The mission is to provide support to the Catholic schools in the neediest areas of Chicago.

The mission of the Big Shoulders Fund is to provide support to the Catholic schools in the neediest areas of inner-city Chicago.

100% of the funds raised by the Big Shoulders Fund are used to support children through scholarships, special education programs, instructional equipment, much needed school facility improvements, faculty support, and operating grants. The Big Shoulders Fund is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Big Shoulders Fund supported schools are seen as anchors in their communities and in the lives of the families they serve. It is our hope to provide the inner-city Catholic schools with the resources to prepare Chicago's young people for a productive future. The Big Shoulders Fund seeks to offer inner-city children and their parents the choice of a faith-based, value-centered education.

The Big Shoulders Fund was founded in 1986 by a prominent group of business leaders, inspired by the late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, to sustain the inner-city Catholic school system. As the second largest private school system in the United States, city leaders and educators acknowledge that inner-city Catholic schools are a central component of the city’s educational network of schools. Even though more than half of our students come from families that are at or below the poverty level, they test well above the national norm.

For 23 years, the Big Shoulders Fund has provided support to inner-city Chicago Catholic schools, which currently offer nearly 25,000 children the gift of a quality, values-based education. Since its inception, the Big Shoulders Fund has raised over $172 million and currently awards $10 to $12 million annually in grants and scholarships.

The Auxiliary Board was founded two years ago to engage engage active and altruistic young professionals. The mission of the Auxiliary Board is to support the big shoulders by volunteering in the schools at service days, as mentors, tutors and Advisory Board members, outreach to the community and fundraising.

The Auxiliary Board is continuing to gain momentum and help carry the dreams of deserving children in Chicago's inner-city Catholic schools.

Big Shoulders Fund
309 W. Washington
Suite 550
Chicago, IL 60606
www.bigshouldersfund.org
info@bigshouldersfund.org
312-751-8337