Check out what we’ve been up to since our 2016 launch.

2024

2024

Trash Pick up Summer Series
Cedillo’s Dinner Summer Series

  • Women Unite! and our Executive Director, Liz Jansen, were recognized as one of Evanston Community Foundation's impact partners.

  • Held our annual team hangout, a bouquet making workshop at Flowers for Dreams.

  • Co-hosted a back-to-school supplies drive for CPS students and teachers on the South Side!

  • July 28
    Co-hosted a farm-to-table dinner at Cedillo’s Fresh Produce.

    July 7
    Released our 2024 mid-year report.

  • June 12
    Kicked off our first-ever Summer Series with a neighborhood trash clean up and happy hour at Guild Row!

    June 2
    Hosted our sixth annual Plantasia plant sale fundraiser at The Native in Logan Square!

  • Board selects our three newest partners:

    A House in Austin
    Global Garden Refugee Training Farm
    Transformative Justice Law Project

    Board adds newest member, Samandra Diaz.

  • March 19
    WU! client, EverThrive Illinois, is awarded a $2M grant from MacKenzie Scott's Yield Giving Fund.

    March 15
    Partner application closed. Received 43 applications from nonprofits across Chicago.

    Board adds newest member: Darci Flynn

  • Launched our sixth partner application cycle!

  • Board adds Darci Flynn.

2023

2023

  • Celebrated with CUSP at their first annual fundraiser at Avondale Bowl!

  • November 18
    The WU! team got crafty with Depy Zeppo where we learned how to hand make ornaments and other tchotchkes out of clay. We talked all things Zodiac and got a chance to connect and celebrate another year of impact!

    November 8
    Celebrated with Flowers for Dreams Foundation at their first annual Spaghetti Dinner, an event that paid homage to the early days of the company when staff would gather over a spaghetti dinner and select which nonprofit causes to support. Fast forward to 2023 with Flowers for Dreams celebrating more than $1M donated to nonprofits!

  • Continued the #WUCrewSummer festivities at Nobody’s Darling on August 4.

    Wrapped up another summer at Avondale Bowl on August 31.

  • Kicked off our second annual #WUCrewSummer event series at Scofflaw, where a portion of sales supported our work.

  • June 12
    Celebrated WU! client, Skyline Design, at their 40th anniversary party!

    June 4
    Hosted our fifth annual Plantasia plant sale fundraiser, where we announced our 2023–24 partners and raised $1,700 for their work.

    AFIRE Chicago
    The Evolved Network
    Ujimaa Medics

  • Welcomed new board members, Sophia Madana and Lauren Nelson

    Board selected our 2023–24 partner cohort:
    AFIRE Chicago
    The Evolved Network
    Ujimaa Medics

  • Assembled love packages for BIPOC birthing families in partnership with The Love Package Project

  • Opened up our fifth partner application cycle; received 37 applications—more than triple what we received when we first launched in 2019!

    WU!’s board of directors unanimously approved growing our board to 16 members. With this growth, WU! hopes to expand our base of expertise and experience and grow our community of support.

  • Board approved serving as a fiscal sponsor for Chicago United Solidarity Project (CUSP), a grassroots organization committed to prioritizing the needs of frontline communities that have been systematically divested. Through mutual aid and collective organizing with a reparative lens, CUSP redistributes wealth and resources without barriers and judgment.

2022

2022

  • Put together 40 Holiday H.O.O.D. Kits for our partner, Gyrls in the H.O.O.D. Each kit included basic necessities and toiletries as well as fun items like a journal, stuffed animal, and nail polish!

  • Hosted our Compassion. Abundance. Community. drive to support 41 migrant families bussed to Chicago from Texas. In partnership with Flowers for Dreams, we gathered over 2,000 items and provided 65 welcome kits to new families.

  • Launched #WUCrewSummer, raised $7,500.

  • Launched our Feminist Action Fund in response to the overturn of Roe v. Wade. We raised $10,500 for local abortion funds in the Midwest.

  • Hosted our fifth annual Plantasia plant sale fundraiser

    Announced our 2022–23 partners:

    Chicago Women in Trades
    Gyrls in the H.O.O.D.
    The Love Package Project

2021

2021

  • Hosted our third Outreach & Engagement event at Avondale Bowl where we collected winter items for Growing Home.

  • Celebrated our 5th anniversary!

  • Released our mid-year impact report.

    Our Outreach & Engagement Committee completed its second activity, a drive for the Gyrls in the H.O.O.D. Foundation.

