The Chicago Community Impact Grants Program,
developed in partnership with The Chicago Community Trust, deepens
McDonald's longstanding commitment to the city it calls
home
CHICAGO, Sept. 7,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- McDonald's Corporation announced
today it will invest in 40 Chicago-based nonprofit organizations
that are addressing some of the city's most pressing needs for
Opportunity Youth through its Chicago Community Impact Grants
Program, developed in partnership with The Chicago Community Trust
(the Trust).
Grants totaling $3.5
million were awarded to organizations that foster safe, healthy and
thriving community support systems for young people, particularly
local Black and Latinx youth, who face multiple barriers to
employment and education.
"With Chicago as home to our global headquarters, we're
prioritizing our investment in the socio-economic wellbeing of our
city for the long-term by partnering with leading community
groups," said Joe Erlinger,
President of McDonald's USA.
"These organizations provide critical support to our
neighborhoods and share our mission to reduce barriers to
educational and economic opportunity. Together, we are taking a
meaningful step forward in our commitment to ensuring our
communities thrive for generations to come."
In 2021, the McDonald's team held conversations with local
leaders to solicit guidance on ways to best support the
Chicago community – and bolstering
the futures of the city's young people became the primary focus of
this grant program. The team then partnered with the Trust to
identify local organizations that work specifically with Black and
Latinx youth on the South and West sides of the city and provide
ongoing life skills training and pre-employment support, as well as
critical services like mental health programs and mentorship
opportunities. By investing in organizations across the city that
have dedicated resources and programming, the grants will help
support the success of future generations and help them achieve
their full potential.
For the complete list of grant recipients, please visit
McDonald's Newsroom.
"We know that when we invest in our youth, we're investing in
our city and region's future," said Andrea Sáenz, Interim President
and CEO, of The Chicago Community Trust. "As the Chicago region's community foundation, we are
delighted to work alongside McDonald's to positively impact the
trajectory of our youth for years to come."
The grant program expands on McDonald's longstanding community
philanthropic efforts, and the Trust's mission to build a
Chicago where equity is central
and opportunity is in reach for all. For over 100 years,
community members and civic leaders have partnered with the Trust
to address the Chicago region's
pressing needs and connect philanthropy to impact. From providing
unemployment relief in the Great Depression to supporting
nonprofits serving the most vulnerable neighbors during the
COVID-19 pandemic, the Trust has collaborated with the region's
stakeholders to effect lasting change that moves the entire region
forward.
In recent years, McDonald's has supported a variety of
nonprofits through corporate partnerships and multimillion-dollar
investments with organizations including the International Youth
Foundation, the Obama Foundation, the Chicago Apprentice Network,
Skills for Chicagoland's Future, the American Red Cross and Ronald
McDonald House Charities®. Additionally, McDonald's franchisees
support the Chicagoland community through events such as the
McDonald's Operators of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana's longstanding Food for the
Body & Spirit annual turkey and trimmings giveaway to give back
to the local community and spread hope to those less fortunate
during the Thanksgiving season.
As one of the world's leading brands headquartered in
Chicago, McDonald's believes it
has a responsibility to fulfill its purpose of feeding and
fostering communities in its own neighborhood. McDonald's Global
Impact team, which includes experts in Community Impact &
Philanthropy and Government Relations & Public Policy, uses
their extensive experience with local charitable organizations and
knowledge of the Chicagoland region to help shape McDonald's
corporate giving and strengthen the company's relationships with
community partners. To learn more, please visit Community
Connection (mcdonalds.com).
About McDonald's
McDonald's is the world's leading global foodservice retailer with
nearly 40,000 locations in over 100 countries. Approximately 95% of
McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by
independent local business owners.
About The Chicago Community Trust
The Chicago Community Trust is a community foundation dedicated to
strengthening the Chicago region
by creating equity, opportunity, and prosperity for all people who
call it home. For more than 100 years, the Trust has united
generous donors, committed nonprofits, and caring residents to
effect lasting change. In 2019, The Chicago Community Trust
embarked on a 10-year strategic plan to address one of the most
critical challenges of our times — closing the racial and ethnic
wealth gap for the Chicago region
while responding to our most vulnerable residents' critical needs.
Thanks to its generous donors, in the fiscal year 2021, more than
7,000 organizations received more than $1.4
billion in funding from the Trust, and affiliated donor
advised fund programs. To learn more, visit www.cct.org.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mcdonalds-invests-in-40-local-chicago-nonprofit-organizations-dedicated-to-supporting-opportunity-youth-301618797.html
SOURCE McDonald's Corporation; The Chicago Community Trust