City Guide - CHI
Nonprofit Allies
The strong roots of every Green Festival stem from the incredible enthusiasm of the local and regional community, as well as the support of valuable relationships formed with local and regional nonprofit organizations. Green Festival Nonprofit Allies provide an incredible network of volunteerism and funding to socially and environmentally benefit the community. Visit Nonprofit Ally sites today and find out how you can engage to "Pay it Forward" and "Get it Back" in your community.
Rebuild the Dream
Rebuild the Dream is a platform for bottom-up, people-powered innovations to help fix the U.S. economy. Using 21st-century digital technology, we advance highly inventive solutions that are designed to protect and expand the middle class, while creating pathways to prosperity for those who are locked out of it. Our goal is to put America back to work—and pull America back together.
Rainbow PUSH Coalition
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition (RPC) is a multi-racial, multi-issue, progressive, international membership organization fighting for social change. Our mission is to protect, defend, and gain civil rights by leveling the economic and educational playing fields, and to promote peace and justice around the world.
Chicago Fair Trade
Chicago Fair Trade, with seventy organizational members, is growing the fair trade movement in the metro area. Through increasing consumer demand and access to fair trade products, we contribute to sustaining communities around the world.
Sierra Club - Chicago Group
Since founded by John Muir in 1892 , the Sierra Club has been working to protect communities, wild places, and the planet itself. It is the largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. Sierra Club is divided into chapters and groups, most chapters representing a state and any number of geographic groups within a state. The Illinois Chapter is divided into 15 groups, totaling 20,000+ members. The Chicago Group is the largest with about 7,000+ members and includes not only Chicago, but also surrounding towns and northerm suburbs. Though a member is assigned to a group based on their residential address, members may partake in events in any group within the Chapter or an other Chapter of the Sierra Club.
Green Chicago Restaurant Coalition
The Green Chicago Restaurant Coalition, a 501(c)6 not-for-profit trade association, serves to increase the availability and accessibility of environmentally responsible goods and services to the Chicago foodservice community, and works to effectively reduce the industry's collective environmental footprint. Our mission continues to be served by providing members with meaningful recognition for their sustainability efforts under the Guaranteed Green brand, significant cost-savings on environmentally sustainable goods and services, educational resources, and purchasing guidance.
Family Farmed
FamilyFarmed.org’s mission is to expand the production, marketing and distribution of locally grown and responsibly produced food, in order to enhance the social, economic and environmental health of our communities.
Office of Sustainability - University of Chicago
The Office of Sustainability, located within the University's Facilities Services department, was established in November 2008. Recognizing that a sustainable campus does not have borders, the Office of Sustainability is working to mitigate the University’s impact on the environment, raise visibility of sustainability issues on campus, and advance intellectual debate and analysis on the critical environmental issues of our time..
Working Bikes
Working Bikes gives new life to old bikes and independence to those who ride them, in the underserved communities of Chicago, Africa and Central and South America. The Working Bikes Cooperative is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization, which diverts bicycles from the waste stream in the greater Chicagoland area and surrounding states. We repair some of these bikes for local donation and sale to help fund the overseas shipment and donation of all the remaining bicycles.
Alliance for the Great Lakes
Our mission at the Alliance for the Great Lakes is to conserve and restore the world's largest freshwater resource using policy, education and local efforts, ensuring a healthy Great Lakes and clean water for generations of people and wildlife.
Blacks in Green
BIG™ is a green village-builder, a national network, one of America’s most diverse eco-orgs, and a thought leader in green community education and trade development for communities of color…across 13 economic sectors. It teaches a whole-system solution or the whole-system problems common to black communities everywhere through its platform, The 8 Principles of Green-Village-Building™ and its precursor, Grannynomics.™ Together they offer a culture-specific prescription with universal value.
Silk Road Rising
Silk Road Rising (formerly known as Silk Road Theatre Project) creates live theatre and online videos that tell stories through primarily Asian American and Middle Eastern American lenses. In representing communities that intersect and overlap, we are advancing a polycultural worldview.
Chicago Vegan Mania
The Mission of Chicago VeganMania is to celebrate, unite, promote, and strengthen the diverse vegan culture, economy, and community of Chicago and beyond. We provide a platform and audience for vegan businesses, organizations, groups, and individuals through a series of innovative programs and events culminating in an exciting, inspirational, and fun annual weekend festival.
