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CHIditarod Foundation

A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit organization created to help solve Chicago’s hunger challenges.

The CHIditarod Foundation seeks to alleviate hunger and solve the root causes of hunger through creativity, engagement and direct action. We accomplish these goals by creating unique, creative, participatory events that raise funds (like CHIditarod!), and providing grants to local 501(c)(3) organizations that share our hunger-fighting mission.

  • Solve food insecurity challenges in metropolitan Chicago.
  • Create and host charitable events that are unique, participatory and inspiring.
  • Grant funds to other charitable organizations in line with our mission and tax-exempt status.

The CHIditarod Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is registered with the Illinois Attorney General’s Charitable Trust act. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. IRS EIN: 46-1053624

What Have We Done?

  • Collected more than 303,967 pounds of food for Chicago’s hungry.
  • Awarded a total of $707,350 through 63 individual CHIditarod Grants to local nonprofits fighting hunger in their communities.

What is the History?

Back before we teamed up with the Greater Chicago Food Depository we donated food and funds to the Chicago Anti-Hunger Federation (CAHF), a 501(c)(3) food pantry in Chicago. They were local and doing good things to help feed the hungry — which has always been our goal & mission (along with having a little fun).

As the race grew in popularity, our teams asked race organizers if they could raise funds using online fundraising tools and donate those contributions to charity. We of course agreed and set out to find online partners who specialize in raising funds for charity. In 2011, all funds raised by teams benefitted the Chicago Anti-Hunger Federation. In 2012, CHIditarod partnered with the offices of Alderman Michelle Harris to identify charitable organizations working to improve access to organic fruits and vegetables in our City’s “food desert” neighborhoods. We partnered with the Cottage Grove Heights Community Coalition, a 501(c)3 organization who is using the funds in partnership with the City of Chicago to build a community garden in the 8th Ward. New friendships were made, and CHIditarod participants really began to see the impact their actions have on the local community.

In 2013, The CHIditarod Foundation was incorporated as an Illinois not-for-profit corporation. We seek to continue creating the annual CHIditarod race, and to grant funds raised by CHIditarod to local, vetted 501(c)(3) organizations in the Chicagoland community that are fighting hunger, focused on local food sustainability, and making an impact in their community. We will continue to grow our food drive initiatives to help food banks in the metropolitan Chicago area. This event furthers our tax-exempt status by fulfilling our mission through the large food drive component, fundraising, and creating unique, participatory events. Thank you for your trust, your creativity, and for your willingness to help the hungry.

Documents

The Board of Directors

Devin Breen, President, CTO (he/him)
Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign. Founder and President of the CHIditarod Foundation. Co-Founder and past-President of Bold Urban Renaissance Network 501(c)(3). Co-founder and past-performer with the Pyrotechniq Fire Performance Troupe. Senior Software Engineer at Apple. He is dedicated to the betterment of life for all people on this planet, and focuses his energy improving his hometown of Chicago.

Alysha Balog (she/her)
Bachelor Fine Arts – Graphic Design and Certificate in Arts Administration, Indiana University. Alysha began racing with her team Six Pack Attack in 2015 and quickly began championing the Chiditarod to her friends and peers ever since. She leveled-up in 2021 by helping with the grant reviewal process and then joining the board in 2022. Alysha is a design director that specializes in packaging design, which has cultivated a professional and personal relationship with food that helps motivate her passion for wanting food to be accessible to all. She can often be found supporting the arts all around Chicago or drinking a craft beer in a cozy dive-bar. 

Neha Singh, Grant Coordinator (she/her)
Bio Coming Soon 

Shelly Howell, Secretary (she/her)
Bachelor of Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Emmy-award winning journalist who now creates digital content for a large Chicago-based non-profit. Animal lover and junk-food vegan. Her hobbies include coffee, live music, crafting the perfect cocktail and traveling.

Frieden Liebe (she/her)
Bio coming soon

Liz Breen, Treasurer (she/her)
Bio coming soon