Grant Awards

Grants are the lifeblood of most non-profit organizations. This year, Art Therapy Connection was proudly awarded 4 grants from 3 organizations and an investment firm to assist with programming, research and operating expenses. Award money will be used for the 2006-2007 school year.

Louis R. Lurie Foundation

The Louis R. Lurie Foundation awarded Art Therapy Connection a 2-year $50,000 grant. The first-year grant is a 50% challenge grant. This means the Lurie Foundation gives ATC an amount of $12,500 first and then the remaining $12,500 will be provided when ATC receives new contributions. This is defined as donations to ATC from new donors and/or increasing the amount of the contributions by current or prior donors. The second year is a 100% challenge grant. During this second year, ATC needs to receive a total of $25,000 of more new contributions. If you or your organization would like to assist Art Therapy Connection in this challenge grant, please contact Carolyn Collins.

Named after a middle 20^th-century real estate developer, the Louis R. Lurie Foundation awards grants to organizations in its hometown of San Francisco and in Chicago. The foundation’s focus is on youth up to 18 years old, improving family support, education, health, cultural enrichment and recreation. “In fulfilling its mission, the Foundation intends to heighten skills that develop self-reliance, compassion, self-esteem, respect for diversity, and a strong desire to give back to others in the community.” The Lurie Foundation focuses on financially helping youth-based organizations that might otherwise have trouble receiving assistance. The foundation focuses on those that demonstrate potential, address underlying issues, promote understanding in diversity, and encourage to give back, as Art Therapy Connection strives to do in Chicago’s public schools and underserved communities. 

Springboard Foundation

The Springboard Foundation awarded Art Therapy Connection with $10,000 for current programming and program expansion. Founded in 1998, ten of its members wanted to “improve the quality of life in Chicago’s economically challenged neighborhoods through the support of small not-for-profit organizations throughout Chicago.” Eight years later, the foundation focuses on the advancement of grass-roots organizations, such as Girls on the Run, South Chicago Art Center, Musicalive, and Corazon A Corazon, an organization similar to ATC. Springboard now names 40 members total and more than 50 outside contributors from around the country.

Springboard also has established partnerships with not-for-profit philanthropic and service organizations that provide financial, technical and media assistance, such as The Alford Group, Executive Service Corps, Chicago Community Trust, IT Resource Center, and Community Media Workshop. In these ways, the Springboard Foundation not only supplies grant money to organizations that might otherwise have limited financial backing, but “provides an opportunity for interested donors to learn about and contribute to high-quality neighborhood programs.” Art Therapy Connection is proud to be affiliated with Springboard to further the level of grass-roots philanthropy in Chicago.

Illinois Arts Council

Located in Chicago’s Thompson Center in the Loop, the Illinois Arts Council (IAC) awarded Art Therapy Connection with a $1,880 program grant for general operating support. Established in the 1960s by the Illinois General Assembly, the IAC’s purpose is to “encourage development of the arts throughout Illinois. This state agency assists artists, arts organizations and other community organizations that present arts programming by providing financial and technical assistance from funds provided annually by the Illinois State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.”

Twenty-one citizens appointed by the Governor comprise of the IAC and they work to make sure a diverse culture in the arts and art education is alive and strong throughout Chicago and the state of Illinois. Along with supporting not-for-profit organizations like ATC, the IAC also recognizes community programs, educational institutions, and individual creative artists through grant programs, technical assistance, workshops and special events, such as the Governor’s Award for the Arts, the 2006 Midwest Folk Festival and Great Performers of Illinois, which showcased music, poetry and movement artists. Besides events, the IAC heads programs such as Arts-in-Education Residencies, ArtsResource and Youth Employment in the Arts.  Publications such as the Illinois Art Fair Directory, Artists Registry and Heartland are also possible through the IAC.

Nuveen Investments

For the past 2 years, Art Therapy Connection was awarded $5,000 from Nuveen Investments. The award letter to ATC stated, “Since 1898, Nuveen has recognized the importance of public service and maintained a strong commitment to improving the quality of life for individuals and families in the Chicago community.” Providing art therapy to children and teens who are at-risk of failure does just that.

Also located in the Loop, Nuveen Investments provides diversified investment services and consists of financial advisors whose “purpose is to help people grow and preserve their wealth for a single reason: to secure their goals — today and tomorrow.” They boast 6 investment managers, which include Nuveen, Tradewinds, NWQ, Santa Barbara Asset Management, Rittenhouse, and Symphony Asset Management. For the first quarter of 2006, Nuveen reported a net income of $44.9 million.