Support Public Media, Libraries, and Free Speech Fund

American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Inc.

The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union — beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.

Roger Baldwin Foundation Of Aclu Inc

The Illinois Local Chapter of the ACLU. The Roger Baldwin Foundation of the ACLU of Illinois is a 501(c)(3) organization and contributions are tax-deductible to the extent of the law.

"Think Globally, Act within Local Variable Scope." - a little engineering humor for y'all.

The Chicago Public Library Foundation

Libraries RULE! Chicago has one of the best Public Library systems in the country, with dozens of branches, the ability to checkout books and library materials online *and have them delivered to your local branch* (!!!), tabletop gaming sessions for kids and teens, computer/technology education workshops for children and adults of all ages. I appreciate the work the CPL does to bridge the digital divide - because not everyone grew up with a computer in the house, or got the opportunity to learn how to use a simple word processor.

From the CPL Foundation website:
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The Chicago Public Library Foundation supports collection development, programs and technology initiatives that connect library users to their community and to the world and ensure that all Chicagoans have the freedom to read, to learn and to discover at the Chicago Public Library.

Created in 1986 by visionary civic leaders who shared a conviction that private resources are essential to keeping the Chicago Public Library truly world-class, the Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization. Through the generous support of civic-minded individuals, corporations and foundations, the Foundation provides support for our signature programs, including:

One Book, One Chicago
ScienceConnections
Summer Learning Challenge
Teacher in the Library
YOUmedia

The Chicago Public Library Foundation's support helps keep the spirit of books and the thrill of discovery alive for all Chicagoans.

Chicago Public Media Inc.

Who doesn't love WBEZ? Chicago's NRP branch is one of the best regional NPR stations around.

National Public Radio Inc

Broaden the reach of NPR.
Your gift to the NPR National network will be used to strengthen NPR and more than 250 stations across the United States.

Having lived in Michigan, rural Ohio, and Central Illinois for significant periods of my life, I always ALWAYS loved the fresh take on local issues from the regional NPR stations. Farming & agriculture, coal mining & changes to sources of energy, regional factory development & the impact of globalism and global scope-of-production... THESE are the stories you will hear more on those regional rural NPR affiliates. Very different from the NPR the city folk get, and sometimes those stories are so good they do make it into the larger city affiliate news feeds which, in my humble estimation, is something we city slickers could use more of. :-)

Empathy begins with hearing the experience of others, and that communication of experience must be bi-directional. Rural folks don't need to be inundated with news from the cities, and city folk need to hear what's going on in the rural areas and hinterlands.

Necessary insight if we intend to truly decide what is best for our Nation, collectively.

Vote.org

I have been supporting Vote.org for nearly a decade, enamored with the mix of information, technology, policy & legal prowess, and their non-partisan, broad focus on building and preserving a HEALTHY DEMOCRACY rather than short-sighted party politics and win-at-any-cost nonsense that has ALWAYS risked the voices of this nation. Here I'll add some of the mission statement from the CEO of Vote.org, but the TL;DR is this: "We have two types of people in this country: those that want to see full access to the ballot box for all eligible citizens and those that want some other style of government."

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At Vote.org, our goal is to expand the electorate and create lifelong voters.

We do this with cutting-edge tools, direct voter outreach, providing election and polling information, directly educating users about election laws that may affect their right to vote and amplifying it all via partners and influencers. When necessary, we challenge subversive voter suppression laws in court and we WIN.

For four federal election cycles we have been on the front lines doing the work and reaching voters in every possible way. In that time, we’ve scaled substantially to meet the tremendous demand for our tools and services from voters across the country. Their response has been clear: we need to invest in the present and future of democracy. Vote.org is powered by voters, organizations, companies and supporters who understand that our democracy – the American experiment – is worth fighting for.

We’re fully committed to a democracy building movement, because the opposition has formed a robust and insidious voter suppression movement. We have two types of people in this country: those that want to see full access to the ballot box for all eligible citizens and those that want some other style of government. For our country to be healthy and strong, democracy-building work needs to be as well-funded as that of our deep-pocketed and well-connected opposition. Fortunately, we have the most potent force in America on our side: the collective will of the voters. It’s the foundation of our democracy and it’s the foundation of our organization. We are building a movement as long-lasting as the problems we’re facing as a country and we need your support to ensure its success.

This work doesn’t just take place every two years or every four years. A healthy democracy requires constant care, attention and support. Vote.org is uniquely positioned to reach the most voters, partner with the most influential organizations and companies in the country, run the most comprehensive and research-backed GOTV operation and help millions of Americans navigate voting. We can do all of this because we already have. With our eye on the future, we strive for even bolder and more impactful outcomes. I hope you’ll join us in this work.

-Andrea Hailey

PBS Foundation

I grew up on PBS - Sesame Street, Electric Company, NOVA, This Old House.... What else can I say?
This is the NATIONAL PBS funding network. A gift to the PBS Foundation helps keep the PBS system strong and makes outsized impact possible.

Giving to your local PBS station, targets your donation to the services they provide to your community and is the only way to qualify for local membership benefits like PBS Passport (the PBS streaming service - which I'd argue is one of the coolest streaming services you can get). Since you'd need to sign up for PBS Passport through your local PBS station, for the streaming goodness, I suggest giving locally there.

Pro Publica Inc

ProPublica has a singular mission: to produce deep-dive, well-researched, nonpartisan journalism that holds power accountable and spurs real-world change. And we deliver results. Over the years, our reporting has resulted in new laws being passed, innocent people freed from prison and people in power resigning.

As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on donations from individuals like you to fuel our work. Your support today will directly fund investigations that shine a light on urgent issues: corporations prioritizing profits over public safety, health insurers denying coverage to patients, unintended consequences of new laws and so much more.