Partnerships

Empowering people of all ages experiencing autism, intellectual and emotional disabilities, and their families to live, learn, work, and thrive in their communities.

The Danny Grimley Foundation is proud to support two Big Shoulders Fund students with a special scholarship in memory of Danny based on their financial need and strong merits and character. The following students are benefitting from Danny’s good works and legacy, as they begin to create their own:

A first-grade girl at St. John de la Salle School located in the Rosemoor community. Her principal describes her as a hardworking and smart young girl with so much potential. Her parents are committed to her education and overcome physical disability to be active in the school community.

A sports loving freshman at Mount Carmel High School. This young man is a dedicated student and athlete. The school sees so much promise in him and what he can do and achieve along with the support of his parents who are committed to him having the best education possible.

Big Shoulders Fund is an independent Chicago based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, founded in 1986, that serves schools in Chicago’s most under resourced communities by providing a quality, values-based education, thereby contributing to stronger neighborhoods. The vision is to prepare students to succeed in life as thoughtful citizens who engage in their communities.

Big Shoulders Fund invests more than $35 million a year into 92 Chicago area and Northwest Indiana elementary and high schools, educating 25,000 students – 73 percent identifying as persons of color and 67 percent living in poverty – through scholarships and enrichment, operational improvements, academic programs, and leadership development. Big Shoulders Fund aligns programs and resources that reach students at critical stages of development, from their earliest days in the classroom to the high school transition, to college admission and beyond. Big Shoulders Fund leverages the expertise of a highly credentialed staff and the partnership of education experts, coaches, and contractors to provide support for school leaders and teachers on both a one-to-one basis and at scale.