Old National Bank Foundation 20 for 20 Grantee Profiles: YWCA Metropolitan Chicago Builds Pathways to Equity and Opportunity
As part of its 20th anniversary celebration, and two decades of helping build stronger, more vibrant and prosperous communities, the Old National Bank Foundation in 2026 is donating a total of $20,000 to 20 nonprofit organizations throughout its nine-state footprint, including YWCA Metropolitan Chicago.
For 150 years, YWCA Metropolitan Chicago has responded to the evolving needs of women and families across the region. Today, the organization continues that legacy by working to eliminate racism, empower women, and advance peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
13 Women Rally Resources After 1800’s Great Chicago Fire
YWCA Metropolitan Chicago began on Dec. 12, 1876, when 13 women on Chicago’s Near West Side came together to support the growing number of single women arriving in the city for work after the Great Chicago Fire. Early programs included a residence for young working women at 830 S. Michigan Ave., an employment bureau that trained women and connected them with jobs, parenting classes, and a summer camp for working women.
Over the following decades, the organization expanded into Chicago’s Southern, Western, and Northern suburbs and became a pioneer of desegregation, integrating several programs and locations by the end of the 1940s.
Today, YWCA Metropolitan Chicago builds youth and family potential through:
- Child-care resources
- Early childhood programming
- STEM learning
- Family-strengthening services
- Sexual violence support and health navigation
- Driving economic equity through entrepreneurship, housing counseling, and workforce development
Each year, the organization serves more than 80,000 individuals and their families.
Success Story: A Career Pivot Creates a New Chapter
After Shanetta was laid off from her longtime position at Ford Motor Co., she knew she was ready to pursue a new career. She enrolled in YWCA Metropolitan Chicago’s Workforce Development program, where she earned her certified nursing assistant license as well as phlebotomy and CPR certifications.
With support from YWCA’s Business Engagement team, Shanetta secured a position at a pediatric health care facility, where she has worked since 2025. Her experience shows how targeted training and employer connections can help women over 40 successfully transition into a new field.
Driving Economic Equity Across Chicagoland
Old National Bank’s partnership with YWCA Metropolitan Chicago reflects a shared commitment to helping people overcome employment barriers and build sustainable careers across Chicagoland.
Through its Workforce Development program, YWCA Metropolitan Chicago connects vulnerable populations with high-growth, high-demand jobs that offer consistent openings and opportunities for wage and career advancement. The program helps people who have historically faced barriers to these fields, including women of color, gain the training, industry-recognized credentials, coaching, and employer connections needed to build sustainable careers.
In fiscal year 2025, the program achieved:
- 70% job placement rate across 205 employer partners
- 27% increase in participants earning credentials in fields including welding, forklift operation, certified nursing assistance, phlebotomy, and commercial driving
“Old National’s support gives us the flexibility to meet job seekers where they are, whether that means providing one-on-one career coaching or helping a single mother earn a welding certification,” said Nicole Robinson, CEO at YWCA Metropolitan Chicago. “That flexibility allows us to respond to individual needs while opening pathways to lasting financial stability for families across Chicagoland.”
To learn more about YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, click here.
“Our ‘20 for 20’ campaign recognizes 20 organizations that have helped strengthen communities and expand opportunity through their partnership with the Old National Bank Foundation,” said Old National Bank Foundation President Joe Kiser. “Their leadership, innovation, and commitment to serving others reflect the very best of what can happen when communities come together around a shared purpose. As we celebrate the Foundation’s 20th anniversary, these organizations represent the many communities, causes, and partnerships that have shaped the Foundation’s work over the past two decades.”
Each year, the Old National Bank Foundation endeavors to fund as many initiatives that meet our funding priorities as possible across our footprint. For more information on grants or the Old National Bank Foundation, click here.
