News

January 29, 2021

As I settle into my role as the third CEO of The Coleman Foundation, I’ve been inspired by the depth of knowledge and experience our team has in building impactful programs in entrepreneurship, supportive cancer care, and disability services. I realize that there is an opportunity to tell the Coleman story in a way that amplifies the work of our grantees, expands our community, and illuminates the lessons learned through decades of creating impact in...

November 16, 2020

This week Shelley Davis will take the helm of The Coleman Foundation. The Coleman Foundation invests about $8 million each year in programs that advance personal empowerment and well-being for residents of the Chicago Metro area. Shelley will succeed Michael Hennessy who began working with the Foundation in 1987 when he was an officer of Fannie May Candy Company and became the Coleman Foundation’s president in 1993. We checked in with Shelley to hear her thoughts...

September 16, 2020

More than 3,000 Chicago-area workers who serve individuals with disabilities will receive a special gift of appreciation this week—and those gifts provided a financial boost for six local small businesses; five of which are female- or minority-owned. Chicago-based Coleman Foundation donated $50,000 to a network of nonprofit agencies, Intersect for Ability. In turn,the agencies bought products from these businesses to celebrate Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week. The businesses include Chocolate Inspirations, a mother-daughter team who makes...

September 9, 2020

Davis is a lifelong Chicagoan with over 25 years of experience in the non-profit and philanthropic sectors. Shelley is committed to social justice, equity, and serving as a bridge between community and resources. Davis' appointment will be effective November 16, 2020....

June 24, 2020

For over forty years, The Coleman Foundation has worked to improve opportunity and quality of life, and to reduce disparities for people living and working in Chicago. We know there is so much more work to be done. Our story began with Fannie May Candies, the initial source of the assets we use to make grants.  Fannie May's shops throughout city neighborhoods and the manufacturing plant on West Jackson Boulevard connected us to the local fabric...

May 5, 2020

In an effort to support its grantees during the COVID-19 pandemic, The Coleman Foundation has invited 80 organizations to participate in its COVID-19 Matching Grant Program. Through the Program, organizations, which span the Foundation’s program areas, may earn a grant award of up to $25,000 as a match to donations from private individuals received between April 15 and June 1, 2020. To ensure that grantees employ campaign strategies that work best for activating their own...

May 5, 2020

The Coleman Foundation is committed to supporting our grantees and Chicago area residents during the pandemic. We are grateful for the Foundation's resources and humbled by the responsibility to steward them to areas of greatest need. We continue to engage with our grantee communities, listen to emerging needs in the sectors that we fund, and provide assistance where we can. So far, we are funding three COVID-19 relief initiatives....

March 20, 2020

The Coleman Foundation is committed to supporting the Chicago community during these uncertain times and has become a founding supporter of Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund. The Fund was created to deploy resources to community-based organizations at the frontlines of the COVID-19 outbreak in the Chicago region. While a contributor to the fund, the Coleman Foundation is not in a role to decide which organizations receive resources from the Fund. For more information, please visit:...

March 19, 2020

The Coleman Foundation cares deeply about the health, safety and well-being of our grantees and those they serve in our community. We want to provide an update concerning the Foundation’s response to COVID-19 epidemic, recognizing that it is a very fluid situation. We are committed to providing the best support possible while safeguarding the health of our staff and their families. For the present, our staff will be working remotely and will not be participating in...