how to help their children with homework and provides training for teachers and principals.
- $25,000 to the John G. Shedd Aquarium for the ACES Project, a program to help CPS teachers improve their science education skills.
- $20,000 to Target Hope Inc. to support its efforts to raise student performance and stem high school dropouts.
- $20,000 to Working in the Schools for a reading program for CPS students.
March-April
- $45,000 to the Umoja Student Development Corporation for operating support and a system to track and support graduates.
- $40,000 to New Leaders for New Schools for general operating support.
- $40,000 to Noble Street Charter High School for operating support and expansion.
- $35,000 to the Erikson Institute for the Assessment for Teaching Project to further develop a diagnostic tool that helps connect assessment to teaching.
- $35,000 to the Lincoln Park Zoological Society for Project NOAH, a literacy program to stimulate science learning in Chicago Public Schools students.
- $35,000 to North Lawndale College Preparatory Charter High School for professional development and a program to improve the academic achievement of young men.
- $30,000 to Business and Professional People for the Public Interest, for its Alliance for Innovation and Excellence, which helps its member schools address specific problems in educational practice.
- $25,000 to the Little Village Community Development Corporation for an academic coordinator for its Community School Development Project.
- $25,000 to the Gads Hill Center for the Teen Connection Program, a college prep program for Latino students.
- $20,000 to Southwest Women Working Together for community organizing.
- $20,000 to Literature for All of Us for the Stronger Than Violence Book Group program, a weekly in-class book group for girls at Simpson Alternative High School.
- $20,000 to Erie Neighborhood House for the Parent to Parent program, which trains first-generation Spanish-speaking parents in English, technology and leadership.
- $10,000 to Chicago Coalition for the Homeless for its educational rights initiative.
January-February
- $35,000 to the Logan Square Neighborhood Association for its education program.
- $35,000 to Providence-St. Mel School for their academic Intervention Program.
- $25,000 to Loyola University to train Chicago Public School teachers.
- $15,000 to the Alternative Schools Network for the PRAXIS program, which prepares high school directors and teachers with leadership training.
- $20,000 to Asian Human Services of Chicago, Inc. for Passages Charter School reading program.
- $15,000 to Associated Colleges of Illinois for the College Readiness Program for at-risk CPS students.
- $15,000 to Brighton Park Neighborhood for the School Reform Committee, a group of parents, students and teachers working to improve education.
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The McCormick Tribune Foundation
October-November
- $1 million over two years to New Schools for Chicago to support either a
military high school or an elementary school with a quality preschool program.
New Schools provides private funding for schools under Renaissance 2010.
- $950,000 over two years to the Erikson Institute to help create the Herr
Research Center for Children and Social Policy, which will produce original
research to help develop public policies that support early childcare and
education in the Midwest.
- $520,000 to the Dolores Kohl Education Foundation to support the Kohl McCormick
Early Childhood Teaching Awards and the Kohl McCormick StoryBus.
- $150,000 to Voices for Illinois Children, Inc. to improve and expand early
learning opportunities for children up to age 5.
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McDougal Family Foundation
January-February
- $75,000 to the Erikson Institute for professional development for early childhood teachers.
- $70,000 to Metropolitan Family Services for early learning programs in the Sullivan Elementary School community in South Chicago.
- $70,000 to the Rochelle Lee Program for reading programs, evaluation and technology enhancements.
- $65,000 to Art Resources in Teaching for art workshops for teachers at eight schools and an arts integration institute.
- $50,000 to Metropolitan Family Services to support a community school partnership with the New Sullivan Elementary School.
- $50,000 to Reading in Motion for a literacy program for 3rd-graders.
- $25,000 to the Bureau of Educational Research with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, to examine early reading assessments.
- $25,000 to the Chicago Community Foundation for an arts education initiative.
- $25,000 to the Chicago Public Education Fund for general operating support.
- $15,000 to the Campaign to Expand Community Schools, for general operating support.
- $10,000 to Friends of the Chicago River to support the Chicago River Schools Network, a teacher-training program.
- $5,000 to DePaul University to support the Chicago lesson study group, which provides teachers with a forum to organize and improve lesson plans.
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NEA Foundation
March-April
- $5,000 to two teachers at Gary Elementary School to improve literacy and science skills with a school garden project.
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Northern Trust
July- September
- $3 million to CPS to support its Adopt a School program and to develop and sponsor new charter and contract schools.
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The Oppenheimer Foundation
March-April
- $5,000 to the Northside Learning Center for a track field.
January-February
- $200,000 to over 400 Chicago public school teachers for incentive grants of up to $2,000 each, for classroom projects.
July-September
- $5,000 to the Chicago Teachers Union Quest Center for a conference on National Board Certification.
