Resilience as defined is a positive adaptation or ability to grow in the face of great adversity or unforeseen obstacles.

150 years ago, Chicago was faced with the life altering aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire, an event that forged our identity as a city of resilience. As we look to rebuild from a global pandemic, economic uncertainty and social unrest, the Chicago History Museum has the opportunity to redefine how we fulfill our mission to share Chicago stories. This year, we imagined what it meant to be a resource for our city by expanding access to our digital resources, creating virtual programming, launching a digital collection initiative, and offering more accessible ways to engage with our history.

We need your help. Join our mission to share Chicago stories by supporting us on March 4, 2021 - Chicago's incorporation day - as we reopen our doors to the public and mark our second annual CHM Giving Day! Our goal is to raise $50,000, your contribution on or before March 4 will help us reach it.

Your gift—whether its $5 or $5,000— supports our vital work, which includes eye-opening online exhibitions and programming, caring for our world-renowned collections, or providing hands-on learning experiences for students and their teachers. Help us continue to share the stories of our resilient city for generations to come.

How you can help:

DONATE
The simplest way to help is to donate directly online, on or before March 4. Gifts of all sizes are meaningful and will help us reach our goal of $50,000!

ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO GIVE
You can share this giving site, or join us and share on Facebook with our Facebook Fundraiser. With the Facebook Fundraiser, you can setup your own fundraiser, set a goal, and share with others. Use our prewritten language for your fundraiser or share in your own words what CHM means to you!

SHARE THE MESSAGE
Help us raise awareness by liking, sharing, and subscribing to CHM content on your preferred social media channel using the links on this page and our hashtag: #chmgivingday

We also invite you to join us in-person or online on March 4!

Admission on March 4 will be FREE, but to ensure safe-distancing RSVP is required for timed entry. Visit here to RSVP and visit chicagohistory.org to see all the changes we have made for visitors. We will also have Chicago centric snacks for 200 guests from Vienna Beef and Crockett Cookies in the North & Clark Cafe!

Join us online for a special talk: From Fire to Phoenix City: Rebuilding Chicago’s Landscapes with CHM assistant curator Julius L. Jones and author and architecture critic Lee Bey as they discuss how conflagrations have influenced Chicago’s built landscape.

Thank you for supporting history!

Giving Day 2021: Resilience, Redefined

#chmgivingday

Giving Day 2021: Resilience, Redefined supporting the Chicago History Museum

Giving Day 2021: Resilience, Redefined

Giving Day 2021: Resilience, Redefined supporting the Chicago History Museum