Creative Ways to Donate

Search the Internet

Use GoodSearch as your Internet search engine and money will be donated to Cathedral Shelter each time you search. It’s easy. Simply click the GoodSearch logo below and Cathedral Shelter will automatically be selected as your designated cause. GoodSearch will donate 50% of the revenues it earns from your searches to Cathedral Shelter. GoodSearch is powered by Yahoo! Search. Learn more about GoodSearch.

Shop Online

Shop at GoodShop, iGive or MyCause, choose Cathedral Shelter as your charity, and a percentage of the sale will be donated to us. GoodShop, iGive and MyCause are online shopping malls which feature an extensive selection of leading stores including Target, The Gap, Best Buy, eBay, Macy’s and Barnes & Noble. To designate Cathedral Shelter as your cause and to start shopping now, click on the logos below, or read more about the organizations at GoodShop, iGive or MyCause.

Use Your American Express or Capital One Card

Help someone achieve success with American Express
Donate to Cathedral Shelter by using your American Express card. You can donate dollars, redeem Membership Rewards points, or set up recurring donations. Click on the logo below to learn more about the GivingExpress program from American Express.

Give without the hassle through Capital One
One-hundred percent of your gift goes to Cathedral Shelter when you use your Capital One credit card to donate on Capitol One’s “No Hassle Giving Site”. Network for Good disburses your donation and Capital One covers the transaction fees.

Second Chance Thrift Donations

Second Chance Thrift welcomes donations of new and gently used clothing, furniture, and household items. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

We appreciate your support, but there are some items we cannot accept:

• Damaged (torn, stained, broken) furniture
• Kitchen cabinets and bathroom fixtures
• Hazardous materials such as bottled gas
• Hospital beds and health care equipment (wheelchairs, walkers, etc.)
• Large appliances (washers, dryers, stoves, dishwashers, refrigerators, air conditioners, etc.)
• Waterbeds
• Pianos
• Construction supplies (paint, lumber, etc.)
• Dirty linens and clothes

Donations are accepted during thrift store hours: Sunday, 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Tuesday through Friday, 11:00 am – 7:00 pm, and Saturday, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.

Call (312) 997-2222 ×221 to check for other times to drop off your donations. If you would like to schedule a pick-up, call (312) 997-2222 ×221.

For other opportunities to support Second Chance Thrift, check for volunteer positions in the store. If you have any questions about volunteering in the store, please call (312) 997-2222 ×241 or email our volunteer department.

You can also check out upcoming sales and the latest news about Second Hand Thrift.

Wish List

Help us serve our clients by donating items on our wish list:

• Copy paper
• Resume paper
• Event tickets for our family programs
• CTA cards
• Gift cards ($25 or less) for restaurants, grocery stores, or department stores

To donate items on our wish list, call 312-997-2222 ×241.

Cathedral Shelter is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

Donate Now

Your donation helps some of the most vulnerable members of our community combat addiction, find a job, obtain counseling and tutoring, and receive food, clothing, furniture, and Christmas gifts. Here are some examples of what your donation can provide:

• $28 purchases a weekly bus pass so a single mom can get to work.
• $60 buys lunches for 20 homeless individuals.
• $110 pays our costs for four families to receive Christmas baskets.
• $437 helps an adult get individual counseling in our recovery program.
• $1,092 gives training and tutoring to someone eager to earn a paycheck.

Please donate today to help us continue to restore hope and prevent homelessness.

Giving Options

Single or Recurring Gift
Your financial gift may be a one-time donation or you may give monthly or quarterly.

Tribute or Memorial Gift
Your gift may be made in honor of someone special in your life or in memory of a loved one. We will send an acknowledgement of your donation to anyone whom you wish to notify.

Matching Gift
Many companies match the charitable contributions of their employees to nonprofit institutions such as Cathedral Shelter. If your company has a matching gift program, please request a matching gift form from your employer, and send it completed and signed to our address below. (You can still donate online or call in your donation. Only the matching gift form needs to be mailed.)

How to Donate Now

Donate Online through Network for Good. If you choose to make a donation through Network for Good you will be given the option of paying the transaction fee or not. The transaction fee is 4.75% of your donation and is similar to a transaction fee incurred by Cathedral Shelter if you made a donation by credit card. Either way 100% of your donation (including the transaction fee) is tax deductible.

Use your American Express card. You can donate dollars, redeem Membership Rewards points, or set up recurring donations. Click on the logo below to learn more about the GivingExpress program from American Express.

Phone us at 312-997-2222 ×241.

Mail us your donation. Please mail your check to:

Cathedral Shelter of Chicago
Attn: Development Department
1668 W. Ogden Avenue
Chicago, IL 60612

If you would like more information, please phone us at the number above or email Kevin McCullough.

