Make It Better Foundation

Make It Better Foundation Helping you live, love, work and play with greater purpose and joy.

From gripping dramas and heartfelt comedies to documentaries spotlighting urgent global issues, this year’s film fest li...
10/10/2025

From gripping dramas and heartfelt comedies to documentaries spotlighting urgent global issues, this year’s film fest lineup spans 70 countries and every corner of the human experience. 🌍

The 61st Chicago International Film Festival (October 15–26) brings more than 100 features and 11 shorts to theaters across the city — celebrating discovery, community, and the art of seeing the world through different eyes.

Learn how Cinema/Chicago is connecting audiences across cultures through the universal language of film — and read more about our pick of 18 must-see films from this year’s festival. Tell us in the comments which one you can’t wait to see! 🎬

🔗 https://tinyurl.com/t7wk685r

10/08/2025

🎓 What about the missing 15%?
Across the country, graduation rates are rising — but nearly 15% of students are still being left behind. Many of those young people, especially boys of color, face barriers that go far beyond the classroom.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is helping close that gap through the power of mentorship. With 99% of youth in their programs graduating high school and new research showing long-term economic benefits, their impact proves that connection can change lives.

Learn how Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago is leading the way in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America mission — helping youth across the U.S. graduate, thrive, and build brighter futures.

🔗 Read the full story - link in comments.

10/03/2025

The 61st Chicago International Film Festival runs October 15–26, 2025, with a lineup of more than 100 features and 11 shorts from 70 countries. See which 18 films festival programmers say you can’t miss.

“An actor’s toolkit is the life they’ve lived, mixed with their imagination. I’ve lived a lot more life in the last year...
10/03/2025

“An actor’s toolkit is the life they’ve lived, mixed with their imagination. I’ve lived a lot more life in the last year and a half, and so my toolkit is filled with deeper experiences. I’m excited to translate those into my work.” — Jenna Fischer

Jenna Fischer shared these words with us during rehearsals for Ashland Avenue at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, ahead of her return to the stage after beating breast cancer. With Ashland Avenue now extended a second time, through Oct. 19, and New Year’s Rev, a new film with Green Day coming soon after a Toronto International Film Festival premiere, her return is already resonating with audiences. But it’s the role she never auditioned for — survivor — that has given her the most important lines to share this Breast Cancer Awareness Month: don’t wait to schedule your mammogram.

Read our full interview with Jenna here: https://tinyurl.com/yn7ukkeh

📸 Todd Rosenberg and Hugo Hentoff

Jane Goodall, the legendary primatologist and tireless conservationist, has passed away at 91. She leaves behind a legac...
10/01/2025

Jane Goodall, the legendary primatologist and tireless conservationist, has passed away at 91. She leaves behind a legacy of hope, reminding us that a better world is still possible if enough people fight for it.

In that spirit, here are 3 reasons she remained optimistic about the environment: https://tinyurl.com/2n2w77hc

📸 Rajah Bose | Gonzaga University

🎗️ Did you know? Less than 4% of federal cancer research funding goes toward pediatric cancers. That means children are ...
09/30/2025

🎗️ Did you know? Less than 4% of federal cancer research funding goes toward pediatric cancers. That means children are often treated with decades-old, overly toxic drugs designed for adults — leaving families with limited options and children with lifelong side effects.

This Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we’re sharing the story of Ty Louis Campbell, who was diagnosed with brain cancer at just 2 years old. In his honor, his family created the Ty Louis Campbell Foundation and events like the Muddy Puddles Project “Mess Fest,” which raise vital funds for pediatric cancer research. Their mission, and that of so many families, is simple: ensure that children not only survive cancer, but thrive.

✨ You can help make that vision a reality. Support pediatric cancer research, volunteer your time, or share this post to spread awareness. Together, we can push for better treatments and brighter futures for every child. Learn more on our website: https://tinyurl.com/bde6hw5r

Children's Brain Tumor Project

Volunteers with  are risking their lives to deliver medical supplies, clothing, generators, and more directly into war-t...
09/25/2025

Volunteers with are risking their lives to deliver medical supplies, clothing, generators, and more directly into war-torn communities in Ukraine — often driving into areas near the frontline.

Founded after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, UFC is a volunteer-run organization with no paid staff. From retired military officers to healthcare workers, everyday people are stepping up to fill the gaps left by damaged infrastructure and disrupted supply chains. Their work is saving lives — but the need for support remains urgent.