- $3,000 to three CPS high schools and two elementary schools for awards to outstanding school counselors.
- $2,500 to the CPS Department of Postsecondary Education for general support.
- $1,000 to Whittier Elementary for a student gardening project.
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Peoples Energy
January-February
- $10,000 to the Ravinia Festival for school-based education programs.
- $10,000 to WBEZ Alliance to support the Energy Education curriculum.
- $10,000 to the Open Lands Project for the Green Teacher Network, a program that provides information on using nature as a teaching tool for math, science, reading and technology.
- $7,500 to the Chicago Foundation for Education for the Peoples Energy Science Small Grants program.
- $5,000 to the Academy for Urban School Leadership for general operating funds.
- $5,000 to the Golden Apple Foundation to support the storytelling workshop for teachers in Chicago schools.
- $4,000 to Barrel of Monkeys, an ensemble of actors and educators, for creative writing workshops for students.
- $4,000 to the Chicago Architecture Foundation for the Schoolyards to Skylines program, which teaches math, science, social science, language arts and fine arts through architecture.
- $4,000 to the Chicago Metro History Education Center for general operating support.
- $4,000 to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater for Team Shakespeare, which brings the works of Shakespeare to students in middle and high school.
- $3,000 to Chicago Arts for Learning for general operating support.
- $3,000 to Chicago Arts Partnership in Education to support partnerships to integrate arts into school curricula.
- $2,000 to Black Ensemble Theater for the Strengthening the School through Theater Arts program, which uses drama to improve learning.
July- September
- $10,000 to the Chicago Public Education Fund for general support.
- $2,000 to CPS for the student science fair.
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Polk Bros. Foundation
May-June
- $55,000 to Chicago Commons Association for Nuevos Futuros, an academic assistance, personal development and college/career exposure program for CPS high school students.
- $35,000 to National-Louis University to provide professional development for teachers at Nancy B. Jefferson School in the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center.
- $30,000 to Neighborhood Capital Budget Group for the Rebuild Our Schools initiative.
- $30,000 to the Teachers Academy for Math and Science to provide in-classroom coaching and facilitate grade-level meetings for teachers and principals at 20 CPS schools on academic probation.
- $25,000 to Alternative Schools Network for the Praxis Project, a four-year professional development program for principals and teachers focused on instruction quality and assessment aimed to raising student performance.
March-April
- $130,000 to DePaul University to train teachers in 20 Chicago public schools to use Chicago Connections, a web-based literacy development program that includes lesson plans, homework assignments and teaching modules that help teachers incorporate social studies into reading, science and math curricula. (First payment of a two-year grant.)
- $75,000 to the Academy for Urban School Leadership for resident teachers’ salaries.
- $50,000 to New Leaders for New Schools for professional development, training and support.
- $40,000 to Facing History and Ourselves, for teacher training and resource materials covering the historical impact of racism and the American eugenics movement. (First payment of a two-year grant.)
- $40,000 to Family Matters for the Community Organizing Initiative, to strengthen parent involvement at Gale Elementary and help parents and other community members address issues in their Rogers Park neighborhood. (First payment of a two-year grant.)
- $40,000 to Working in the Schools for Power Lunch, a literacy and mentoring program in which corporate volunteers read aloud and talk about books with Chicago Public Schools students. (First payment of a two-year grant.)
- $35,000 to Friends of the Chicago River for the educational programs offered through the Chicago River Schools Network.
- $30,000 to the Howard Area Community Center for academic and enrichment activities offered after school, on school holidays, and during the summer for children in grades 3 through 6 at Gale and Jordan elementary schools.
- $25,000 to Chicago Community Trust for the second year of the Arts Education Initiative, to develop instruction in dance, theater, music and the visual arts.
- $25,000 to Free Street Programs for arts literacy programs in 10 Chicago public schools. (First payment of a two-year grant.)
- $25,000 to Lawndale Christian Development Corporation for the Lawndale College Opportunity Program, which provides academic enrichment, homework help, computer training and college visits for students in 8 th through 12 th grade.
- $25,000 to Parents United for Responsible Education (PURE) for training and support of parents, local school council members, teachers, and community members in schools.
- $20,000 to the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council to work with principals and parents to reduce overcrowding, increase the number of staff working with non-English-speaking students and expand off-site preschool.
- $15,000 to Chicago Lights for after-school dance, drama, music and poetry classes for 3 rd- through 6 th- grade students at Jenner, Schiller and Manierre elementary schools.
- $15,000 to Citizens Information Service of Illinois for the Future Voter Junior Program, which teaches 6th- through 8 th-grade students about citizens’ rights and responsibilities.
- $12,500 to Centro Comunitario Juan Diego for the Family Literacy Program to help parents and students develop computer skills that will help them improve their school performance.
