As a Chicago news station, NBC5 serves a diverse audience with a variety of needs. These needs are met by a wealth of different nonprofits and organizations that devote themselves to helping others and building communities. We teamed up with the NBC Universal Foundation and created 21st Century Solutions to donate money to three organizations that showcase this kind of excellence.
And after a long search, we found our winners.
While there are several groups that benefit our community, these three stood out to us as champions of charity and innovation. Our donations can help them fulfill their missions, and therefore make Chicago--and the rest of the country--even stronger as a whole.
Benevolent
$50,000
Benevolent uses crowdsourcing to collect donations for a wide variety of causes. People in need can create a "profile" that details what they need assistance for and why. However, donors don't need to worry about giving to someone who will abuse their money. Each person's profile is validated by a third party nonprofit organization. Today, Benevolent donors are helping people find clothing, rent, bus passes and more.
Interested donors can visit Benevolent's website and search causes by city or category. Afterward, you'll receive updates from the recipient and validators that show the impact of your donation.
Local
Science Olympiad
$25,000
Science Olympiad is devoted to creating high quality science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. The organization gives K-12 students the opportunity to compete in tournaments while learning about genetics, geology, physics and other disciplines. They also offer workshops and programs for classroom curriculum.
All of Science Olympiad's activities are designed to inspire an interest in STEM education and potentially create the next generation of scientists and thinkers. Today, its science competition is one of the biggest in the country.
Primo Center for Women and Children
$25,000
The Primo Center for Women and Children provides resources for women and children to become indepedent members of their communities. This is achieved through transitional housing, work readiness training and other educational services for single mothers. By lending a hand to these Chicago residents, PCWC hopes to break the cycle of poverty and violence in families.
