Charles Koch-led group invests almost $2 million in Chicago-area nonprofits

Youth Guidance, a Chicago-based nonprofit that mentors and assists at-risk young people, has received $1 million from Stand Together, an initiative supported by billionaire businessman Charles Koch. The donation, announced today, is part of a total $6.86 million given to 10 nonprofits nationwide that work with children and youth. Earlier this month, Chicago-based Cara, which offers workforce development for at-risk youth, received $700,000 from Stand Together, and I.C. Stars, a Chicago nonprofit that helps low-income people launch tech careers, received $50,000 from the organization. The $1 million to Youth Guidance will help it expand its Becoming a Man and Working on Womanhood mentoring programs in Chicago and nationwide. The programs currently serve 11,000 young people in Chicago and 300 young men in Boston, says CEO Michelle Adler Morrison, who notes that organization's annual budget is about $27 million. Last October, Youth Guidance received $2.6 million from the city of Chicago, as Mayor Rahm Emanuel champions the mentoring programs as a solution to the city's violence problem.