Northern Trust announced that Nourishing Hope will be awarded the first Northern Trust Anchor Award, a grant of up to $1 million to enhance the influence of innovative nonprofit organizations displaying strong growth potential. This award is intended to bolster the capacity of exceptionally impactful nonprofit organizations by providing a grant focused on reinforcing infrastructure, systems, skills, and resources. The Chicago-based organization Nourishing Hope is dedicated towards eradicating hunger and poverty.

Let's delve deeper into the roots of this organization. Established in 1970 as Lakeview Pantry and now operating as Nourishing Hope, this Chicago-based organization is dedicated to eradicating hunger and poverty in its communities, according to a press release by Northern Trust.

To further understand their work model, we can refer to the statement from Northern Trust's Chairman and CEO Michael O'Grady. "Nourishing Hope has a compelling model of 'Food for today. Hope for tomorrow,' and it provides food, mental health counseling and social services to tens of thousands of Chicagoans every year," said Northern Trust Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael O'Grady, according to a press release by Northern Trust. "We are pleased to play a role in expanding the scope and scale of a compassionate, results-based nonprofit organization addressing fundamental human needs."

Speaking on the significance of receiving such an award, here's what Kellie O'Connell had to say. "We're deeply honored to receive the first-ever Anchor Award from Northern Trust, a transformative investment in our work and impact," said Nourishing Hope CEO Kellie O'Connell, according to a press release by Northern Trust. "It's a true testament to the hard work of our staff, volunteers and partners. This award will serve as a catalyst for our growth to serve more young people on Chicago's South and West Sides."

Insight into the selection process can be gained from Northern Trust Director of Corporate Philanthropy Shana Hayes' statement. "In the process leading up to this grant, we reviewed many high-quality nonprofits leading to four top-notch finalists fitting our philanthropic goals," said Northern Trust Director of Corporate Philanthropy Shana Hayes, according to a press release by Northern Trust. "Ultimately, our leaders were impressed by Nourishing Hope's thoughtful plan to scale operations and partnerships for our young people in underserved communities in Chicago—including items such as expanding its geographic coverage to reduce 'food deserts,' increasing the number of meals served, and making their website available in Spanish."