A Better Chicago Announces New Investments in Two Youth-Serving Organizations Totaling $375K
CHICAGO (6/4/25) – A Better Chicago, the city’s only venture philanthropy committed to improving outcomes for youth experiencing poverty, announced today two new investments in high-impact nonprofit organizations: It Takes A Village Leadership Academy (ITAV LA) and Saga Education.
The grants, which total $375,000, represent unrestricted capital, meaning they can be used for a variety of purposes including personnel expenses, expansion costs, leadership training, and more. In addition, organizations also have access to management support dollars to tackle strategic and operational projects.
The investments reflect A Better Chicago’s continued commitment to addressing the most pressing challenges faced by young people in Chicago, particularly Black and Latinx youth on the south and west sides of the city. With these new grants, the organization now supports a total of 26 nonprofit partners supporting children and youth from cradle to career.
• It Takes A Village Leadership Academy is receiving a $125,000 grant. ITAV LA is an independent K–8 school serving predominantly Black students across Chicago’s South Loop and Bronzeville neighborhoods. With a culturally responsive, whole-child model that includes extended-day enrichment, international studies, and student-led social justice projects, ITAV LA consistently exceeds academic benchmarks. The school’s values-driven approach and long-term vision are focused on deepening impact and expanding access to high-quality education for more students across Chicago. A Better Chicago’s investment will help fuel this expansion and support continued academic excellence in underserved communities.
• Saga Education is receiving a $250,000 grant. Saga Education is a national leader in high-impact, in-school math tutoring. Founded in Chicago, Saga partners with school districts to close achievement gaps in math for students in under-resourced communities, particularly Black and Latinx students. Saga’s research-backed approach has shown measurable improvements in GPA, math scores, and student confidence. A Better Chicago’s investment will help Saga deepen its local impact and continue building scalable solutions that address one of the most pressing challenges in education: math proficiency.
“These two organizations represent what’s possible when equity, innovation, and community are at the center of education,” said Beth Swanson, CEO of A Better Chicago. “It Takes A Village Leadership Academy is building a culturally grounded school model that truly meets the needs of the families it serves, while Saga Education is redefining what effective, high-impact tutoring looks like in public schools at a time when strong support for tutoring is more critical than ever. We are proud to invest in both organizations, and even more proud to support the next phase of their growth and impact.”
“We are honored to partner with A Better Chicago to accelerate a vision we’ve long held: that Black and Brown children deserve schools where they are empowered, affirmed, and equipped to lead,” said Nakisha Hobbs, Co-Founder & CEO, It Takes A Village Leadership Academy. “This investment will strengthen our ability to grow a model of education rooted in culture, community, and excellence—and extend the reach of our impact. The future isn’t something we’re waiting for—it’s something we’re building now, together.”
“We’re thrilled to deepen our partnership with A Better Chicago to bring high-impact tutoring to even more CPS students,” said Alan Safran, CEO of Saga Education. “This funding supports our efforts to reduce program costs while increasing our impact—and we’re grateful for ABC’s belief in the power of our model.”
Founded in 2010, A Better Chicago was modeled after a venture capital fund with a mission of building a more equitable city by breaking the cycle of generational poverty. As of 2025, the organization has served over 139,000 students and deployed over $83 million to Chicago’s most promising youth-serving nonprofits.
To learn more about A Better Chicago, please visit https://www.abetterchicago.org/