CCA Academy
CCA Academy is a small, private, non-denominational high school located in Chicago’s North Lawndale Community. CCA provides non-traditional students, ages 17-21, who have completed eighth grade with a second chance to earn a high school diploma through a rigorous educational program, extracurricular activities, and supportive services that prepare students with the academic, social and life skills to enroll in higher education, vocational training, or seek gainful employment. CCA is licensed by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to grant the high school diploma, is as a Youth Connection Charter School Campus (YCCS), and is a member of the Alternative Schools Network (ASN).
Black United Fund of Illinois
The Black United Fund of Illinois is a non-profit, tax-exempt federated organization and a social movement designed to improve the quality of life for African Americans through reliance on self-help at the local community level. At the root of this philosophy is the statewide goal of developing systematic mechanisms to rally resources for the African American community.
Irish American Heritage Center
The Irish American Heritage Center, which occupies an 86,000 square foot building on the City's northwest side, near Wilson Avenue and the Edens Expressway, at 4626 North Knox, fosters the practice, study and celebration of Irish, Celtic, and Irish-American cultural traditions.
Hostelling International
Our mission is to promote cultural education, peace and international understanding through travel - offering affordable, safe, quality accommodation to people of all ages, races, religions and nationalities.
Family Focus
The mission of Family Focus is to promote the well-being of children from birth by supporting and strengthening their families in and with their communities.
Pandemonium Theatre Group
A non-profit theatre organization that was conceived and incorporated in 2003. In 2006 PTG staged it's first show 'We Interrupt This Program' and in 2012 will have have its first full three-show season.
Convergence Project
The Convergence Project, a not for profit, seeks to connect the brilliance of nature through cultural and artistic events, fund-raisers and demonstrations to give back to the community and mother earth, our planet. Our goal is to improve eco-friendly, educational communications and expand educational forums, presentations and lectures to the public. We educate and promote opportunities to improve the skills and tools for groups of all ages, including artists and musicians. Our projects seek to build sustainable communities with a focus on ecological, earth friendly activities and creative endeavors.
Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Office of the Wheaton Franciscans
The Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Office coordinates the Wheaton Franciscan social justice concerns through the Franciscan spirit of contemplation and action. As Franciscans we are called to be instruments of peace through our work for justice and the establishment of respectful relationships with all of our brothers and sisters in creation.
Tau Center
Tau Center is a spirituality ministry sponsored by the Wheaton Franciscan community. Established in 2005 as an opportunity to share a passion for transformative spiritual growth and healing, Tau Center provides a variety of programs, workshops, and holistic services.
Bin Donated
Bin Donated combines the power of Environmental and Social responsibility. By partnering with a strategic network of hotels, residential buildings, office buildings, foundations and companies, we Recycle for Reuse designated items for Chicago nonprofits. We specialize in being an aggregator of in-kind donations for other Chicago area nonprofit organizations (NPOs), thereby increasing operational capacity, helping further their missions and as a result developing the Chicago area at-risk communities. Through our dedicated barrel network , we collect necessary items for NPO's such as hygiene products, coats, food, toys, books, school supplies, office supplies and pet supplies. In less than 2 years, Bin Donated has collected over 90,000 pounds of in-kind donations for over 60 Chicago area nonprofit partners.
Chicago Veg
ChicagoVeg is the largest Chicagoland community for vegetarians, vegans, and raw foodists to socialize and meet like-minded people. We organize a range of fun activities and educational events in the city and the suburbs. We welcome everyone who is interested in a vegan/vegetarian/raw lifestyle for any reason - ethical, environmental, health, or spiritual. We support a nonjudgmental community where everyone can feel welcome to express their opinions, socialize, and have fun! Some of the fun activities include the following: exchanging vegan recipes (raw and not raw), vegan food potlucks, dining out at local vegetarian/vegan/raw restaurants, lectures pertaining to the vegetarian/vegan/raw lifestyle, and outreach events that promote a vegan lifestyle.
Chicago-land Green and Eco-Living
The purpose of Chicago-land Green and Eco-Living is to "Educate, Connect, Inspire" - educate each other and the public about environmental issues; connect like-minded people; foster networking, mutual support; and information exchange. - Inspire eco-conscious and holistic living.
The Germazing Race
The Germazing Race 5K Run/Walk is a 3.1 mile race/run organized by the parents and parishioners of St. Germaine, whose mission is to promote health and wellness within the Oak Lawn community and St. Germaine and reach 1,800+ families with contributions.
St. Germaine
St. Germaine is a Catholic community, providing opportunities for spiritual growth and social awareness through worship, education, service and friendship.
2002-2011 Green Festival®