Transformational Gifts

CEL member and staff hold paint at Tuesday night Art

What a $5,000 Gift Can Make Possible

Every gift matters. A gift of $5,000 or more can help CEL create new opportunities and bring new ideas to life for the people we serve.

A gift at this level could fund a year of job coaching for a group of our members. It could help us launch a program we’ve never had the funding to try before. It could give CEL the flexibility to say yes to an opportunity and invest in what’s next.

Illinois ranks 49th in the country for services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. That’s not a small gap, and closing it takes meaningful investment. It takes people who believe in creating more opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and are willing to help make those possibilities a reality.

CEL members pose for a photo in Dunkin Donuts

What Your Gift Makes Possible

  1. Belonging: For many CEL members, finding opportunities to connect, make friends, and build community can be challenging. Your gift helps create welcoming spaces where friendships can grow, connections can happen, and everyone has a place at the table.
  2. Independence: From job coaching to mental health support, your gift helps members build skills, confidence, and greater independence while supporting their families along the way. Together, we help members pursue fuller lives at work, at home, and throughout their communities.
  3. Creativity: Painting, music, dance, and more. Your gift helps make creative opportunities possible, giving members space to explore their interests, express themselves, and share their talents with the world. 
Two CEL members smiling

Help Create More Possibilities

Give $5,000, give $10,000, or discuss a custom gift with us.

Ready to make a difference for CEL members? Connect with Herb Washington, CEL’s CEO, at 847-315-9912 or [email protected] to learn how your gift can help create new opportunities, strengthen our programs, and support members in experiencing life’s possibilities. 

For more information, please contact Herb Washington, CEO at 847-315-9912 (direct line) or by email.