Making Big Ideas Real, Together

When it comes to solving complex challenges, what can philanthropy do? How do we build spaces where funders and nonprofit partners can dream, experiment, and do more together than we could alone? For decades, the Trust and Kinship Foundation have been answering these questions through collaborations that push beyond traditional grantmaking.

Our latest joint effort, the Transfer Innovation Impact Model (TIIM), brings two- and four-year institutions together to redesign the college transfer experience so that more students can successfully complete a bachelor’s degree – particularly those at greater risk of not finishing.

TIIM unites the support of Kinship Foundation and the Trust with the expertise of academic and community partners to advance student success. It extends the momentum of Bridges to Brighter Futures, a collaboration to propel students through community college, job training, and other post-secondary pathways.

“The partnership between Kinship Foundation and the Trust runs deep and has positioned this innovative student-focused initiative for success. Our years of collaboration show what’s possible when institutions commit to real change together.”

LARA PRUITT
Director of Education Initiatives
Kinship Foundation

Impacting Lives, Reshaping Systems

TIIM has the potential not only to improve outcomes for transfer students enrolled at partner institutions, but also transform how higher education systems support these students with important wraparound services across Chicago and beyond. And because bachelor’s degrees correlate strongly with higher lifetime earnings and financial stability, TIIM has the potential to significantly increase long-term opportunity and well-being for students.

To bring TIIM’s vision to life, the initiative is raising $10 million to fuel the four-year effort. Beyond investing in a single program, it’s an opportunity for donors to support reimagined pathways to student success.

“This idea is bigger than any one funder. The Trust believes in our partners’ visions, and we are inviting donors to join us because we know we can go further together.”

SHEILA CAWLEY
Chief Philanthropy Officer
The Chicago Community Trust

Making It Happen

TIIM is supported by the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust. For more than 60 years, the Searle Funds have been an integral part of the Trust’s grantmaking, helping advance cutting-edge strategies to improve our lives and environment. Additional TIIM funders include:

• Ellie’s Foundation Fund at The Chicago Community Foundation
• Michael and Leticia Gonzalez Family Fund
• The Joseph Pedott Legacy Fund at The Chicago Community Foundation
• Schreiber Philanthropy
• Ward Thorne