Here's a working list of Evanston groups and organizations whose missions align with Dear Evanston's goals and values.
Missing something? Let us know!
Join. Learn. Donate. Take action.
A daily before school program offering a healthy morning meal and homework help to students who need additional support.
Provides school supplies to Evanston youth, so every child is prepared to learn.
To establish a system to provide a shield for all citizens, with particular emphasis on citizens of Black and Latinx descent, from harassment, maltreatment, physical harm and other forms of police misconduct.
Improves outcomes for young adults living in at-risk situations through work and life skills training.
Creates an online space where the experience of parents and kids of color are recognized and respected. Committed to doing the work that takes us past just being non-racists to being anti-racists.
Organizes, supports, and empowers African American families and ideas in Evanston.
FB group started by recent ETHS graduates for the continuous fight for Black lives in Evanston. After protests and rallies, this page will host events, discussions, resources, and more to fight for a just city. Hopes to work with government officials and community members to enact long lasting solutions. Email
Promotes reduction of waste in landfills through deconstruction and sustainable building practices. Sells reclaimed building materials at its warehouse at low cost to support its education, job-training, and job-development programs.
Offers a wide range of family support programs for children and families, plus outreach, referral and crisis services.
Presents powerful, thought-provoking, African American and African community-centered Theater Arts programming with a commitment to diversity and creative excellence.
The educational foundation for District 65. Raises funds to support activities that enrich District 65 schools and encourage excellence in education. An independent operating foundation with its own volunteer board and funds.
A group of Chicago-area residents alarmed by the 2016 election and committed to resisting the Trump agenda.
Since 1981, the Moran Center has been working to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline with a lifeline of innovative, holistic legal and social work programs.
More than 70% of its 100+ families are low-income and receive full- or partial-tuition subsidy through state and private grants and individual philanthropy.Serves children aged 0-5 years old with in-home and center-based full-day care and early education.
Serves as a resource for the Evanston community, for residents and visitors of the greater Chicago area and its schools, for Native peoples and for visitors from across the world. Focuses on the art, history and culture of American Indian and First Nation peoples throughout the US and Canada.
A male-mentoring program that educates, inspires, and empowers young men in middle school to reach their full potential through enrichment activities, experiential learning, team-building exercises and more. The program is a partnership of the Evanston Police Department and Evanston/Skokie School District 65.
Seeks to achieve equity in Evanston through voter education, civic engagement, and candidate development. Engages and equips Evanston residents to actively participate in the decisions that affect their lives.
The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival is uniting people across Illinois to challenge the evils of systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, ecological devastation and the nation’s distorted morality of religious nationalism.
Email illinois@poorpeoplescampaign.org or visit illinoisppc.org to get involved
Maintains a professional theatre and a nationally acclaimed actor training center for children and adults.
Piven partners with Cook County Department of Corrections Division 4 (Women) with its Piven Prison Program. Provides three eight-week sessions of theatre per year to women in the Cook County Jail.
Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity partners with schools, organizations, and communities to develop leaders who guide their peers in conversational communities to drive personal, organizational, and societal change toward social justice. Offered through D65.
The WE Program helps ETHS students improve their career and technical employment outcomes while meeting the needs of local employers and growing sectors and industries.
A youth development agency that provides services and leadership to meet the emerging needs of young people and their families in our community.
Closes the opportunity gap by preparing youth for post-secondary and life success.
City's youth development program gives young people with life challenges multiple, closely aligned pathways to success. Promotes long-term engagement for 14 to 26 year olds. Provides young people with a network of support to become self-sustaining adults.
Helps connect Evanstonians in need to existing resources. A Facebook group that requires that you answer questions before acceptance to the group.
A FB group dedicated to helping Black startup businesses raise money for their active crowdfunding campaigns.
All money (the ask is a minimum of $20/mth) will go directly from the donor to the crowdfunding page of the business.
Adminstered by unpaid volunteers with a vision to remove the financial barriers to entry for Black entrepreneurs.
Founded in 1958 by William (Bill) Logan and Andrew (Andy) Rodez to engage and provide services to the youth and Black community.
An organization of companies, real estate professionals, and tradesmen involved in the construction industry to increase the number of jobs and contracts for its members and provide training and other learning experiences to improve the quality of the member firms and individuals.
A collaborative organization to improve the diversity and inclusiveness of its partner arts organizations. Provides racial equity training for several members of each organization.
A network of ETHS parents, staff, and community members who work to promote the academic achievement and well-being of black students at ETHS.
A collaborative partnership of more than 40 Evanston organizations and 150 community members who aim to be a catalyst for change by addressing systems that affect and undermine children and families.
Aims to build a stronger sense of community; to help mold the community to be engaged with one another in all aspects of community life, to help create a stronger, safer Evanston. Hosts 'Evanston Sings,' an annual choir concert that supports the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program.
Improves college access and success for a diverse group of ambitious Evanston students who are traditionally first-generation college entrants, low-income students, and students of color, starting with the college admissions process and continuing through college graduation.
Offers a wide range of family support programs for children and families, plus outreach, referral and crisis services.
Aims to reduce hunger and poverty in Evanston. Seeks to create a healthy and sustainable food community that benefits all Evanstonians. Hopes to promote a truly sustainable food system within Evanston. Runs the Foster Street Urban Agriculture Program.
Dedicated to promoting the rights of immigrants and refugees to full and equal participation in the civic, cultural, social, and political life of our diverse society.
