Chicago Public Library Foundation

Summer at CPL just wrapped. Thousands celebrated the stories and creativity of our city at Chicago Public Library! There were games, performances, and of course, reading for Chicagoans of every age!

Thank you to everyone who participated. We hope this was a summer of curiosity and learning for you.

And thank you to KPMG, Helen M. Harrison Foundation, Hunter Family Foundation, Dr. Scholl Foundation Cubs Charities, Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation, and other generous donors to the Chicago Public Library Foundation for making lifelong learning possible across our Library's 82 branches.

See you all next summer! ☀️ 📚 😄

It's Summertime Chi! Join us for an ice cream social with our partner, Jenni's Ice Creams on Thursday, August 6, from 4-7 pm. 25% of all sales benefit lifelong learning at Chicago Public Library.

See you there!

The Chicago Public Library Foundation turns 40, and we are throwing a party on a rooftop with you to celebrate!

Enjoy a classic Chicago golden hour, tropical drinks in hand, and a night full of summer fun. PLUS: Have a custom poem written just for you or take a live fashion illustration of your summer look.

What are you waiting for? Tickets are on sale now for $100 and include admission, open bar, delicious bites, and prepared activities!

Proceeds go toward lifelong learning programs across our Library's 82 branches!

See you there: https://bit.ly/cplfsummersoiree

What happens when communities come together to help young readers step into summer with curiosity, inspiration, and stories? Read the full story at: https://bit.ly/hatsandsummers

Thank you to our partners at Junior League of Chicago and Chicago Lights for helping make literacy more accessible and for investing in the lifelong learning of every child who enters the Chicago Public Library's doors.

You + a monthly gift = a whole year of impact!

When you become a monthly donor, you help provide steady, reliable support to power crucial lifelong learning programs year-round – from homework help to early literacy resources to digital literacy and AI workshops.

And as we celebrate our 40th anniversary, together we can build on what’s next.

Become a monthly donor today: power.cplfoundation.org/givemonthly

New monthly donors will receive a special Library sticker pack as a thank you gift!

After 5 years of helping shape how the Chicago Public Library Foundation shows up in the world, join us in congratulating our teammate, Marissa De La Cerda, as she begins a new chapter of her career. As Marketing and Community Engagement Manager, Marissa's creativity has propelled our storytelling forward. Her belief in the mission has made the work even more meaningful. The energy she brings showed up in every project, big or small.

Thank you, Marissa, and we can't wait to see what you accomplish next. The Library Foundation community is cheering you on!

Public libraries remain one of the few civic spaces designed entirely around human connection, curiosity, and belonging.

As Chicago Public Library Commissioner Chris Brown and Chicago Public Library Foundation Board Chair Michael Fassnacht write in their latest op-ed, the new Obama Branch reminds us that investing in neighborhood libraries is an investment in people. It's an investment in spaces where we gather, create, reflect, and imagine what's possible together.

Read the full op-ed in Crain's Chicago Business:

Opinion: Obama library branch curates and expands human connections The city's 82nd Chicago Public Library branch is an investment in places where people choose to gather, create, reflect and encounter one another.

UPDATE: Due to the volume of applications we have received, we will be closing this job posting as of 9:00 am on Monday, July 20, 2026. Thank you for your interest. If your application is moving forward, select candidates will hear from Foundation staff by July 31, 2026.

We're hiring! Are you a strategic, data-informed writer and communicator? Join our fundraising team as Development Communications Manager.

Applications are open through July 31.

Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/eGkKuQDX

Announcing our 2026 Cindy Pritzker Civic Award Honoree: Helen Zell!

Executive Director of the Zell Family Foundation, Helen is an active philanthropist and thought leader in the arts and education spaces, with an emphasis on music, literature, visual arts, theater, early childhood, and primary public education.

We are honored to recognize her for commitment to strengthening our city’s civic, educational, and cultural institutions. Learn more about Helen on our Awards webpage: https://cplfoundation.org/awards/

And join us on October 13 to celebrate Helen, along with our other inspiring honorees Mo Willems and Gabriel Bump.

The party of the summer is in August and your name is on the list! Join us for 40 and Bolder: A Summer Soiree on Wednesday, August 26 at the McDonald’s Rooftop to celebrate four decades of impact with us and our community of Library lovers.

Tickets are on sale for $100 and include light bites and drinks. Plus: enjoy typewritten poems from Poems While You Wait and a live illustrator capturing you and your crew’s fashionable outfits.

Get your tickets here: https://bit.ly/cplfsummersoiree