In line with the mission of Chicago Bulls Charities, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath the Bulls have committed to directing time, materials, resources and financial donations to reach families in need across Chicagoland. To continue those efforts, the Bulls will provide donations to four local non-profits demonstrating innovative future-focused approaches to address long-term effects of the pandemic including learning loss, community violence and mental health.
- A Better Chicago (ABC): ABC, a venture philanthropy group, invests in bold ideas that create opportunity for Black and Latinx youth. Our co-investment will go towards specific organizations addressing COVID-19 learning loss and community violence in sustainable ways.
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Chicago: Since 1979, NAMI Chicago has been committed to showing up for everyone in the community—whether it’s Chicago’s first responders, students and school staff, a person on the other end of the phone, or in the community, meeting individuals where they are. Our support will go towards supporting NAMI’s Helpline that has experienced a 200% increase during the COVID-19 crisis.
- CommunityHealth: Located in the West Town neighborhood, CommunityHealth is the leader in delivering comprehensive, high-quality, patient-centered health care, which often goes beyond the strictly medical, at no cost to low-income, uninsured adults in need of a medical home. As a charitable clinic, they are providing much needed mental health services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic for low-income Chicagoans.
- The Simple Good (TSG): A non-profit whose mission is to connect the meaning of good from around the world to empower youth on the South and West sides of Chicago to become positive activists via art and discussion. TSG created a social and emotional learning based art activity book to support youth during the COVID-19 crisis with learning self-awareness, reducing their sense of isolation and building resilience to make better decisions and to create a better path forward for themselves.
As an initial round of support, in April the Bulls made donations to the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund and Greater Chicago Food Depository to help address immediate needs across the city. In August, the team made a second round of donations to eight local non-profits focused on serving communities being disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and racial injustice, including I Grow Chicago, My Block My Hood My City, Lawndale Christian Health Center, Breakthrough Urban Ministries, Kids off the Block, Black Girls Break Bread, Dovetail Project and Humble Hearts.