Cathedral Shelter is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Financial Statements are available upon request.

Christmas Basket

Plans are well underway for our 101st year of Christmas joy. Family registration will take plan in June 2012.

You can help those who can’t afford Christmas gifts by sponsoring a family for a Christmas Basket. (Read more information about the Christmas Basket Program.) Donors will receive information about the family or individual they’re sponsoring, such as ages, clothing sizes, and gift requests along with directions on “How to Create a Basket”. We ask sponsors to provide at least one gift per person and grocery gift card for Christmas Dinner. Sponsors generally spend $30 per person on gifts and $10 per person for the grocery gift card. Donors will be assigned a drop-off date to deliver their gifts between November 28 and December 12. All gifts should be dropped off at Cathedral Shelter unless alternative arrangements are made.

In addition to sponsors, we need volunteers throughout the year to help with the Christmas Basket program. Visit our Volunteer Opportunities page to check for available volunteer opportunities.

Cathedral Shelter is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

Sign Up to Sponsor a Household

If you would like to sponsor a family for a Christmas Basket Email Kevin or call 312-997-2222, x241.

Hygiene & Household Items

Hygiene Products and Household Supplies for Residents

Hygiene Products and Household Supplies for Residents

Help families and individuals at Cressey House and Higgins House by donating personal hygiene products and household supplies.

Suggested donations:

Personal Hygiene

Household Supplies

• Laundry detergent
• Paper towels
• Cleaning supplies

Donations are accepted at our front desk, 1668 W. Ogden Avenue, seven days a week between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. If you have any questions, please call 312-997-2222 ×241.

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Cathedral Shelter is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

Planned Giving

Cathedral Shelter of Chicago is ready to assist you with your planned gift. We encourage you to consult with your financial advisor or estate attorney.

There are many financial avenues of planned giving for your consideration. Each may provide different immediate or deferred tax benefits for you and/or your heirs. Some examples of legacy gifts are:

Will/Bequest
One of the most common ways to gift a legacy to us is through your will by designating Cathedral Shelter of Chicago as a beneficiary. This gift may be unrestricted – Cathedral Shelter may decide how best to utilize your legacy gift – or restricted for a specific purpose. Please consult your estate attorney for the appropriate language to use in your will.

Retirement Plan Assets
You may choose to name Cathedral Shelter of Chicago as a beneficiary of your retirement account, in whole or in part. Gifting this legacy to Cathedral Shelter may provide favorable tax benefits for your estate. Retirement plans generally allow you to name a beneficiary or beneficiaries of your assets. Please speak with your professional advisor before making any beneficiary changes.

Life Insurance
Your life insurance policy was likely purchased at a time when the financial stability of your spouse and children was of paramount importance. If your circumstances have changed, naming Cathedral Shelter of Chicago as a full or partial beneficiary of your life insurance policy will provide a legacy gift to continue our ministry.

Securities
There may be immediate tax benefits to you for providing a legacy gift to Cathedral Shelter of Chicago through the transfer of stocks or bonds. The stocks you own today have likely increased in value since purchase. By transferring the stock ownership to Cathedral Shelter, you can both avoid capital gains tax and take the full fair market value of the stock as a charitable deduction on your taxes. As with all planned gifts, we encourage consultation with your financial advisor regarding these tax benefits.

Please contact the development office at 312-997-2222, ext. 241 if you are considering a legacy gift such as these.

Giving Societies

Cathedral Shelter of Chicago exists today because of the significant professional and personal contributions of our founder, Canon David Gibson; his daughter, Ruth Gibson Higgins; and his son-in-law, Rev. Joseph Higgins. In recognition of their service and dedication, three of our giving societies bear their names:

Canon Gibson Circle
Annual financial commitment: $10,000 or more
Recognition:
Dedication of an apartment at Cressey House
Acknowledgement in Cathedral Shelter publications

The Rev. Joseph Higgins Circle
Annual financial commitment: $5,000 to $9,999
Recognition:
Dedication of a room at Higgins House
Acknowledgement in Cathedral Shelter publications

Ruth Gibson Higgins Society
Annual financial commitment: $2,500 to $4,999
Recognition:
Your name on a society plaque
Acknowledgement in our annual report

We also honor the late Rev. Charles Gilchrist, our former executive director who led Cathedral Shelter through the expansion to our current facility at 1668 W. Ogden Avenue.

Charles Gilchrist Society
Annual financial commitment: $1,000 to $2,499
Recognition:
Your name on a society plaque
Acknowledgement in our annual report

If you would like to join one of our Giving Societies, please contact the development department at 312-997-2222 ×241.

Cathedral Shelter is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.