Serves Evanston and its surrounding communities with programs that nurture, support, and educate the whole family. Provides quality early childhood education to low-income, working families.
Managed by Connections for the Homeless. Advocates for affordable housing solutions by partnering with organizations that support people in need in North Suburban Cook County.
Uses books and writing to facilitate circles of connection, healing and growth in the face of social inequity. By inviting participants to explore the transformative power of their own voices, we help build resilience.
Created to demand action from legislators, state and federal; companies; and educational institutions to establish common-sense gun reforms. A leading force for gun violence prevention, with chapters in all 50 states.
Educates, advocates, and organizes to promote just and inclusive communities in North Suburban Chicago. Seeks to eradicate housing discrimination, in all of its forms and against all persons, due to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, disability, familial status, or source of income.
Works to eliminate substance use and the problems it causes for individuals, families, and communities through collaborative, high-quality prevention and treatment services. Has provided community-based substance abuse prevention and treatment services to residents of Evanston, Northfield, New Trier, Maine and Niles Townships, and the north side of Chicago since 1975.
A collaborative effort across D65 to address disparities in PTA fundraising opportunities among schools, which often result in inequitable experiences for students. A detailed study by PEP found some schools were able to fundraise as much as 10 times more than other schools, leading to a significant difference in per-student spending. Organizes fundraisers to help support the important enrichment and community-building activities PTAs provide to students and their families.
Committed to creating a community that promotes and sustains racial, economic and environmental justice. A direct affiliate of Reclaim Chicago sharing its mission of building grassroots support for public policies that place the well-being of people and the health of the planet over corporate interests and the priorities of the extremely wealthy.
Collects, preserves, and educates people about Black history on Chicago’s suburban North Shore. Brings articles and information to a wider audience through its online Shorefront Journal inviting contributing writers and engaging community feedback on both historical and contemporary events.
This Facebook group is for families to share resources and information that will enable white people to deeply examine whiteness, reduce their bias, and more effectively support and take action to dismantle institutional racism in order to contribute to a more equitable and just community.
On a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families, and strengthen communities.
A group of Black business owners who have come together to share resources, network, discuss common concerns, and to facilitate support among each other.
Supplies diapers to families in need through partnerships with local social service agencies. The diaper pantry is a mission and outreach program of First United Methodist Church of Evanston.
Works to make Evanston a more sustainable community— environmentally, economically and socially. CGE's Environmental Justice Committee fosters awareness and promotes action on environmental justice.
Serves and catalyzes our community to end homelessness, one person at a time.
A Facebook page for neighbors to act in solidarity with vulnerable people in our midst who are targeted with harassment or expressions of hatred and violence.
Provides community, advocacy, support and education for families affected by special needs. Empowers parents so they can secure appropriate educational services for their child.
Honors friends, families, and community leaders past and present who have paved the way for excellence within the Black community. Organizes an annual picnic to to reconnect with old friends from across the country. Instills in Evanston's children the idea that you can achieve what you want in life with love, education and dedication.
Free program for teen moms/parents who are 25 and under living in Evanston area. Provides: education assistance; mentoring; financial literacy; leadership skills; focus groups. Founded Evanston Juneteenth parade.
ESCCA's motto is“No Evanston child should miss a single day of school for need of warm, sturdy clothing.” Operates a clothing center from District 65 headquarters at 1500 McDaniel.
Helps homeless and low-income families achieve sustainable independence through a community-based response.
Helps young people work to achieve their dreams. Supports hard-working individuals who wish to succeed through commitment and proper training. Awards scholarships to deserving individuals entering trade schools, or participating in vocational education and training programs.
The oldest and largest statewide organization working to prevent the devastation caused by firearms.
Inspired by diverse faiths and shared values, Interfaith Action of Evanston brings people together to serve hungry and homeless people, pursue interfaith dialogue, and engage in advocacy that promotes social justice.
Connects Latinos to networks of support for access to community resources, services and educational programs. Strives to positively impact the community at large. Latino Aims to increase Latino student success and Latino civic participation.
Helps families and individuals struggling with relationships, abuse, grief or loss find the help they need, and has been part of the community since 1910.
The NAACP's mission is to ensure the political, educational, social & economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.
Provides stimulating and powerful programming combining visual arts and writing, with a special emphasis on using the creative arts to inspire personal growth, interpersonal understanding, and social change. Serves the general public and the diverse community of underserved local residents.
A gun violence prevention organization that was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. Aims to educate people and raise awareness about gun violence. Facilitates advocacy that can make a difference on local, state, and federal levels. Informs communities about non-legislative solutions, such as divestment from gun manufacturers. Based in Skokie, Illinois, and has engaged communities throughout the Chicagoland area.
Dedicated to being the premier source of support for youth as they navigate grief and heal from loss, whether from death, divorce, deployment, or other trauma. Fosters awareness that youth require support to heal. Nurtures a community of effective Rainbows-trained facilitators, supported with a repository of resources designed to guide youth in their grieving process.
A FB group for Evanston residents to discuss Evanston's reparations initiative that was passed by the City Council in November 2019.
By 2023, STEM Evanston aims to open a public community school in Evanston’s 5th ward where children excel via deep engagement in all academic disciplines, especially in STEM, and firmly placed on a path to positively shape their lives and impact the world.
A youth development agency that provides services and leadership to meet the emerging needs of young people and their families in our community.
Provides job-readiness training and support to youth across Evanston, Chicago, and Cook County through its job preparation and placement programs.