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RDLF News: Issue 35
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Logan Scholars: Kelly's Ambitions
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This summer, Program Officer Jessica Jones-Lewis interviewed two recipients of the “In the Game” Logan Scholarship, a Kelly High School program led by Brighton Park Neighborhood Council (BPNC) and funded by the Reva and David Logan Foundation. You can read the first interview here.
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The Impact of the Logan Scholarship
The Logan Scholarship is a scholarship for 4 years of undergraduate education awarded to six to seven women at Kelly High School each year to close the financial gap that remains after all their financial aid and scholarships are applied toward their undergraduate education, which otherwise prevents many young people from graduating. The $20,000 scholarship is distributed in installments of $5,000 per year.
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Since the scholarship started in 2015, 61 students have received the Logan Scholarship, with 24 active recipients currently enrolled full-time in college. All active scholars maintain GPAs between 2.5 and 4.0, reflecting their continued academic achievement. So far, three students continued education after the scholarship and completed their graduate degrees.
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Each scholarship recipient has a Student Support Coordinator who offers individualized assistance through monthly one-hour case management meetings. These sessions address academic progress, personal well-being, study strategies, time management, mental health, and financial stability, connecting students to needed resources. Through these efforts, the Logan Scholarship continues to strengthen college readiness, support scholars holistically, and maintain strong collaboration with school leadership.
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In addition, all scholarship recipients can make requests for assistance with all the unexpected costs associated with attending college through the scholarship’s emergency fund. In the past, students have used this fund to pay for books, iPads and laptops for school, groceries, transportation, exam fees, and graduation attire.
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This scholarship is helping bright, ambitious young women complete their undergraduate degrees. Like our next interviewee, many of these students want the opportunity to pursue graduate degrees, but lack the financial support. If you are a funder and would like to help expand this program, please reach out.
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Our next interviewee is Kelly Lin, a senior Political Science major on a Pre-Law track with a double minor in Public Relations and Legal Studies.
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"The Logan Scholarship is very good at reaching out to its students monthly, which I think is very important because anything can happen in that one-month span, like midterms or an emergency. The student support coordinators really care about their students and they want to make sure their students have everything they need to be successful in college. Even if a student might not be as responsive, they still follow up. Working at my high school during the summer, I got to see what Esmeralda does for her other students. I think that’s very important and helpful."
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Ellsberg Award's 2026 Winner:
Andrés Olarte Peña
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The whistleblower shared thousands of documents pointing to evidence that Ecopetrol, Columbia’s biggest and majority state-owned company, engaged in:
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- Severe environmental pollution, including contamination of water and wetlands with toxic substances and illegal flaring of methane gas;
- Concealment of incidents and deliberate failure to report violations;
- Targeted surveillance and retaliation against socio-environmental leaders;
- Collaboration with national security forces and convergence of interests with paramilitary armed groups.
Andrés Olarte worked at Ecopetrol from January 2017 to January 2019, first as an analyst and later as an environmental adviser to the Vice President of Sustainability. After blowing the whistle internally and exhausting all possible avenues with no results, he contacted the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). In March 2025, the EIA published the report Crude Lies along with a database, the Iguana Papers, and the BBC released the documentary Exposing the toxic record of Colombia's oil giant.
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The investigations provide a chilling insight into the practices of a resource company in one of the world’s most dangerous countries for environmental activists.
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While Colombia is taking steps toward an energy transition, it continues to export large volumes of fossil fuels. Especially in an industry that poses a risk to climate and environment, whistleblowing and investigative journalism are indispensable to ensure compliance with environmental and human rights standards. This must be recognized and supported both in Colombia and in importing countries.
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There were numerous whistleblower cases that all deserved recognition, but the jury, comprised of representatives from journalism and whistleblower organizations worldwide, emphasized: The case of Andrés Olarte exemplifies the extraordinary courage of a whistleblower taking immense personal risks to expose wrongdoing of vast scale and impact. For his integrity, Olarte faced severe consequences: intimidation, anonymous death threats, and exile in Europe. These sacrifices underscore his exceptional commitment to the public interest.
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Andrés Olarte: “My motivation is change. I hope for structural reforms at Ecopetrol and in
Colombia. Whistleblowing and transparency should not be a burden but a positive
contribution.”
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LoCC: Let's Reconnect
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On November 6th, approximately 50 nonprofit leaders of color came together at Co-Prosperity, an experimental cultural center located in Bridgeport to reconnect with the Leaders of Color Collective.
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While these events have always centered on building a safe, supportive community, the city's climate made this event even more poignant. Many leaders came to the event carrying the weight of constituents who had not received their SNAP benefits, or had their neighborhoods and homes raided by ICE agents. ICE had been parked outside of the event space just before the event started, terrorizing the neighborhood. The air across Chicago was heavy.
