OF NORTHWESTERN SETTLEMENT HOUSE
For over 130 years, Northwestern Settlement has served its Chicago neighbors through a variety of programs that nurture, educate and inspire the American dream by focusing on interrupting generational poverty. In fact, we are the oldest continuously operating settlement house in Chicago.
Northwestern Settlement was founded in 1891 by leaders of Northwestern University, as a separate and financially-independent institution. At that time, the West Town community where the Settlement House is located was primarily the home of disenfranchised German, Polish, Irish and Scandinavian immigrants, and the neighborhood failed to register in Chicago’s collective conscience. In 1909 the Evanston Board was founded to help raise funds and support for Settlement. It was Settlement's first auxiliary board.
The original Settlement Movement model involved settling in a needy community and recruiting university faculty, staff, graduates, and volunteers to live and work at the house, gathering resources to empower community residents to change their own lives.
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​Today, although the methods of service have changed, Northwestern Settlement continues to provide transformational opportunities. Focusing on changing lives through education, social services, and community activities, Northwestern Settlement’s programs are fully integrated to meet the complex needs of our neighbors.
Click the logo below to learn about Northwestern Settlement's programs.
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Volunteering
Looking for hands-on ways to make authentic connections? Once a year or once a week, we make it easy to volunteer at Settlement, connect with old friends and meet new ones. Opportunities range from tending a hidden garden (which we’ve nurtured for a century), helping in the food pantry or in a classroom at Rowe Elementary, and more.
Holiday Project
We help make the holidays better for our Settlement neighbors by providing food, gifts, warm clothes, and other items. Whether you like to shop, wrap, knit, or just write a check, this perennial-member-favorite project has a role for you. It's a great way to get the whole family into the giving spirit!
The Dollar Letter
The Dollar Letter is our annual fundraiser. Now comprised of a variety of cost-effective activities, it gets its name from the first appeal in 1909, when members sent letters asking friends to give "just $1." More than a century later, the message in those notes remains fresh and true—"if we each give a little, we can all do so much."
Since 1909, we've helped fill unmet needs at Settlement through unrestricted grants supported by the Dollar Letter. For example, in 2017 these indispensable donations launched Settlement's mental health clinic for children and families. Beyond this kind of vital seed money, our backing provides stability for Settlement to successfully win highly competitive grants and shores up inevitable gaps in funding for essential programs. One hundred percent (100%) of Dollar Letter donations go to Northwestern Settlement.
Current Board Members
Anna Atkinson
Zoe Barron
Mary Paula Baumann
Elizabeth Beck
Petey Butler
Sally Dumas
Mary Erickson
Suzanne Franklin
Lori Goodman
Christine Grove
Mary Ann Grumman
Margaret Guira
Elif Kisisel-Martinez
Carolyn Krulee
Dorothy Laudati
Leslie Luning
Beth Markus-Boles
Aneela Masood
Christine McQuinn
Nancy Morr ​
Judy Sickle
Holly Sunshine
Veronica Toussaint
Gwen Williams
Join Us!
Get in touch to learn more.
Contact the Evanston Woman's Board
P.O. Box 7016, Evanston, IL 60201