BIG SHOULDERS FUND

Big Shoulders Fund was founded in 1986 as an organization to help support Chicago’s inner-city Catholic schools. Today, Big Shoulders Fund serves 20,000 students in 75 schools in the city of Chicago. The schools are an important resource for students and communities, with research showing that when a Catholic school closes the surrounding area experiences an increase in violence and a decrease in social cohesion. These schools help realize the vision that there are educational outlets throughout Chicago where children can “charge up” and maximize their potential. Big Shoulders Fund is focused on ensuring these schools can remain open and viable for years to come, raising more than $300 million in support of this work since its founding in 1986. The collective effort of supporters, teachers, and families alike allows our schools to operate efficiently: on average in 2014 it cost $7,577 to educate a student in a Chicago Catholic school versus $13,433 to educate a student in a Chicago public school. Big Shoulders supports schools and programs that will ensure students receive a strong academic foundation in elementary school, enroll in quality, college prep high schools, enroll and persist in college, and lead productive lives as adults.

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