Highland Park Neighbors Magazine Articles

The Highland Park Community Foundation (HPCF) gratefully welcomes the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund as the HPCF’s first Foundation Champion. Making a five-year commitment at the Platinum level, the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund has generously provided a $20,000/year financial commitment to support the HPCF in addressing unmet needs of the community and expanding opportunities for all Highland Park and Highwood residents.

HPCF’s Foundation Champion Program provides the opportunity for foundations to partner with the HPCF in making a meaningful difference for children and adults throughout Highland Park and Highwood. “The Baum Fund is proud to be the first Foundation Champion, alongside the HPCF Corporate Champions. We hope to inspire others to support the HPCF generously in order to provide resources the community needs and to enrich the lives of all residents,” said Joel Friedman, President, Alvin H. Baum Family Fund, and Highland Park resident.

Longtime residents of Highland Park, Alvin and Ann Baum established the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund in 1952 with the mission of bettering the lives of those in the Chicagoland area through their grants and collaborations. As the Baums advanced in years, they asked Joel M. Friedman to manage their philanthropic strategy and legacy. Having moved their family to Highland Park in 1976, Joel and his wife Iris are also longtime and active members of the community.

Joel Friedman, President, Alvin H. Baum Family Fund

“Not only will this commitment from the Alvin H. Baum Foundation help support the growing critical needs within the communities we serve, but the Baum donation also publicly challenges other Highland Park and Highwood based foundations to join them and their endorsement of supporting the HPCF and the growing number of local organizations we support,” said Craig Leva, member of the HPCF Board of Directors. “The net effect, then, may have an even greater impact. We are greatly appreciative of this commitment by the Alvin H. Baum Foundation, and we are proud that the Highland Park Community Foundation has been chosen to be a trusted steward of these funds that will help both organizations make additional impact within Highland Park and Highwood.”

The entire HPCF Board and staff thank the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund for its partnership in helping us make a difference in the lives of children and adults throughout Highland Park and Highwood!

To learn more about the Highland Park Community Foundation and its work, please visit: hpcfil.org. For more information about how to become a Foundation Champion, please contact Terri Olian, Executive Director, at terri@hpcfil.org or 847-433-4100. To donate online, please visit hpcfil.org/donate. To learn more about the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund, please visit: baumfund.org.

About The Alvin H. Baum Family Fund: The Alvin H. Baum Family Fund strives to better the lives of those who live and work predominantly in the Chicagoland area. Through innovative grants and collaborations, the Fund helps ignite new ideas and promote solutions to ensure healthier, more equitable, and peaceful communities.

HPCF’s Corporate and Foundation Champions