Donors Forum of Chicago

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The Donors Forum is an association of Illinois grantmakers. The Donors Forum provides leadership, education, research, and action on behalf of philanthropy and nonprofits in the state.

The Donors Forum provides workshops [1], programs and professional development opportunities throughout the year for grantmakers, development professionals, trustees and others in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector. Members, Associate Members and Forum Partners have opportunities to network, collaborate and share information. Donors Forum research reports, including Giving in Illinois and the Directory of Illinois Foundations, provide insight on local and statewide philanthropic issues and trends. The Donors Forum also serves as an advocate, working to raise awareness and visibility of the sector among policy makers and to engage nonprofits and funders in the political process.

The Donors Forum introduced the Preserving the Public Trust Initiative [2]to help nonprofit organizations - including grantmakers - take specific, concrete steps to ensure adherence to high ethical standards and strong governance principles. An important part of the Public Trust Initiative is the Illinois Nonprofit Principles and Best Practices [3]. The principles cover a wide range of important issues - including board governance, legal compliance, responsible stewardship, and communication - and go beyond the federal, state and local laws. The best practices are specific steps organizations can take to implement the principles.

The Donors Forum Library [4]is the Midwest’s largest collection of resources on philanthropy. A cooperating collection of The Foundation Center, the Library holds more than 3,000 volumes focused on grantmaking, fundraising and nonprofit management. The Donors Forum also operates five Philanthropy Centers [5] at libraries: College of DuPage Library [6], Schaumburg Township District Library [7], Prairie State College Library [8], College of Lake County John C. Murphy Memorial Library [9], and John Wood Community College Library [10] in Quincy to bring fundraising and nonprofit management resources to organizations in the Chicago suburbs as well as West-Central Illinois.

The Donors Forum Mission:

The Donors Forum is the premier resource for networking and education, information and knowledge, and leadership on behalf of philanthropy in Illinois. As a nonprofit membership association of grantmakers, individual donors and advisors, the Donors Forum advances philanthropy by serving its members and by promoting an effective and informed nonprofit sector.

Core Values:

1)The importance of promoting and encouraging mutually beneficial relationships among the Donors Forum, its members and other nonprofits. 2)Philanthropy that is guided by openness, inclusiveness, accessibility, ethical conduct, and sensitivity to the diversity of our community. 3)A commitment to excellence, innovation and responsiveness throughout the organization. 4)A culture that respects the diverse, individual contributions of staff and leadership to forge a greater collective strength.

Vision:

The grantmaking community has a profound, positive impact on nonprofit organizations and the people and communities they serve.

One of 32 geographical associations of grantmakers across the country, the Donors Forum is a member of the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers [11].