Funding from this year’s Flash Fundraiser will help us carry out our mission of Cultivating a community dedicated to an economy that values the labor & dignity of all people. Here are just some of the things your donation has made possible.

EDUCATE

Your donation supports the Chicago Fair Trade Museum - the world's first fair trade museum! Last summer, we opened a permanent location. While the museum is free to enter, it is not free to run. Your contribution enables us to offer free field trips to students throughout the Chicagoland area.

ACTIVATE

Chicago Fair Trade needs grassroots support to fund our activism. This past year, we have been particularly active, developing and nurturing powerful partnerships that are helping us spread the word about fair trade far and wide. New partners include the Chicago Public Library, the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Chicago Architecture Center, and Chicago Fashion Week.

Chicago Public Library: We supported 17 libraries to host Clothing and Plant Swaps, hosted 13 hands-on crafting workshops through our Conscious Closet Club, and hosted a fast fashion article discussion at the Chicago Fair Trade Museum.

Chicago Architecture Center: At Open House Chicago 2024, we welcomed an incredible 1,100 visitors to the Chicago Fair Trade Museum in one weekend, many of them learning about fair trade for the very first time! We can't wait to be part of it again this October (Saturday 18 - Sunday 19).

Chicago Fashion Week: At Chicago Fashion Week 2024, we hosted a fantastic Clothing Swap to bring the conversation about ethical consumption to this city-wide event. With enough clothing already in existence on the planet for the next six generations, clothing swaps are a great way to upgrade your wardrobe sustainably without spending a dollar on unethical fast fashion. Last year, 200 people attended to swap themselves a whole "new" wardrobe, and we can't wait to do it all over again when Chicago Fashion Week returns this October!

Advocacy work: Chicago Fair Trade serves as the boots on the ground convenor for different national and international campaigns. One example: we are the Illinois Coordinator for the FABRIC Act, a strong piece of proposed legislation that will mean concrete improvements for nearly 100,000 garment workers in the US. Chicago Fair Trade’s organizing efforts are paying off: we led a campaign that resulted in Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin co-sponsoring the FABRIC Act.

CELEBRATE

Your donations support our annual World Fair Trade Day celebration, the largest of its kind in the US. This past year, we hosted the World's Largest Fair Trade Dinner Party in collaboration with our friends at Fair Trade LA. Each year, this event brings the message of fair trade to thousands of new people and helps grow our movement even further!

We know there are many good causes out there, and we thank you for considering donating to Chicago Fair Trade. As a small but effective non-profit organization, every donation truly makes a difference. Thank you!

2025 Chicago Fair Trade Flash Fundraiser

Help us grow!

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