Pros
✅ Meaningful Work – Every effort here directly impacts school leadership, students, schools, and communities. Seeing the results of our work is incredibly rewarding.
✅ Strong Leadership & Vision – The BSF leadership team is passionate, solution-oriented, and genuinely invested in both the mission and the people who make it happen.
✅ Collaborative & Supportive Culture – The team is full of smart, dedicated individuals who collaborate well to solve challenges and drive impact. There’s a strong sense of camaraderie.
✅ Professional Growth – Opportunities for development, leadership engagement, and networking with schools, donors, and corporate partners are abundant.
✅ Respected & Well-Connected – Big Shoulders Fund has an excellent reputation in Chicago and Northwest Indiana (and beyond), which opens doors for partnerships and continued success.
Cons
Any challenges are the kind that come with working in a nonprofit—things move fast, and resources are always being optimized. Chicago is a great city, and with any great city comes complicated problems. Big Shoulders Fund is part of the solution, which means listening to the communities we serve and working arm-in-arm with them. This is hard work, and it’s so important and very rewarding.