About

Almost everyone has heard a story about how one good deed can change a life. These stories happen every day in cities around the world, and Chicago is no exception. These stories were the inspiration for Chicago’s Cities of Service Initiative — One Good Deed Chicago.

This plan for service focuses on building the capacity of existing non-profits to more effectively use volunteers to meet specific challenges.

There are many diverse non-profits doing good work in the City. Our focus with One Good Deed Chicago is to support those organizations to engage more volunteers and to use them more effectively to achieve impact for at-risk youth and enhance economic recovery for Chicagoans.

One Good Deed Chicago wanted to make sure that its efforts to promote volunteerism would be more than a simple call to action; rather the efforts are aimed at ensuring that, once mobilized, volunteers have someplace to go– a place that would welcome them with open arms and create a meaningful experience for both the volunteer and the charitable cause.

One Good Deed Chicago will be a force committed to binding the culture of service and philanthropy in the City of Chicago under the leadership of the Chief Service Officer, made possible by the Cities of Service Leadership Grant the city was awarded. Whether it is serving as the networker that provides a small, under sourced, non-profit with pro bono professional services, connecting college campuses to the community, or perpetuating the strength of intergenerational volunteers, One Good Deed Chicago will stay committed to serving the needs of the City.    Through the fusion of ideas and resources One Good Deed Chicago will sustain the City’s culture of service and philanthropy.