Back-to-School
Set Students up for a Successful School Year
There are many ways to help Chicago students start strong this school year—from donating backpacks and hygiene items to organizing drives or contributing to our Compassion Fund. However you choose to give, your support makes a real difference.
Scroll down to explore all the ways you can partner with CFF and support CPS students across the city for the 2025-2026 school year.
How You Can Make a Difference
We offer flexible ways to provide back-to-school support—from sponsoring a school to reaching students across the district.
Choose what works best for your organization or team!
Organize a Supply Drive
As we look to welcome students back, school supplies for all students are not guaranteed.
By donating high-need, new or open-box items, you’ll help support CPS students with essential academic, health, and wellness supplies throughout the entire school year.
View the list of needed supplies*
*To best meet the needs of schools and streamline distribution, we ask that all in-kind donations be coordinated as part of a drive or in bulk quantities. Thank you for understanding!
Support Students with In-Kind Contributions.
If you or your organization/company would like to organize a drive you can work with a CFF team member to collect needed supplies through a donation drive and set up clearly marked collection boxes in your office or establishment.
To get started or learn more, connect with your CFF Relationship Manager or email partnerships@childrenfirstfund.org
Donate
Support students in starting the year off right.
What your gift can do for students:
$250 Backpacks with school supplies for 5 students
$500 Classroom school supplies
$1,000 New shoes and/or weather-appropriate clothes for 20 students
$2,000 Refill an existing Hygiene Care Closet at a school
$2,500: Create a Hygiene Care Closet at a school
Your financial gift helps provide real-time support to students through the CFF Compassion Fund.
Thanks to our generous partners, the CFF Compassion Fund delivers critical support to CPS students year-round—providing everything from backpacks and school supplies to hygiene items and seasonal clothing. By easing these burdens, we help students focus on learning and set them up for a strong, successful school year.
Host a Fundraiser
Rally your team or organization to support CPS students with a personalized fundraiser or give-back event.
CFF can equip your team with a personalized donation page.
How to Fundraise to Support Back-to-School Success
- Set a fundraising goal and work with CFF to create a personalized online donation page.
- Encourage staff, clients and/or customers to help you reach your goal, OR encourage employees to set their own fundraising goals. Offer to match gifts from your employees.
- Organize a give-back day or special event where a portion of your business’s proceeds goes towards supporting back-to-school.
- Organize a fundraising competition between departments or divisions of your company to support back-to-school.
Reach out to get started!
partnerships@childrenfirstfund.org
More Ways to Support Back-to-School Success
Spread the Word
→ Share information about CPS’ Back-to-School initiatives with your team in internal communications and meetings.
→ Post about CPS’ Back-to-School initiatives on your social media platforms. Tag CPS and Children First Fund in your posts to amplify your message.
→ Share on your website or in your newsletter.
→ Include information and a donation link in your email signature.
Corporate Volunteerism
Learn about more about ways you can get involved with CFF and support Chicago’s students and schools through our Corporate Volunteerism Opportunities
Sponsor-a-School
Establish a mutually beneficial long-term partnership with a CPS school to support their unique needs and strengths. Through meaningful, enduring relationships that offer your organization a firsthand look at how your support benefits Chicago’s students—you will also contribute to sustainable, positive outcomes in the nation’s fourth-largest public school system.
Learn more about sponsoring a school.
You have a trusted partner in CFF.
We treat your contribution with care and ensure its efficient use. By operating both with and within CPS, we’re best positioned to maximize impact for supporters of Chicago’s students.
90 cents of every dollar donated to Children First Fund goes directly to support CPS students, programs, and services. CFF is consistently recognized at GuideStar’s Platinum level, affirming our organization’s commitment to transparency and fidelity in all that we do.
Donate
Donations are Tax Deductible
All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law. Children First Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN 36-4094830.
