Make It Better Foundation

Make It Better Foundation Helping you live, love, work and play with greater purpose and joy.

The ABC 7 Great Chicago Blood Drive starts TODAY!Blood donations save lives—NICU babies, cancer patients, moms in crisis...
01/15/2025

The ABC 7 Great Chicago Blood Drive starts TODAY!

Blood donations save lives—NICU babies, cancer patients, moms in crisis, and more depend on YOU. With only 3% of Americans donating, your gift is a critical lifeline.

Can’t donate blood? You can still make a difference with your dollars! Tiffany Circle members, Kimberly A. Falk, Peggy Hardek, Susan B. Noyes, Make It Better Foundation Founder and the Make It Better Foundation, Jill Schaaf, and Christine Tierney have issued a $100,000 matching gift challenge to ensure enough funds are raised for the event.

Let's make a difference and save lives. Learn more through the link below.
https://s.mtrbio.com/mvvjqomzzv

American Red Cross of Illinois

Sponsors include: The Illinois Tiffany Circle, Make It Better Foundation, Adtalem Global Education, Walgreens, First Secure Community Bank, State Farm, United

01/13/2025

🩸 Every drop counts. 🩸

Thank you to our friends at the Make It Better Foundation for highlighting Emily Alanis, a Red Cross team member, and her life-changing experience as a recipient of donated blood. Thanks to generous donors, Emily and her son are alive today.

Join us at the Great Chicago Blood Drive this Wednesday and Thursday and help save lives in our community. Your donation can make all the difference!

Read Emily’s story and find out how you can roll up your sleeve to be a hero: https://rdcrss.org/42cBDWD

As of January 9, the Southern California fires continue devastating Los Angeles County. The Palisades and Eaton fires re...
01/10/2025

As of January 9, the Southern California fires continue devastating Los Angeles County. The Palisades and Eaton fires remain entirely uncontained and have already damaged or destroyed more than 9,000 structures, according to official estimates Thursday. Firefighters continue their uphill battle as Southern California braces for more dangerous weather conditions.

These photos captured January 7, 8 and 9 by Make It Better Foundation Director of Photography Mark Edward Harris document the devastating impact of the Palisades Fire on the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades and Malibu, as well as the incredible bravery of firefighters risking their lives to contain the fire.

Find ways to help through the link here: https://s.mtrbio.com/mlxdojvoef

For immediate help:
Visit redcross.org, use the free Red Cross Emergency App, call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or text “GETEMERGENCY” to 90999.

Photo 1: Firefighters wait for more water before continuing to fight a house fire in Pacific Palisades during the Palisades Fire.
Photo 2: The Fontainebleau apartment complex in Pacific Palisades destroyed by the Palisades Fire.
Photo 3: Community United Methodist Church of Pacific Palisades on fire.
Photo 4 (Left): Community United Methodist Church of Pacific Palisades on fire.
Photo 5 (Right): Firefighters try to avoid being hit by flaming falling palm fronds in Pacific Palisades during the Palisades Fire.
Photo 6: A homeowner attempts to protect her property from the Palisades fire.
Photo 7 (Left): A destroyed Bank of America cash machine in Pacific Palisades during the Palisades Fire.
Photo 8 (Right): A display in front of the Rosenthal Wine Bar & Patio destroyed by the Palisades Fire.
Photo 9: A statue of the Buddha in a Malibu Village home destroyed in the Palisades Fire.
Photo 10: Cars and homes destroyed by the Palisades Fire, in Malibu Village.
Photo 11 (Left): Abandoned cars in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles that were later destroyed by the Palisades Fire.
Photo 12 (Right): The Village School in Pacific Palisades, California was destroyed in the Palisades Fire.
Photo 13: The Palisades Fire from Hollywood on January 7.

01/10/2025

🚨 ALERT! Southern California including LA County is on high wildfire risk due to winds and temps. Wildfires can spread quickly - don't be caught unprepared. Secure your emergency kit, park for easy exit and stay updated with local officials. Safety first!