- $10,000 to New Concepts Tutor/Mentor Connection to recruit, train and support adult volunteers who help 5 th- through 8 th-grade students in four Chicago public schools develop leadership skills and raise their academic achievement.
- $7,500 to Sunlight African Community Center for the Arts-in-Education after-school program for 80 African immigrant children.
January-February
- $90,000 to Youth Guidance for the Comer School Development Program in 11 schools. (First payment of a two-year grant.)
- $80,000 to Associated Colleges of Illinois for the College Readiness Program, Minority Scholarship Program and the ACI Partnership for Multi-Cultural Student Achievement.
- $60,000 to Loyola University for the Center for Science Education’s curriculum training program for CPS middle school teachers.
- $50,000 to Chicago Cares for the Discovery program, a Saturday morning academic and mentoring program at three Chicago public schools.
- $50,000 to the Jewish Council for Youth Services for the Adventure Education program in three Chicago public high schools.
- $50,000 to the Logan Square Neighborhood Association for the Parent-Teacher Mentor Program at seven Chicago public schools.
- $40,000 to the Golden Apple Foundation for the Alphabet Bus, which provides elementary schools, day care centers and community-based organizations in Pilsen and Little Village with literary activities. (First payment of a two-year grant.)
- $30,000 to Street-Level Youth Media for media arts programs in 10 Chicago Public schools.
- $25,000 to Community Organizing and Family Issues for the Family Focus Organizing Project in Austin, which trains parents of students at eight Chicago public schools to organize for better education and community safety.
- $25,000 to the East Village Youth Program for the College Readiness and Support Program for students at six Chicago public schools.
- $25,000 to Target Hope for the Saturday Academy, which provides college readiness and support services to Chicago public high school students.
- $20,000 to Cabrini Connections for Kids’ Connection, an after-school tutoring and mentoring program.
- $20,000 to the College Summit in Chicago for support of the Senior Class Model program, which works with seniors in 12 Chicago public schools.
- $20,000 to West Town Leadership United for leadership training to help parents work with teachers at six West Town elementary schools.
- $15,000 to Blocks Together for the Families of Our Schools project, initiated by parents who want to improve learning at seven Chicago schools.
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Prince Charitable Trusts
May-June
- $65,000 to The Chicago Community Trust for the Chicago Campaign to Expand Community Schools.
- $30,000 to Business and Professional People for the Public Interest for its Public Education Initiative, which aims to ensure citywide access to quality education.
- $30,000 to the Academy for Urban School Leadership for general operating support.
- $30,000 to Umoja Student Development Corp. for general operating support and program expansion.
- $25,000 to the Community Renewal Society for general operating support for Catalyst Chicago and for the publication to develop a school information database.
- $25,000 to The Chicago Community Trust for a preschool, elementary and high school arts initiative.
- $25,000 to Perspectives Charter School to develop and implement Brain Builders, an initiative to improve student achievement.
- $25,000 to Strategic Learning Initiatives for its Scaling Up Best Practice project.
- $25,000 to Reading in Motion for a reading curriculum for CPS students.
- $15,000 to the Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education for general operating support.
- $15,000 to Albany Park Neighborhood Council for the Emerging Communities Education Project, a public education effort to get parents, teachers, administrators and community residents informed about and involved in public education.
- $15,000 to the Chicago Center for Family Health for an advanced training program to teach school staff to build partnerships with students and their families.
- $15,000 to the College Summit Chicago for general operating support.
- $15,000 to L.E.A.R.N. Charter School for general operating support.
- $15,000 to Namaste Charter School for general operating support.
- $10,000 to Brighton Park Neighborhood Council to support the work of its school reform committee.
- $10,000 to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless for the Educational Rights Initiative, which ensures homeless children have the opportunity to enroll and attend public school.
July-September
- $150,000 to Noble Network of Charter Schools to create two new charter high schools in Chicago.
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The Spencer Foundation
January-February
- $75,000 to the University of Chicago’s Training Early Achievers for Careers in Health program, which helps prepare Chicago Public School students for post-secondary training and work.
July-September
- $550,625 to the Consortium on Chicago School Research for its core research activities.
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The Staples Foundation for Learning
January-February
$10,000 to Reading in Motion, a nonprofit organization that uses arts to help teach reading in Chicago public schools.
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U.S. Dept. of Education
October-November
- $3.7 million to Northwestern University to train doctoral students to identify
and measure best practices in K-12 education.
- $1.02 million over three years to Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education
and the CPS Office of Academic Enhancements Fine and Performing Arts
magnet cluster program for professional development at 44 magnet cluster schools.
July- September
- $8 million to the Illinois Facilities Fund to create below-market rate bonds to pay for charter school building purchases and renovations.
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Woods Fund of Chicago
July- September