Francie Schnipke Richards
Vice President, Social Responsibility, The Allstate Foundation
Francie S. Richards is returning to CPS as the Head of Development and External Partnerships, and seeks the role of Executive Director of the Children First Fund. In this role, she will broker partnerships and secure and organize funds for initiatives that advance CPS’ vision.
Since 2014, Francie was the founding Central U.S. Region Director of WE Charity, an international organization that empowers 4 million youth to change the world through service. She led programming and development across the Midwest and launched WE’s U.S. expansion alongside youth, educators, parents, business leaders, philanthropists and celebrities. Over half of CPS schools are supported by WE, and over twenty thousand CPS youth and educators have experienced WE Day, the arena-sized youth leadership event she established in Chicago with the support of renowned corporate citizens and philanthropists such as Allstate Insurance Company, Walgreens, Microsoft, Unilever, Crown Family Philanthropies, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation and The Chicago Community Trust. Prior to WE, Francie was a Program Director at the Chicago Public Education Fund managing strategic investments in principal talent and helping to establish the Fund IV priorities; she also served on Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s education team, supporting the implementation of the full school day, the introduction of new Early College STEM schools, the computer science, IB and AP expansion, and the City Colleges of Chicago's “College to Careers” initiative. Francie’s dedication to Chicago’s students began at CPS through Teach For America, where she taught 2nd grade at McCutcheon Elementary and 9th grade English at Muchin College Prep. Francie has a Bachelor's in Social Work from Eastern Michigan University, a Master's in Social and Economic Development from Washington University in St. Louis, a teaching certificate from Dominican University and an Executive Scholar Certificate from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She is married to Brandon Richards, a Senior Engineer for GE Aviation and a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor.
Vice President, Social Responsibility, The Allstate Foundation
Francie S. Richards is returning to CPS as the Head of Development and External Partnerships, and seeks the role of Executive Director of the Children First Fund. In this role, she will broker partnerships and secure and organize funds for initiatives that advance CPS’ vision.
Since 2014, Francie was the founding Central U.S. Region Director of WE Charity, an international organization that empowers 4 million youth to change the world through service. She led programming and development across the Midwest and launched WE’s U.S. expansion alongside youth, educators, parents, business leaders, philanthropists and celebrities. Over half of CPS schools are supported by WE, and over twenty thousand CPS youth and educators have experienced WE Day, the arena-sized youth leadership event she established in Chicago with the support of renowned corporate citizens and philanthropists such as Allstate Insurance Company, Walgreens, Microsoft, Unilever, Crown Family Philanthropies, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation and The Chicago Community Trust. Prior to WE, Francie was a Program Director at the Chicago Public Education Fund managing strategic investments in principal talent and helping to establish the Fund IV priorities; she also served on Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s education team, supporting the implementation of the full school day, the introduction of new Early College STEM schools, the computer science, IB and AP expansion, and the City Colleges of Chicago's “College to Careers” initiative. Francie’s dedication to Chicago’s students began at CPS through Teach For America, where she taught 2nd grade at McCutcheon Elementary and 9th grade English at Muchin College Prep. Francie has a Bachelor's in Social Work from Eastern Michigan University, a Master's in Social and Economic Development from Washington University in St. Louis, a teaching certificate from Dominican University and an Executive Scholar Certificate from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She is married to Brandon Richards, a Senior Engineer for GE Aviation and a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor.