In March, Northwestern University agreed to donate $1 million annually to the City of Evanston for a period of five years, with proceeds to be spent on projects and services agreed to jointly by Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl and Northwestern’s President Morton Schapiro.
Mayor Tisdahl and President Schapiro agreed to the following allocation for the first year:
• $500,000 – Sheridan Road improvement project. This project will continue into 2016 and be fully completed in 2017.
• $200,000 – Support for Evanston Fire Department paramedics. This allocation represents the cost of one full-time ambulance company serving the community 24/7 for a period of one year.
• $100,000 – Support for the City’s Youth and Young Adults. This allocation will cover the salary of one of the four existing full-time outreach workers and allow the City to add an additional full-time outreach worker.
• $150,000 – Support for at-risk youth job training programs, with $50,000 going to support programs covered by existing funding and $100,000 devoted to new job training programs.
• $50,000 – Support for the mayor’s fund to assist families impacted by violent crime.
“The Good Neighbor Fund’s allocation for year one is being directed towards projects that will help Evanston reach its goal of becoming the most livable city,” Mayor Tisdahl said. “Northwestern is a great university, and its presence strengthens our community. I thank President Schapiro for the Good Neighbor policy and look forward to seeing positive outcomes from this generous donation.”
“One of Northwestern’s greatest assets is its location in Evanston, and we are so pleased to offer our assistance as part of our contribution to Evanston’s Good Neighbor Fund,” President Schapiro said. “We look forward to working together and providing additional support to the City on important Evanston projects and initiatives in the future.”