The History of Eleanor
[Image: Ina Law Robertson]
In 1898, Ina Law Robertson created The Eleanor Foundation and opened its first residential club. By 1914 six Eleanor Clubs had been established in the city. The Foundation began as a direct service provider of decent and affordable housing for single independent women with the goal of creating conditions in which lower income working women could help themselves build successful, self-sufficient lives.
In 2002, the Eleanor Foundation transformed itself into a research-oriented grant-maker focused on helping working women determined to achieve sustainable economic independence. The Foundation decided to leverage its expertise and resources and to build the Eleanor Network by investing in innovative programs that provide housing opportunities and supportive services to local organizations.
Eleanor Wins Housing Award
September 1, 2008
Founded in 1989, the Chicago Low Income Housing Trust Fund assists Chicago residents who are most in need of affordable housing. To date, the Fund has provided rental subsidies to landlords to assist more than 2,500 low-income households.
At its Annual Meeting on July 23, 2008, the Trust Fund presented its Partnership Award to the Eleanor Foundation in recognition of our joint efforts to provide a comprehensive array of services and support to working women who are seeking sustained economic advancement.
The initiative we are working on with the Trust Fund offers women who earn less than 30% of the area median income ($22,620 for a family of four) access to the Trust Fund's rental housing subsidies. The women in the program are also being assisted through Foundation grants.
The Eleanor Foundation has successfully worked with four of its grantees (the Christian Community Health Center in Roseland, Heartland Human Care Services, The Cara Program and the Lawyers' Committee for Better Housing) to place women in qualified apartments, working with five different landlords. We are pleased and proud to have received this recognition from the Chicago Low Income Housing Trust Fund, and look forward to continuing our efforts to support this most deserving population.
Other Stories
Partner Perspective: C. Bork:
Is Occupy Good for Women?
HOW's Center for Working Women
JARC: Meeting the Needs
of Women and Manufacturers
Partner Perspective: J. Antolin:
IDEA at Work
Chicago Expands Healthcare
Training: Replicates Eleanor
Network Program at St. Anthony Hospital
Partner Perspective: K. Begley: Empowering Women in Alternative Career Paths
Employer Partnerships Help
Single Working Moms
Partner Perspective:
N. Brunick: The Importance of Affordable Housing
Partner Perspective:
A. Ladky: Overcoming Barriers,
Investing in Talent
Community-Based Partnerships
for Working Latinas
Eleanor Foundation Partners
with Neighborhood Writing Alliance
City of Chicago Awards Foundation
$822,000 in Rental Subsidies
© 2012 The Eleanor Foundation. All Rights Reserved.