💙 You can help. Learn more about UFC’s mission and how to donate funds or materials to keep critical aid moving where it’s needed most: https://better.net/philanthropy/volunteers-are-risking-their-lives-to-deliver-critical-aid-to-ukraine-heres-how-you-can-help/

Escaping human trafficking is not the finish line — it’s the beginning. Many survivors are left without income, housing,...
09/23/2025

Escaping human trafficking is not the finish line — it’s the beginning. Many survivors are left without income, housing, or education, making stability nearly impossible to achieve. Without economic empowerment, freedom remains fragile.

That’s why organizations like Salt and Light Coalition are so vital. Through trauma-informed healing, workforce training, and job placement, they help survivors move from surviving to thriving — restoring dignity and creating pathways to long-term independence.

💜 Want to be part of the solution? Learn how to give and volunteer here: https://better.net/philanthropy/a-major-barrier-keeps-human-trafficking-survivors-from-stability-this-organization-helps-break-it/

Can’t give today? Share this post to raise awareness and help break the cycle of exploitation. Together, we can build a future of hope.

09/23/2025

We’re honored to be part of Make It Better Foundation's conversation with Mark Nepo, who reminds us that friendship is more than company, it is “a place of high safety,” a steadying ground in “moments of fracture.”

At his July retreat, Mark guided retreatants through an exploration of friendship, its trials, its gifts, and the enduring safety it can offer in uncertain times. As Nepo reflects in the article, “We tend to extrapolate and make it true that if I’m in pain, the world’s a broken place. If I’m afraid, the world’s not safe. Our friends offer us the reality of other states. They hold hope when we are unsure.” His words invite us to remember that friendship is not only comfort, but also a way of seeing beyond our own fear, carried by those who walk alongside us.

We invite you to read the full piece over at Better Magazine:
https://better.net/spirituality/mark-nepo-shares-9-life-lessons-on-friendship-resilience-and-finding-heaven-on-earth-now/

For Jamey Stillings Photography, Inc., photography is both a source of information and a catalyst for change — reminding...
09/21/2025

For Jamey Stillings Photography, Inc., photography is both a source of information and a catalyst for change — reminding us that building a carbon-constrained future is crucial to life on Earth. Through his multi-decade project Changing Perspectives: Renewable Energy and the Shifting Human Landscape, Stillings guides us across solar fields, wind farms, and mining sites where our energy future is taking shape.

On Sun Day of Action, his images underscore that this shift is not a single day’s cause, but an ongoing effort carried out year after year across the globe. In conversation with MIBF Director of Photography Mark Edward Harris, Stillings reflects on the intersection of art, environment, and our evolving relationship with the planet.

The Make It Better Foundation is proud to support his upcoming exhibition ATACAMA and his enduring vision. Join us in honoring Sun Day by donating through the link below — and by sharing this post to spread awareness of the power and urgency of renewable energy.

🔗 https://better.net/philanthropy/environment/the-hidden-geography-of-clean-energy-jamey-stillings-photographs-the-landscapes-powering-a-renewable-future/

📸 El Romero photovoltaic plant, Atacama Desert, Chile, 2017 ©Jamey Stillings

✨ The Make It Better Foundation is matching donations to the Alzheimer's Association up to $15,000 through Sept. 21, Wor...
09/19/2025

✨ The Make It Better Foundation is matching donations to the Alzheimer's Association up to $15,000 through Sept. 21, World Alzheimer’s Day. This week, your gift can go twice as far — donate now: https://better.net/life/health/alzheimers-changes-everything-how-personal-battles-are-fueling-the-fight-to-end-the-disease/

For families like Connie Lissner’s, Alzheimer’s truly changes everything. After her husband’s diagnosis, she stepped into the role of caregiver and leaned on the Alzheimer’s Association for community, guidance, and hope. Their family now walks every year to honor his journey and support others.

Your support fuels groundbreaking research, caregiver services, and round-the-clock help for the millions living with Alzheimer’s and their loved ones. Give today to double your impact. 💜

Alzheimer's Association Illinois Chapter

Address

203 N. LaSalle Street Suite 2100
Chicago, IL
60601

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+18472564642

Website

https://linktr.ee/themakeitbetterfoundation

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Make It Better Foundation posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Make It Better Foundation:

Share

Better

Live, love, work and play with greater purpose.

We started 12 years ago as Make It Better. It began as a small website with a mission to be the most trusted, easiest-to-use community resource for Chicago’s North Shore. We strived to make powerful positive connections that captured the beating hearts of our community. We were determined to publish lifestyle content with a purpose, so that everyone in our community could live, love, work and play with greater purpose too.

We have grown into a multi-platform publishing company, serving similar demographics throughout Chicagoland and the San Francisco Bay Area — with a vibrant digital ecosystem, print magazines, custom publishing partnerships, videos, awards and signature events.

By creating virtuous circles we’ve been able to unite and amplify community-building efforts by businesses, nonprofits and you.