  • Visited past partner, Growing Home, and toured their gardens and site

    Hosted our 4th annual Plantasia plant sale

  • Added Angel Buchanan to our board

  • Hosted our Third Annual Launch Party—our first in-person event since March 2020—at Outside Voices

  • Selected our third round of partners:
    Apna Ghar
    #LetUsBreathe Collective
    Sista Afya Community Care

    Added two new board members, Jameelah Adas and Kiran Pinto

    Launched our board-led Outreach & Engagement Committee, which is focused on providing hands-on volunteering opportunities for our community

    Stocked and cleaned Love Fridges across Chicago

    Launched our Spreading Our Roots campaign, raising just over $5,000 in one month

  • Released first-ever impact report

  • Launched third round of partner applications

  • Tara Ebrahimi transitions from a contractor to WU!’s Director of Communications and second full-time employee

2020

2020

  • Hosted a virtual panel focused on what it means to put the people back in philanthropy

  • Launched our first-ever fundraising campaign, Putting the People Back in Philanthropy

    Surpassed our monetary goal, raising $10,285

  • Third Annual Plantasia Event

    —Announced our Plantasia Membership Drive, which culminated in a curbside pickup shopping weekend at Plant Shop.

    —Portion of sales made at Plant Shop on 8/15 and 8/16 supported our work.

    —Gained 44 new members for our monthly donor program, the WU! Crew, and received a $2,000 donation from Plant Shop

  • Hosted our Second Annual Launch Party via Zoom and unveiled our Amplify. Advocate. Disrupt. video.

  • Participated in the #BlackLivesMatter protests

  • Board selected second round of partners:

    Chicago Women’s Health Center
    Growing Home
    Healing to Action

  • Launched our COVID-19 Response Fund, which makes direct cash contributions to local nonprofits and mutual aid groups; donated more than $10K to over 20 organizations since March 2020

    International Women‘s Day and last time WU! would attend in-person events for 15 months

    Flour Power Event: Hosted by Lettuce Entertain You‘s Rowe Club, this event featured baked goods from across Chicago‘s hospitality industry and raised just over $20,000 for our work

    Goose Island released the limited-edition Women of the House draft with all sales benefitting our work—the release raised $1,300

  • Added new board member Gabriela Zapata Alma

2019

2019

  • WU! turns 3 at Hairpin Arts Center and raised $25,460 for us and our partners

  • WU! joins The Girl Talk at The Hideout

    Second Annual Plantasia Fundraiser at Logan Arcade; raised $5,125 for us and our partners

  • First-ever launch party hosted at The Native

  • Established bylaws

    Submitted federal 501c3 application

    Website launched

    First official board meeting

    Board reviewed applications and selected first-ever partners:

    Assata‘s Daughters
    Midwest Access Coalition
    {she crew}

  • WU! accepted our first client

    Launched first-ever partner applications

    Liz Jansen became our Executive Director and first full-time employee

    Tara Ebrahimi became our first contractor

  • Submitted articles of incorporation and established our founding board of directors

  • Transitioned to current capacity-building and partnership model

2018

2018

2017

2017

  • Hosted our first-ever anniversary party that included a raffle, silent auction, and—of course—dancing

    Raised $13,000 for Girl Forward; Chicago Community Bond Fund; My Block, My Hood, My City; SWOP (Sex Workers Outreach Project); and the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

  • Co-founder meeting to plan for the upcoming year

  • Held our second meeting

    Launched our official Instagram account

    Held our second fundraiser for future partner Chicago Women’s Health Center and Deborah’s Place

    Raised $395 forChicago Women’s Health Center

    Collected items for Deborah’s Place:
    $100 in Amazon gift cards
    1,054 tampons
    340 pads
    183 bags of tea
    2 x 12 packs of acrylic paint
    11 packs of disinfecting wipes
    50 paper towel rolls
    Keurig machine and 2 boxes of K-Cups
    A giant box of craft/art supplies
    4 sets of bed sheets
    4 bed pillows
    11 bottles of laundry detergent
    12 bottles of body wash
    15 bottles of dish soap
    3 bottles of lotion
    4 bottles of shampoo
    1 box of assorted, gently used kitchenware

2016

2016

  • Hosted our first fundraiser and action at Hopewell Brewing Company

    Made 80 holiday cards for incarcerated youth; raised $100 for and donated 65 books to Liberation Library

  • Donald Trump is elected as the 45th President of the United States

    Liz Jansen, Andreanna Triliegi, Ally Burns, Sterling Haukom Anderson, and Darcie Tashey start the text thread that inspires Women Unite!

    A group of friends gather at Liz’s apartment to vent about, discuss, and debrief after the election

    Created Women Unite!’s private Facebook group, a space for women to virtually gather and share opportunities to give and act

    Drafted our initial statement outlining who we are, which eventually evolves into our current mission and values