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However, as leaders came in, they were able to shed not only their fall jackets but some of the city's weight. Leaders from across sectors, including city officials and representatives from philanthropy, gathered to share their missions, successes and recent challenges.
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The common sentiment was that leaders of color need each other. This community lives in a system that constantly harms them without reservation, and as leaders, there is a responsibility to care for themselves and each other so they can continue to show up for their organizations and community members.
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If you are not part of the Leaders of Color Collective and would like to get involved, or if you have attended an event and want to provide feedback, please contact Jessica Jones-Lewis at Jessica(at)loganfdn(dot)org.
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Winter Weather 2025
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Photo credit: Heidi Randhava
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Each year, The Reva and David Logan Foundation purchases thousands of new winter clothing items for various community partner organizations, including mutual-aid groups, schools, shelters, and community-based programs.
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This year, we distributed 17,000 brand new, warm coats among 70 groups around Chicagoland, from as far south as Harvey to as far north as Palatine.
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Those of us living in Chicago are familiar with how unpredictable winters can be, and staying warm is an ever-increasing challenge for many of our neighbors. Rising heating costs, strain on shelter systems, and sharp temperature swings mean that a dependable winter coat is crucial protection.
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A warm coat helps parents get their kids to school safely, keeps commuters protected during long waits for buses and trains, and offers critical insulation for those navigating housing insecurity. For many Chicagoans, especially elders, youth, and people working outdoors, the right coat can prevent serious illness.
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While we are supplying some folks the warmth and dignity they deserve, we also know this effort is just scratching the surface. If you would like to support our winter weather program, please contact us at contact(at)loganfdn(dot)org.
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Open Applications
- Scaling Pathways to Homeownership: Scaling Pathways to Homeownership seeks ideas that can drive transformative change, including innovations in housing counseling, consumer education, and for-sale housing production at scale. Priority will be given to proposals with the potential to create meaningful and measurable impact through resources and tools that address information gaps or supply challenges, improve access, and support homeownership readiness to make it easier for individuals and families to benefit from the wealth-building that can come from homeownership. Applicants must register to apply by December 17, 2025, at 4PM CT and submit an online application by January 29, 2026, at 4PM CT.
- Sigma Awards for Data Journalism: Global Investigative Journalism Network is inviting journalists from all regions to identify their best data work and submit it for consideration. They are maintaining the no-category rule for the award and will have experts in data journalism from around the world to serve on the jury and prize committee. Work from individuals and small newsrooms, as well as larger newsroom teams, is welcome. The application deadline is January 11, 2026.
- Individual Artists Program: The Individual Artists Program (IAP) aims to assist Chicago's practicing artists in creating work that develops their craft and elevates their careers, while adding to the cultural vitality of the city of Chicago. IAP grants support artists across all artistic disciplines including Film & Media Arts, Literary Arts, Music, Performing Arts (Theater/Dance), and Visual Arts/Design. The application deadline is Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 12PM CT.
- Open Call for Small Business Pitch Competitions: The Coleman Foundation is supporting small business pitch competitions in the Greater Chicago region.
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Small business pitch competitions strengthen entrepreneurship ecosystems by expanding access to both financial and social capital for ready-to-scale entrepreneurs. They provide early-stage funding, investor exposure, and critical feedback—while also serving as essential entry points into the capital landscape for underrepresented entrepreneurs. Local non-profit organizations can apply for up to $25,000. The application deadline is January 23, 2026 at 5PM CT.
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Airwars: “For five months, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was the main distributor of food in Gaza. Backed by the United States and Israel, more than 1,000 people were allegedly killed seeking aid at its sites ... The short film shows how the design of the militarised aid system - from design to execution - made deaths and injuries inevitable."
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Coda Story: "Richard Gingras spent 15 years shaping Google's relationship with journalism—funding conferences, building friendships, creating dependencies. At a Vienna conference, we asked him to account for the system he architected."
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Capital & Main: "In California, laborers as young as 12 can legally work in agriculture. But many of them toil in punishing and dangerous conditions, and the state is failing to ensure their health and safety, an investigation by Capital & Main has found."
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Nieman Reports / Agencia Publica: "The way societies deal with the harms caused by tech platforms and how they can put in place checks and balances on this powerful industry will define most of what the next decades will look like."
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We craft this newsletter for you. If you have any comments or suggestions, please reply to this email and you might see your ideas implemented in our next issue.
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We have an open call for content from our partners to highlight the brilliant work they're doing in the community. If you are a current grantee or partner with The Reva and David Logan Foundation, please send your content to Sabrina Boggs, Communications Coordinator at sabrina(at)loganfdn(dot)org. Please note that we will not share fundraising campaigns.
Thanks for reading, and see you next time!
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