What does it mean to be a part of Emerging Donor Alliance?

Emerging Donor Alliance is a community of young people who want to be more engaged with impactful nonprofit organizations and civic leaders in Chicago, but aren’t sure where to start. As an Emerging Donor Alliance member, you will join a community of like-minded young professionals for the year-long program experience. As a member, you will be invited to fun, meaningful events throughout the program designed to help you discover new nonprofits in Chicago that are aligned with your interests, while pooling your membership contribution with others to make community grants and accelerate your impact.

Who is eligible to join Emerging Donor Alliance?

Young professionals in Chicago (ages 22-35) are eligible to apply for Emerging Donor Alliance. Upon acceptance, members commit to donating $500, which can be given as a lump sum donation or in five, $100 installments over five months. 100% of each member’s donation will go directly towards a grant to an impactful local nonprofit organization, which will be selected by members via ranked choice voting in May 2026.

What is the program calendar?

Our inaugural year of programming is a 9-month experience from October 2025 through June 2026. Our signature, in-person community events are scheduled for October 6, December 11, February 9, April 9, and June 8, which will include networking, educational programming on grant-making and connecting individual values to community needs. Each event will include food and drinks, and pop-up experiences with local businesses. In addition to our signature events, members will be invited to regular volunteering events, plus virtual webinars to go more in-depth on program topics and meet experts in the field.

What if I can’t commit to donating $500 during the year?

The mission of Emerging Donor Alliance is to accelerate charitable giving and volunteerism among young professionals. We believe that how we spend our resources (both time and money) is a direct representation of our values, and we encourage members to critically consider their capacity to give prior to applying to join our community. For Chicagoans who want to participate, but are not able to meet our giving minimum, we will host several open volunteering events throughout the program calendar, and will have online resources available for people who want to learn more about Chicago-based philanthropy.