"Fair trade is a global movement and a trading partnership model built on dialogue, transparency, and respect. It aims for greater equity and prioritizes people and the planet."-World Fair Trade Organization

We rely on your generosity during our annual Flash Fundraiser to carry out our mission of cultivating a community dedicated to an economy that values the labor and dignity of all people. Here are just some of the things your donation has made possible in the past year:

We rely on your generosity during our annual Flash Fundraiser to carry out our mission of cultivating a community dedicated to an economy that values the labor and dignity of all people. Here are just some of the things your donation has made possible in the past year:

EDUCATE

In the three years since we opened the Chicago Fair Trade Museum, your donations have made it Chicago's hub for fair trade education and for growing awareness of fair trade and sustainability through exhibits and community‑focused events. Our doors are free to enter, but they’re not free to keep open! Your support makes it possible for students across Chicagoland to take free, transformative field trips that spark curiosity.

Now, we’re ready to level up the museum with exhibits that are more interactive, more engaging, and more accessible – plus new temporary and traveling installations that will take the fair trade message into Chicago beyond our walls. Your support can fuel these big ambitions and help us reach even more people with the fair trade mission.

ACTIVATE

Over the past year, we've focused on community-building through in-person events, including film screenings, fair trade food tastings, and a growing slate of garment-related events. Our monthly Mend with Friends events, epic clothing swaps, and styling events blend slow fashion and sustainability education with human connection. We think it’s worth the extra effort to bring people together in person because community is what creates lasting change. Your grassroots support makes that happen!

Not only are we growing the fair trade community of friends – that community is doing the work too! With your financial support (and an army of volunteers!) we host four clothing swaps per year – spring and fall at the museum, and two in partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events at the Chicago Cultural Center. This past year, that added up to more than 1,000 attendees, meaning more than 8,000 garments getting a second life. That’s a literal TON of garments that your dollars helped keep out of landfills!

CELEBRATE

While we truly celebrate fair trade every day at CFT, your donations also support our annual World Fair Trade Day celebration, the largest of its kind in the US. In May, we hosted a free and open to all World Fair Trade Day Festival where fair trade companies shared how they built and continue to operate their ethical businesses. Each year, our World Fair Trade Day celebration brings the message of fair trade to new people and helps our movement grow.

Our mission means we don't have corporate donations or government grants – but we have you. When you give to Chicago Fair Trade, your donation goes straight into action – no waste, just results. We know there are many good causes out there, and we are so grateful to you for considering donating to Chicago Fair Trade. Thank you!

2026 Chicago Fair Trade Flash Fundraiser

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