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Fall 2025
I had planned to send out quite a different holiday message—one filled with the joy we associate with this time of year. But last night, as I prepared my Chanukah menorah and lit the first candle of the holiday, my heart was still heavy. We had all heard of the terror attack at a large Chanukah celebration in Sydney, Australia. Innocent people, among them children, policemen, a Holocaust survivor, and a beloved rabbi, lost their lives. Many more were wounded in body and spirit. One day earlier, an attacker at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, had taken the lives of two students and injured nine more.
Today, I reach out with a prayer for healing and comfort for all those who are affected.
I also reach out with what I know is true: a single candle can dispel darkness, as can a single act of generosity. Connected as we are by philanthropic purpose, I ask for a unique pledge. Let us each commit to one additional act of kindness. It can be simple: a supportive favor for a friend or a donation to a worthy cause. Or it can be grand, like starting a new initiative to uplift people’s lives. Whatever it is, it will undoubtedly be a much-needed beacon.
Over the next several nights, Chanukah menorahs will grow brighter by one candle each evening, until all eight lights shine at their brightest on the final night. Just as the light of the holiday increases each night, may our generosity, our kindness, and our collective impact grow ever brighter this season. Light will prevail.
With blessings,
Elizabeth Walder
President & CEO
Elizabeth Walder, President & CEO, Walder Foundation
SCIENCE INNOVATION
Unlocking Cellular Secrets: Dr. Jiou Wang’s Latest Breakthroughs
Wang (left) engages with two students in a Johns Hopkins lab. Photo still from Johns Hopkins Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department video.
Jiou Wang, M.D., Ph.D., Walder Foundation Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is a prominent scientist whose research aims to understand the cellular processes that control and respond to proteotoxicity.
His team's discoveries have broad implications for addressing conditions like neurodegeneration, and even viral infections, at the molecular level, which opens new doors for therapies that could protect neurons and improve human health.
Two years after receiving the professorship, we caught up with Wang to understand his research advancements and future research directions.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Chicago’s Conservation Legacy Expands: Uncovering and Safeguarding the Biodiversity of a 1.5 Million-Hectare Wilderness
Drone shot taken from above Camp Amuku in Guyana, showing the Essequibo River, forest to the east of camp, and the Amuku Mountains in the distance. Photo credit: Esteban Barrera.
For the first time in nearly 90 years, a team of Indigenous experts, Guyanese scientists, and Chicago-based researchers joined forces to explore one of the most pristine and ecologically rich regions on Earth—the Acarai Rupununi Corridor in southern Guyana.
Over a month-long expedition, the team documented hundreds of species, including 35 potentially new to science and 31 never before recorded in Guyana.
Their findings underscore the Corridor’s global significance.
How is this groundbreaking collaboration helping Guyana balance economic growth with environmental stewardship? Why does it matter for the future of our planet?
PERFORMING ARTS
Investing in the Future of the Arts: Supporting Capacity Building Needs of Small and Midsize Organizations in Chicago
Attendees participate in group discussion during 2nd Story's 2024 Rising Tide Summit. 2nd Story received a 2025 Walder Foundation grant. Photo credit: Liz Rice.
Walder Foundation is investing $3 million in grants to support 19 performing arts organizations across Chicago.
These funds will help theaters, music groups, and cultural institutions continue creating transformative experiences for audiences.
From fostering artistic innovation and health to ensuring accessibility, this initiative reflects our commitment to a thriving arts community.
MIGRATION AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES
Beyond the Headlines
Courtesy of Getty Images.
Public narratives shape how communities perceive migration, impacting everyday person-to-person interactions, social cohesion, charitable giving patterns, and public policy formation.
To date, the Foundation has provided over $1M in grants to Chicago-area organizations that reach both broad and targeted audiences with stories, data, and explainers illuminating the challenges of immigration policy and a broad range of immigrant experiences. Learn more about their efforts.
JEWISH LIFE
Walder Foundation Provides Landmark Funding for the Devorah Leah Campus in Chicago
Rabbi Baruch Hertz and Mrs. Elizabeth Walder unveil a Devorah Leah Campus sign at the dedication of the campus on September 14, 2025. Photo credit: Avi Berkman.
A new chapter in Jewish education in Chicago has begun with the dedication of the Devorah Leah Campus, home to the state-of-the-art Lubavitch Girls High School.
Named after Rebbetzin Devorah Leah of Vitebsk—an 18th-century heroine known as “the learned one”—the campus honors her legacy of scholarship and courage.
Discover more about Rebbetzin Devorah Leah, the campus facilities, and Dr. Joseph z"l and Elizabeth Walder’s vision to elevate Torah learning for young women and set a high bar for education.
WALDER HIGHLIGHTS
The Biota Awards Celebration brought together a community of scientists, conservationists, and advocates shaping the future of biodiversity on September 3. The event provided an opportunity to learn about the work happening in the region and underscored the importance of supporting early-career scientists, including six new awardees and over 30 students who participated in a poster presentation session. Pictured: The six 2025 awardees at the event. Photo credit: Eric Clarke.
On November 10, Walder Foundation announced $3M in new grants will support 19 performing arts organizations in the Chicago region. The grants are intended to help launch innovative ideas that respond to capacity-building needs affecting small and midsize performing arts organizations. Projects address the important areas of pay equity and arts worker care, changing business models, and leadership retention.
Walder Foundation's Lighting the Way: A Philanthropic Guide to Supporting Migration for a Welcoming Chicago continues to be available for download.
This comprehensive guide is designed for private funders, nonprofit leaders, civic partners, and individual donors who want to better understand and support the migration ecosystem in the Chicago region. Photo credit: Ana Miyares.
WALDER WHEREABOUTS
Congratulations to Sara Carranza, Program Associate, Performing Arts, for completing the Women's Leadership Program in the Yale University School of Management! In this immersive program, participants strengthen critical leadership competencies and forge authentic leadership styles to maximize their strengths and nurture their individuality.
Congratulations to Tinaishe Maramba, Program Associate, Migration and Immigrant Communities, for completing Persuasive Communication: Narrative, Evidence, and Impact, an online program of Harvard Kennedy School! The program helps participants position narratives for maximum effect to and with decision makers.
Digital Project Manager Susie Lee was a speaker for a Public Relations Society of America - Chicago Chapter event exploring timely topics communicators in the mission-driven sector are facing. She addressed tools for impactful visual storytelling and care for the creator. The event was facilitated by Elizabeth Kix, Director of Communications. Pictured: Susie Lee (right) with fellow speaker Laura Sagil. Photo credit: Quinton Arthur.
Several Walder staff and grantees participated in the Walder Foundation-sponsored Momentum Fellowship Summit, which welcomed 130 women to Chicago, between September 7-9. The Summit provided leadership development programming, and Mrs. Walder shared her leadership journey and advice to help women leaders create meaningful impact in their communities and beyond. Pictured: Mrs. Walder accepting a gift from Summit leadership. Photo credit: XVP Studios.
Jack Westwood, Senior Program Director, Environmental Sustainability, participated in a panel discussion at the Lincoln Park Zoo (LPZ) Chair’s Dinner on September 25. Alongside Christopher Schell of University of California, Berkeley, Seth Magle of LPZ, and Michael Davidson of Openlands, he addressed the shifting landscape of funding for scientific research and how strategic partnerships can drive conservation progress. Pictured: Jack Westwood speaking. Photo credit: Violetta Photo.
