News Release
at The Chicago Public Education Fund
Aidan Leonard, Development and Communications Associate
(312) 558-4503

March 1, 2005

The Fund earns prestigious award for excellence in communications
Venture philanthropy takes top honors in division

CHICAGO—The Chicago Public Education Fund won the Gold Award for Excellence in Communications from the Council on Foundations today for its 2003 Annual Report.

With a perfect score from two of the judges, The Fund earned the highest honor bestowed by the Wilmer Shields Rich Awards for Excellence in Communications program.

The Fund’s report won in the Annual or Biennial Reports category for Community and Public Foundations with assets of less than $5 million. The awards showcase the ways foundations and corporate giving programs use communications strategies and techniques to advance the goals of their grantmaking.

The Fund, which invests dollars and ideas in high-impact programs and initiatives that improve student achievement in Chicago’s public schools, produced a report that, according to one judge, shows “clear articulation of objectives and results, indicating an organization that is strategic and a good steward of its funds.”

Dot Ridings, the president of the Council on Foundations, added, “The work submitted by The Fund demonstrates its commitment to public accountability and effective communications, and serves as a model of excellence for other grantmakers.”

“Our investors say they support us because we say what we’ll do and we do what we say,” said Janet Knupp, president of The Fund. “Put simply, we’re committed to holding ourselves accountable to our investors, and this award shows we’re doing just that.”

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As a venture capital fund for public education, The Chicago Public Education Fund is an unprecedented catalyst for improving school leadership and student achievement system wide. Launched by a group of corporate and civic leaders, The Fund brings private sector dollars and expertise to high-impact programs aligned with Chicago Public Schools priorities. Find out more at www.cpef.org.

Learn more about the Council on Foundations at www.cof.org

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