Download the free Red Cross Emergency App to stay updated on alerts in your area. Learn more about wildfire safety tips at: https://rdcrss.org/3srZ61w

Looking for a New Year’s resolution that’s practical and impactful? Try setting a weekly family dinner! 🍽️Did you know? ...
01/09/2025

Looking for a New Year’s resolution that’s practical and impactful? Try setting a weekly family dinner! 🍽️

Did you know? Kids who regularly eat with their parents are less likely to smoke, drink, do drugs, or engage in early s*x. A simple tradition like sharing a meal can build stronger connections and make a big difference in your family’s life.

Need inspiration to get started? Find simple recipes and learn more about the benefits of family dinners through the link below!
https://s.mtrbio.com/fycvtykxbz

Check out The Family Dinner Project to learn more and spark meaningful mealtime moments! Let’s make 2025 the year of family connection. ❤️

What’s your go-to family dinner dish? Share it below! 👇

Photo by Ali Ebright

Wildfires continue to ravage Southern California, with tens of thousands of residents evacuated in Los Angeles County an...
01/08/2025

Wildfires continue to ravage Southern California, with tens of thousands of residents evacuated in Los Angeles County and thousands of structures destroyed. Fueled by powerful winds, the Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires have devastated communities, leaving residents grappling with loss and displacement.

For immediate help:
Visit redcross.org, use the free Red Cross Emergency App, call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or text “GETEMERGENCY” to 90999.

Learn more ways to get help and support first responders through the link below.

https://s.mtrbio.com/rrwutznbrx

American Red Cross

📸 Getty

🎉 Hello, 2025! A new year means fresh opportunities to   with your family and friends. Let’s kick off January in style w...
01/06/2025

🎉 Hello, 2025! A new year means fresh opportunities to with your family and friends. Let’s kick off January in style with some of the best arts and culture activities Chicago and the suburbs have to offer:

➡️ Paula Modersohn-Becker: I Am Me – through January 12 at The Art Institute of Chicago
➡️ January 11: Last Night a DJ Saved My Life – Stories by Women of Color, CHI SOL Women
➡️ January 13: Book Talk on Kingdom of the Poor at Kenilworth Union Church

This is just the beginning! Check out event details and read our full list of things to do this month through the link below. Let’s make it a January to remember!
https://s.mtrbio.com/fbypcrurwl

Let us know what you're up to in the comments and don't forget to tag Make It Better Foundation in all your adventures! 👇

Marginalized communities face devastating health disparities, made worse by a divisive political climate. But organizati...
01/03/2025

Marginalized communities face devastating health disparities, made worse by a divisive political climate. But organizations like Block Builderz are stepping up—building community, resisting oppression and creating thriving spaces through the power of gardening.

Just as plants bloom with the right care, people flourish when given the resources they need to thrive. 🌿

Learn more about Block Builderz and their incredible mission of creating meaningful change in the lives of those impacted by the criminal justice system through the link here: https://s.mtrbio.com/iyyoustaag

Know an org doing similar work? Tag it in the comments and submit a You Said It on that organization's behalf to earn it $1,000!

📸 Getty Images

Happy New Year’s Eve! While you’re preparing to ring in 2025 with your loved ones, you might be thinking about how to ma...
12/31/2024

Happy New Year’s Eve! While you’re preparing to ring in 2025 with your loved ones, you might be thinking about how to make one final contribution in 2024.

We’ve got you covered with our 2024 Better Guide to Giving (link below)—the perfect resource to help you decide where your final dollars can make the biggest difference. 💛 Looking for quick ways to connect? Check out these impactful conservation organizations:

➡️ Amazon Watch
➡️ SeaLegacy
➡️ The Climate Center
➡️ Environmental Law & Policy Center
➡️ Conservation Corps North Bay

Let’s end 2024 by giving back and looking forward to a brighter, better future! Share this post with someone you love ❤️

➡️ https://s.mtrbio.com/eeiejclrrm

12/27/2024

On Your Feet Foundation raised an incredible $65K to fuel its mission of supporting birth parents! 🎉

The annual gala, Gather, brought the community together on Aug. 23 at Evanston History Center historic Dawes House for a speakeasy-themed evening. Guests enjoyed delicious bites from Green Spoon Kitchen, prohibition-era cocktails crafted by local mixologists, live jazz by The Chicago Jazz Dads, tarot readings by Ella Kist, a silent auction, and so much more.

