Week 9

This week was very productive in terms of setting up interviews.  I set up three interviews, and was able to acquire contact information for most of the remaining individuals I had originally planned on interviewing.  I also had an impromptu phone interview with one of the other board members on Friday.

The board member that I spoke with on Friday was not an original board member, but has been with the foundation for nearly 20 years, so had a good outlook on how the foundation has evolved.  He discussed several important projects that the foundation has funded that have been especially significant.  The project that was most interesting to me was an emergency room study that was conducted.  This study resulted in changes made in ER wait times and efficiency not only in Chicago, but throughout the country.  In addition, he discussed a recent food pantry initiative funded by Washington Square.  This project is significant because it is the first time the foundation has funded a food bank, indicating a broadening of funding areas in public health.

Below is an older photograph of some of the past and present members of the Board of Directors of Washington Square:

I'm looking forward to the next few interviews, and hoping that they will help me develop a more complete understanding of certain aspects of the foundation's history.