Corporate partnerships with The Nora Project communicate partners’ values, engage their employees, and promote inclusive corporate cultures

The Nora Project is the only provider of comprehensive preK-12 disability studies curriculum in the country. Our goal is to demystify disability by talking about it, bringing students of all abilities together to learn and play as equals, and working collaboratively with educators to identify and remove barriers to fostering inclusive school communities. Grounded in the social emotional learning approach, which teaches students empathy for themselves and others, our disability studies programs have a proven positive impact on school and classroom culture, student teamwork and collaboration, and kids’ feelings of belonging and happiness at school.

Working to advance equity and inclusion in our schools and broader communities has never been more urgent. Unfortunately the rights and needs of the disability community are too often ignored in these efforts, even though roughly 7 million children with disabilities are educated in the U.S. public school system, and 1 in 4 American adults has a disability--a number quickly growing due to COVID. 

You believe in the rights and dignity of all people. Partner with The Nora Project, and align your company with an organization dedicated to educating a generation of includers.

How we work with corporate partners

Employee Engagement

The Nora Project has a variety of meaningful volunteer opportunities for employees to participate in from corporate offices, remotely, and in our partner classrooms throughout Chicagoland and across the country. These include group experiences and skills-based, custom volunteerism. In addition, we offer a variety of lunch-and-learn sessions on topics such as creating a corporate culture that values disability diversity, how to plan and host inclusive meetings and events, talking to our children about disability, the benefits of inclusive classrooms (and workplaces), and others.

Event-Related Marketing

In addition to hosting two large in-person fundraising events in Chicago each year--a golf tournament and a gala--The Nora Project also hosts two virtual awareness-raising campaigns which boast nationwide participation--Friendship February, which challenges students to complete acts of kindness throughout the month, and The Nora Project Speaker Series, which features monthly performances and discussions with disabled artists, authors and activists. The Nora Project also hosts an annual Educator Training Camp, which is attended by more than 250 teachers and community leaders nationwide. These events present both marketing and employee engagement opportunities, and your support underwrites event and campaign costs so that all funds raised can go directly to our work.

Impact Investment and Branding

You can make a direct impact on the students and schools participating in our programs by sponsoring one or more of our Lifecycle Programs or Jump Start Units, each reaching thousands of children (and their families) ages 3-22 every school year. Our programs include print and digital materials, classroom kits with custom folders, journals and other school supplies, and educational technology. Partners can also make an impact by adopting one or more of our dozens of partner schools located in underserved communities. This direct support has an immediate, measurable impact on student lives and school culture, and associates your organization with empathy education and inclusive schools.

Other Benefits

The Nora Project blog and social media channels have thousands of educator and parent followers and our monthly newsletters reach an even larger demographic, including donors and supporters who care about disability rights, empathy education, and inclusive schools. Nora Project partners can reach our program beneficiaries, readers, followers, and donors through co-created content shared across these platforms.

Partnership Levels

At whatever level you choose to invest, The Nora Project will work with you to customize your sponsorship package to provide robust value and meet the unique needs of your organization. Partnerships begin at $5,000. To learn more, email us today or contact Deana at 847-681-3471 .