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Opportunity Granted Annual Report 2023

Celebrating Our Remarkable Achievements

This past year has been extraordinary for Opportunity GrantED, filled with milestones and advancements we're eager to share.

We began the 2022-2023 grant cycle strong, thanks to record-breaking donations which empowered us to award an unprecedented number of grants. And our growth didn't stop there! We proudly introduced a Junior Board, bringing fresh perspectives, and expanded our main Board of Directors, adding specialized expertise.

Fall 2022 & Spring 2023 Grant Cycles: When we initiated our Fall Grant Cycle in September 2022, we awarded grants to 103 teachers across 12 schools. Our momentum continued into March's Spring Grant Cycle, further assisting teachers and enriching school experiences for countless students with 109 grants awarded.

Warm Welcome to New Board Members: As we approach our Fifth Anniversary, our vision is clear: to expand our impact even more as we introduce new Board Members and form our Junior Board – both instrumental in amplifying our reach.

We recently welcomed Cara Andrus, Amanda Doblin, and Karen Fischer to our Board of Directors. Their distinct roles – Cara bridging communication with the Junior Board and handling social media, Amanda spearheading our communications, and Karen overseeing our financials – we are elevating our organization’s operations and reach.

Outgoing Board Member: Thank you, Mary Kaczmarek, a founding member of the Opportunity GrantED Board of Directors, who recently stepped down after three years of service. Mary was truly instrumental in establishing our organization. From writing our bylaws and serving as an advisor to managing the legal intricacies, Mary’s support paved the way for our continued success.

Introducing the Junior Board: This year also marked the debut of our Junior Board, composed of dynamic high school students from our community. Under Lily Bowie’s leadership, this 22-member team is poised to bolster OpportunityGrantED's marketing, fundraising, and expansion initiatives while providing student volunteer options.

Fundraising Highlights: A special mention goes to our laughter-filled "A Night of Comedy" at The Women’s Club of Wilmette on March 2023. Coupled with the Junior Board’s entertaining Pickle Ball Tournament in August 2023, and generous in-kind and monetary donations, our fundraising endeavors collectively raised nearly $60,000. These contributions will be directly channeled to support teachers and students in underserved regions.

Gratitude to Junior League of Evanston - North Shore: We extend a sincere thank you to the Junior League of Evanston for their generous grant of $12,000. Their belief in our mission is invigorating, and we're excited to translate this contribution into actionable impact.

We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who journeyed with us through 2023 as we appreciate your continued support through 2024.

Thank you,

 

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September 29, 2023

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Opportunity GrantED Annual Report 2022

Annual Report

Dear Opportunity G​​rantED Family,

This year brought new obstacles to teachers and students as CPS schools went back to in-person learning in the fall. Through the support of our donors, we were able to meet these challenges head-on. Despite the pandemic, Opportunity GrantED was able to have our most successful year to date, awarding over $32,000 in grants to help more than 2,000 students in Chicago Public Schools.

Thank you to everyone who continues to support our mission! Opportunity GrantED exists because of our grant recipients, donors, and volunteers, all working together to improve the quality of education for students in underserved communities in Chicago.

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updates

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Thank You for 2021 Year End Donations
Thank You for 2021 Year End Donations

We are thrilled to announce that we exceeded our year-end fundraising goals for 2021! This will allow us to increase the number of grants we fund in 2022 by 25%. We are so excited about this growth and look forward to helping more teachers and students in Chicago Public Schools. We know there are many non-profits to support who are doing amazing work, and we are incredibly grateful for our donors who believe in Opportunity GrantED's mission and place a priority on supporting equality in education.

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Year End Giving 2021
Year End Giving 2021

As we look back on 2021 and consider the challenges that teachers and students faced, we are incredibly grateful to our supporters who donated to keep our mission going strong. We are so proud of the impact we had in 2021 by awarding $28,000 worth of items to 108 Chicago Public School teachers. In our fall grant cycle we received TWICE the amount of applications as in previous cycles.

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Exciting News!
Exciting News!

We are excited to announce that Opportunity GrantED and Redefined Fitness are launching a collaborative fundraising campaign called Dollars for Devices! Together, we set a goal to raise $30,000 in the month of July to provide 100 chromebooks to Sherman School of Excellence on the southwest side of Chicago. This special campaign is outside of Opportunity GrantED’s typical grant cycles, and we are excited to broaden our impact with Redefined Fitness.

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Press

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Press
Wilmette residents start nonprofit to assist Chicago teachers
Press

Alexa Burnell, Freelance Reporter
5:00 am CST February 7, 2020 

Chicago public school teachers will no longer have to wish upon a star to see their educational dreams come true, thanks to Wilmette’s Kristen Bowie and Kim Peters. 

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Press
Press
Press Release
Press

New Non-profit Launches to Help Create Equality in Education for Chicago Public Schools


Chicago, IL -- A new nonprofit, Opportunity GrantED, Inc., recently launched its mission to create equality in education based on the belief that every child from every community deserves an equal education regardless of socio-economic status.

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Press

Grant Deadlines

 

Fall Grant

September 15