Big Shoulders Fund

Big Shoulders Fund

Founded in 1986 by business and civic leaders at the urging of Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, Big Shoulders Fund operates as an independent charitable organization serving schools with demonstrated need in Chicago and Northwest Indiana. Co-Chairmen John A. Canning, Jr. of Madison Dearborn Partners, Kent P. Dauten of Keystone Capital, and Monsignor Kenneth J. Velo have shaped its governance for decades, while President and CEO Joshua Hale leads day-to-day operations and strategic initiatives. The organization functions as a grantmaking conduit and direct-program operator, funding scholarships, academic programs, operational improvements, and leadership development across a network of Catholic schools. Its structural hallmark is a dedicated endowment that absorbs all administrative and fundraising overhead, allowing 100% of externally raised dollars to reach classrooms. Geographic concentration remains tight — Chicago and the Diocese of Gary in Northwest Indiana — and the board draws senior executives from firms including Citadel, Ariel Investments, and Motorola Solutions. Big Shoulders Fund reported an endowment near $72 million, and its leadership maintains active ties to Chicago's civic and financial networks. Joshua Hale holds memberships in The Chicago Club, The Economic Club of Chicago, and The Commercial Club of Chicago, while the organization has been a member of FADICA (Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities) since 2008. Philanthropic partners include the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation and the Lavin Family Foundation. What distinguishes Big Shoulders is a governance model that separates operational funding from program funding by design. The endowment covers overhead; every gift is fronted to schools. This architecture attracts donors who demand zero leakage on their charitable dollar, making the foundation a rarity among education philanthropies where administrative costs routinely consume a visible share of contributions.