McCormick Tribune Foundation Develops and Enables Active and Engaged Citizens Through First Quarter Grants

Grants to 18 local and national agencies encourage citizen involvement

Contact: Kristin Kiss KKiss@McCormickTribune.org 312 222 4502

CHICAGO, March 7, 2008

In support of its commitment to community service and civic responsibility, the McCormick Tribune Foundation board of directors approved a total of $2.8 million in grants to 18 agencies throughout the nation. Nearly 80 percent of the grants will be awarded to Chicago-area organizations. A complete record of grants awarded is provided below.

“Robust civic health is more important than ever to our freedom, security and well-being,” said David L. Grange, president and chief executive officer, McCormick Tribune Foundation. “The McCormick Tribune Foundation focuses on strengthening our free democratic society by preparing citizens to be informed, empowered and engaged.”

Promoting full and equal participation of immigrants and refugees in the political, civic, cultural and social life of their communities, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant Refugee Rights (ICIRR) will receive a one-year, $100,000 grant through the Foundation’s citizenship program. The grant will help ICIRR launch the New American Democracy Project, a year-long campaign promoting civic participation, leadership development, voter registration, and, during election cycles, voter mobilization.

Northwestern University will receive a $75,000 grant per year for three years to fund the new Center for Civic Engagement (CCE). The CCE will be an independent, central entity promoting lifelong civic responsibility among its students. It will also build bridges across the University’s various academic and administrative departments to encourage active civic participation within the Evanston community.

Providing low-income children recreational and educational opportunities in the summer, the Salvation Army, Southern California Division, will receive $200,000 grant through the communities program’s Los Angeles Times Family Fund. The grant will help fund Camp Mt. Crags, Camp Gilmore and Outdoor Wilderness Camp, which provide more than 2,000 low income youth, ages 7 -16, the opportunity to participate in arts and crafts, music, sports, drama and nature study. For a majority of the children, this experience is their first exposure to the great outdoors.

In addition, the Greater Chicago Food Depository will receive a $250,000 grant through the communities program’s Chicago Tribune Charities to tackle the long-term fight against hunger in Chicago. The grant will help distribute more than 40 million pounds of food to the nearly half a million people who rely on food provided by the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters each year. The grant will also support “Nourish for Knowledge,” a program providing weekly food packages to 3,300 at-risk students at 29 Chicago Public Schools.

McCormick Tribune Foundation first-quarter grants approved:*

*all grants serve the Chicago region unless otherwise noted

Communities Program Grants
Chicago Tribune Charities
1. Greater Chicago Food Depository For general and program support $250,000
2. Northern Illinois Food Bank For general support $225,000
3. Vital Bridges, NFP, Inc. For the Food and Nutrition program $160,000
Cubs Care
4. Chicago Park District For the Cubs Care Rookie League Baseball & Therapeutic Recreation program $162,000
5. Chicago Park District For the Thillens Stadium renovation project $100,000
6. Chicago Park District For the Cubs Care Special Olympics Leagues program $60,000
7. Chicago Park District For the Inner City Little League Program $65,000
Los Angeles Times Family Fund
8. Salvation Army, Southern California Division (Los Angeles County) For the Mt. Crags and Mt. Gilmore summer camp programs serving low income youth $200,000
9. San Gabriel Valley YMCA For the Summer Resident Camp program for low-income youth $105,000
10. University Camps (UCLA UniCamp) For the UCLA UniCamp program at Camp River Glen in San Bernardino Mountains $120,000
11. Young Men’s Christian Association of Metropolitan Los Angeles For Kids-to-Camp, a summer program serving low income Los Angeles Youth $130,000
Total	$1,577,000

Citizenship Program Grants
Facilitating Citizen Dialogue
12. The Chicago Council on Global Affairs For general and program support $400,000
13. Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights To support the New Americans Democracy project $100,000
14. The National Strategy Forum For general support over two years $100,000
Promoting Civic Engagement
15. City Year Chicago To help grow Corps Member training and Leadership Development program $75,000
16. Northwestern University – Center for Civic Engagement To launch the new Center for Civic Engagement $225,000
17. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign To support the Civic Leadership Program during the 2007-2008 academic year $100,000
Other Areas of Interest
18. Donors Forum For general operating and program support $300,000
Total	$1,300,000

First-Quarter Grand Total	$2,877,000