This year’s honoree was Torie DiMartile, an Indiana University PhD candidate whose work in adoption education focuses on empowering adoptive parents through an adoptee’s perspective.

A huge thank-you to the supporters who made this event possible, including James Wimmer and the Patrice Campbell Education Fund, Verismo Financial, Cheryl & Mike Del Campo, Hilldale Towers Apartments, Knektar, Connected Neuroscience, The Wellness Revolution, Nature's Perspective Landscaping, Evanston Lumber, and many others.

🎉 Read the full story through the link below!
https://s.mtrbio.com/whgokrntgf

2024 Through the Lens “I went to San Pedro to photograph birds along the coast. As I was walking there I saw a young man...
12/24/2024

2024 Through the Lens

“I went to San Pedro to photograph birds along the coast. As I was walking there I saw a young man playing basketball. Right away I thought, ‘This is a better picture.’ You always have to keep your eyes open and look for opportunities. Don’t just focus on a plan and stick to it. So I went to photograph birds and instead photographed a human flying.” 📸 ©Nick Ut

This photo is part of a collection featuring the most powerful photos of 2024, shared by top photographers from around the world. Follow along to see more of the year’s most inspiring images and check out the full collection here: https://s.mtrbio.com/fnryiizycn

2024 Through the Lens “Not since Babe Ruth has baseball seen a player such as Shohei Ohtani who could pitch and hit at a...
12/24/2024

2024 Through the Lens

“Not since Babe Ruth has baseball seen a player such as Shohei Ohtani who could pitch and hit at an all-star level. While he did not pitch in 2024 to avoid reinjuring an elbow ligament, the Los Angeles Dodgers posted the best offensive season of his career, which saw him become the first player to reach the 50-50 club. He also earned his third Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s Most Valuable Player Award while helping his time to a World Series victory. I have had the honor of photographing the superstar with both the Dodgers and the Angels. It will be amazing to see what he can do when he returns to the pitching mound for the 2025 season.”
📸 ©Mark Edward Harris

This photo is part of a collection featuring the most powerful photos of 2024, shared by top photographers from around the world. Follow along to see more of the year’s most inspiring images and check out the full collection here: https://s.mtrbio.com/akyjixkpor

2024 Through the Lens “Simone Biles inculcates the best of humanity. Her discipline, determination, and her ability to f...
12/24/2024

2024 Through the Lens

“Simone Biles inculcates the best of humanity. Her discipline, determination, and her ability to focus under the most difficult of circumstances - the whole world watching her – is unparallel, even on the uneven bars.”
📸 ©Mark Edward Harris/ZUMA Press

“After winning the gold in the Women’s Long Jump at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Team USA’s Tara Davis-Woodhall (left) ran to the stands to celebrate with her husband, Paralympian Hunter Woodhall who I would later document winning gold at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.”
📸 ©Mark Edward Harris/ZUMA Press

This photo is part of a collection featuring the most powerful photos of 2024, shared by top photographers from around the world. Follow along to see more of the year’s most inspiring images and check out the full collection here: https://s.mtrbio.com/etrqvcrauu

2024 Through the Lens “In the last 20 years I’ve had a great passion for Roman archeological sites… anything to do about...
12/24/2024

