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Elevating Mental Health, Safety, Economic Security, Housing Security, and Real Opportunity for Chicago’s Girls
Across Chicago, girl-serving organizations are doing the essential, often difficult work of supporting girls’ mental health, safety, economic security, housing stability, and long-term opportunity. This work happens every day—quietly, consistently, and with deep commitment to equity and impact.
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Our mission is to strengthen and elevate this ecosystem of care, advocacy, and opportunity so that every girl has the resources and support she needs to thrive.
Our Collective Vision
We are united by a bold, practical vision: Every girl in Chicago deserves access to mental health support, safe and affirming spaces, economic stability, stable housing, and real pathways to a flourishing future.
We center collaboration over competition and solutions over symbolism. This work requires an aligned strategy, responsible investment, and advocacy rooted in the lived experiences of girls and their communities.
How Your Support Creates Impact
Your contribution directly strengthens programs and initiatives that advance:
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Mental health and emotional well-being
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Safety and violence prevention
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Economic security and workforce readiness
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Housing stability and long-term security
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Education access and holistic development
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By investing in this connected approach, your support helps move beyond short-term interventions toward lasting, system-level change.
By investing in this connected approach, your support helps move beyond short-term interventions toward lasting, system-level change.
Ways to Support This Work
Amplify the Message
Help elevate stories, data, and proven practices by sharing this work across your networks and communities.
Why This Matters
When mental health, safety, economic resilience, and housing security are addressed together, girls are better positioned to lead, learn, and thrive. Strengthening these foundations creates ripple effects—supporting families, neighborhoods, and entire communities. This is about creating conditions where girls are not just supported in moments of crisis, but equipped for lifelong success.
Engage Beyond Giving
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Participate in open sessions and coalition activities
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Learn from community partners and shared research
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Read and share our well-being white paper
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Help translate insights into effective practice and policy
A Call to Action
Supporting girls means investing in the systems that surround them.
Decide how you will:
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Contribute to meaningful, measurable impact
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Amplify organizations doing critical work
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Advocate for policies and practices that center girls’ well-being
Your support helps build a Chicago where every girl has the opportunity to be safe, supported, stable, and thriving.
Give intentionally. Partner strategically. Advocate for change.
When you make an investment in CUG-Chicago, you invest in advancing innovation, exploring solutions, and engaging strategies to increase the quality of life for girls in Chicago. CUG is a low-profit limited liability company (L3C) whose business purpose is to provide an important social benefit to the community rather than to generate an economic profit. While donations are not tax-deductible, you can invest in our mission as well as the prototypes displayed below.
Are you a Foundation or Investor? Consider making a program or strategic-related investment in CUG. To learn more about investment opportunities, contact our Executive Director, Ayeshia Johnson at ayeshiajohnson@gmail.com or our Innovation Lab at Ayeshia.Garrett@cugchicago.com.
Invest in our Girl Know More Mobile Bus Unit Project
Invest in the Oasis Trauma Center for Girls Project
