Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel is going a decidedly different route to pay for his transition into City Hall by asking some of the city's nonprofit foundations to help foot the bill. more ›

A University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign professor is one of 24 MacArthur Foundation Fellows for 2009, who will receive a "no strings attached" stipend of $500,000 over the next five years. John A. Rogers, a professor with the Department of Materials Science & Engineering at the university, was recognized for, "inventing flexible electronic devices that lay the foundation for a revolution in manufacture of industrial, consumer, and biocompatible technologies." You can read more about Rogers' research and the other 2009 Fellows here. more ›

The MacArthur Foundation, ubiquitous for their public broadcasting funding and annual "Genius Grants", announced the winners of its annual "Award for Creative and Effective Institutions" yesterday, and two Chicago-based groups are among the winners. more ›

It's hard not to love Chicago's MacArthur Foundation because even when they cut funds for something you cherish, they continue to support tons of other amazing services, community programs, and on and on. The newest rabbit with a hat up its sleeve is a boatload of money for sixteen ailing Chicago neighborhoods the Local Initiatives Support Corporation* is concentrating on with its New Communities Program. In what someone (but who?!) calls "the nation's largest community... more ›

The Neighborhood Capital Budget Group, a nonprofit, community-run and driven advocacy organization that served as a watchdog for myriad public works, has ceased operations due to lack of funding. more ›

Chicago has three new certified geniuses. Field Museum naturalist Steven Goodman, University of Chicago economist Kevin Murphy, and U of C oncologist Funmi Olopade received so-called "genius grants" from the Chicago-based MacArthur Foundation. Each of them was named a MacArthur Fellow, the coveted prize that nets them $500,000 over the next five years, "no strings attached," to continue their work. No word as to whether the prizes will be awarded by Ed McMahon in the form of giant cardboard checks. more ›