A New Chapter in Bright Promises 152-Year History

A Message from the Bright Promises Foundation Board of Directors

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‍A new chapter in Bright Promises Foundation’s 152-year history will begin in 2022. Iris Krieg our Executive Director for the past 13 years, will be stepping down at the end of 2021.

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Under Iris’ leadership, Bright Promises Foundation has entered a new era of significance and efficacy, transforming our reach and impact on the lives and futures of at-risk Chicago children and youth. Bright Promises is truly fortunate to have had as its leader a person with such a deep passion for addressing the inequities and injustices that keep children and youth from flourishing. With her more than 40 years of experience in grantmaking and successful program support, Iris has prepared Bright Promises Foundation for new levels of growth and impact. This will be achieved through the Foundation’s singular grantmaking strategy developed during Iris’ tenure, which focuses our resources on addressing under-recognized issues and leveraging our investments to drive innovation in children’s services

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The Board of Directors has formed a special committee that will lead the search for our next Executive Director with support from Torkelson Consulting, Inc., a firm with more than 40 years of experience in the operations of nonprofit organizations. We look forward to sharing updates with you as we move through this transition.

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The Board wishes to express our deepest gratitude to Iris for her role in helping Bright Promises to build a solid foundation for innovation and dynamic impact. We also extend our gratitude to our many supporters, friends, partners and advocates for your continued support of Bright Promises Foundation.

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The Board is planning a future celebration to honor Iris and her many contributions to Bright Promises and the child-serving community. In the meantime, we hope that you will join us for our 2021 Awards on Tuesday, October 19 where we will celebrate all that we have accomplished in the last year and look ahead to the exciting things to come. For more information about the 2021 Awards, visit www.brightpromises.org/2021awards

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A Message from Iris Krieg

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My decision to leave Bright Promises is a difficult one for me; I have a deep commitment to its mission and a fondness for all who are associated with it. Bright Promises, as its name implies, is a force for change for the better. No other organization does quite what Bright Promises does to identify under-recognized barriers to our children’s well-being and then provide resources and support for innovative approaches to reducing these barriers.

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Bright Promises is poised for significant growth in its programming and impact on children. I have been pleased to be a partner in bringing Bright Promises to the brink of these possibilities. With new staff leadership, Bright Promises will be able to fully realize its potential. I will do whatever it takes to ensure a smooth transition and continue to be as helpful as I can to support Bright Promises and its new Executive Director.

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I am grateful to the donors and those who have supported our efforts; they are the resource that makes our work possible. It has been a joy to work with such a great Board and staff — they are dedicated, hardworking, eager to learn and wonderful colleagues. But Bright Promises’ ultimate success relies on our partner agencies; they are true partners in every sense of the word, providing innovative services to children and families and eager to share what they know with us and other organizations. I am confident these people and organizations will continue to support each other, and I know that Bright Promises will step up to ensure that even more children will have the bright futures they deserve.

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