2024 Through the Lens

“In the last 20 years I’ve had a great passion for Roman archeological sites… anything to do about culture outside of war is a plus for me…I was allowed to go into the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York last year and photograph the Roman room and I was never more happy. I got the most beautiful pictures photographing the statues. (The photograph presented here is ‘Discobolus’ at the Museo Nazionale Romano from McCullin’s new book The Roman Conceit.) I think I would spend my life doing that, all over, archeological and Roman history. Not a scholar, just a photographer. I would have been on the edge of poverty, but I would also have been in the center of great happiness and joy. But, mind you, when I photographed the great Roman temples and things like that, I always give thought to the fact that they were only created by slavery in the first place everything I do is slightly overshadowed. When I look at a great Roman building, I think, ‘How beautiful! But hang on a minute, this could only have been put here by the slaves and the deaths of others.’ It’s taken me all my life to realize how futile violence is, in any shape or form. That’s why photography was meant to give me another life, take me away from the ignorance and the bigotry of the people I grew up with. I’ve been so grateful. I didn’t choose photography, I felt in chose me.”
📸 ©Don McCullin (The Provocateur Press) / Contact Press

This photo is part of a collection featuring the most powerful photos of 2024, shared by top photographers from around the world. Follow along to see more of the year’s most inspiring images and check out the full collection here: https://s.mtrbio.com/bpuvpidsea

2024 Through the Lens “The Genos Center, our non-profit organization, is dedicated to fostering a more just, equitable, ...
12/23/2024

2024 Through the Lens

“The Genos Center, our non-profit organization, is dedicated to fostering a more just, equitable, and compassionate world through the power of art, education, and sustainable design. Our curated art exhibitions will be designed to encourage deep questioning and reflection on the complexities of culture and society. Whether showcasing music, film, painting, or multimedia works, we aim to evoke feelings of hope, healing, and a profound sense of belonging. Our educational programs for children and adults will promote the teaching of tolerance, love, and the celebration of our cultural shared humanity. At the heart of our mission is the creation of a proactive community that celebrates the diversity and interconnectedness of all individuals, with a special focus on empowering and educating children and underrepresented social groups. The AI rendering program I used gives us a visual glimpse into the future. We are hoping to break ground in Simi Valley, California in mid-2025. I designed all the buildings and landscapes. This particular image is the interior of the non-denominational Genos Chapel. The photographs in this gallery are from my ‘Silent Wave’ series and allow the viewer to contemplate how nature and man interact.”
📸 Busch, Busch Design Build, Inc.

This photo is part of a collection featuring the most powerful photos of 2024, shared by top photographers from around the world. Follow along to see more of the year’s most inspiring images and check out the full collection here: https://s.mtrbio.com/wufewrepko

2024 Through the Lens “Six months after the 2023 Lahaina Fire tore through the island of Maui, Hawaii, killing over 100 ...
12/23/2024

2024 Through the Lens

“Six months after the 2023 Lahaina Fire tore through the island of Maui, Hawaii, killing over 100 people, I returned to Lahaina to document how the community was coping in the face of such unthinkable loss and devastation. As I photographed the hillside memorial, a brilliant rainbow emerged. It felt hopeful, and for me, symbolized the profound strength and resilience of the human spirit I had witnessed in this community. I learned later that for the Hawaiians, when a rainbow or ‘Ānuenue’ appears, it is believed to be the doorway or portal between this world and the world of the gods.”
📸 Deanne Fitzmaurice Photography

This photo is part of a collection featuring the most powerful photos of 2024, shared by top photographers from around the world. Follow along to see more of the year’s most inspiring images and check out the full collection here: https://s.mtrbio.com/uyiyzfeihy

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Live, love, work and play with greater purpose.

We started 12 years ago as Make It Better. It began as a small website with a mission to be the most trusted, easiest-to-use community resource for Chicago’s North Shore. We strived to make powerful positive connections that captured the beating hearts of our community. We were determined to publish lifestyle content with a purpose, so that everyone in our community could live, love, work and play with greater purpose too.

We have grown into a multi-platform publishing company, serving similar demographics throughout Chicagoland and the San Francisco Bay Area — with a vibrant digital ecosystem, print magazines, custom publishing partnerships, videos, awards and signature events.

By creating virtuous circles we’ve been able to unite and amplify community-building efforts by businesses, nonprofits and you.