Compass in the Community – 2025
September 2025
Make an Impact
We are so grateful to the Make an Impact group!
Their amazing $45,000 gift from the Impact on the Green charity golf outing will make a lasting difference for kids in our community.
Their generosity will help Compass for Kids continue providing programs that help students build confidence, develop life skills, and dream big for their futures.
Thank you, Make an Impact, for believing in our mission and making a significant investment in Springfield’s youth! And thank you for visiting Club Compass for this exciting check presentation!
Teaming up with AIWO and The Morning Routine
We had so much fun with Richa and Ketki from the Asian Indian Women’s Organization (AIWO) on The Morning Routine with Rocki and Lacey (WNNS / Woodward Media), chatting all things India Night! The Asian Indian Women’s Organization and Peaches Pop-Up hosted a beautiful Indian fashion wardrobe edit for an unforgettable event!
Golfers Teeing it Up for Compass for Kids
Thank you to bankwithBOS, Giganti and Giganti Fine Jewelry, and Staff Carpet for being such amazing community supporters! We appreciate all you do to make Springfield a better place. We were honored to be a beneficiary of the 40th non-annual Caddyshack Open Golf Outing!
We truly appreciate the support of St. John’s Lutheran Church! Thank you for Teeing It Up Fore The Kids! This incredibly generous gift will help our programs – Club Compass, YLDP, and Camp Compass – continue to be effective and of high quality.
August 2025
Getting Ready for School
We joined Springfield Clinic and Molina Healthcare to offer physicals for students entering Kindergarten, 6th, and 9th grades. Families had a great time at the District Back to School Bash, explored the Kid Fun Zone, and connected with community resources at Union Baptist Church, among other community events.
Community Support
We are thrilled to welcome Illinois Educators Credit Union as a proud sponsor of Compass for Kids! Your generosity helps us provide academic and social-emotional support to students in our community, empowering them to dream big and achieve their goals.
SCHEELS Backpack delivery – We partnered with Compass for Kids to help students in our Springfield community start the school year strong. We’re grateful for the chance to give back – and we hope the kids love their new backpacks! ❤️🎒https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17NCbZpyfK/
We are so grateful to the Elks Lodge 158 for donating $5,000 from the proceeds of their annual Golf Outing to Compass for Kids!
This generous gift will help us provide school-year and summer programming for kids in our community – empowering them to succeed in school and in life. Thank you for making a difference for Springfield’s children!
July 2025
Stakeholder Breakfast 2025
☕✨ We gathered with supporters, partners, and friends to reflect on the impact of Compass for Kids and share our vision for the future at the 2025 Stakeholder Breakfast. From heartfelt stories to big goals, it was a morning full of inspiration and connection.
See highlights, photos, and what’s next for Compass! Read more ➡️
compassforkids.org/stakeholder-breakfast-2025
June 2025
Celebrating nine years as a not-for-profit organization
Compass for Kids proudly celebrated nine incredible years as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization! What began as Founder & Chief Executive Officer Molly Berendt Grogan’s bold vision to support kids in Springfield has grown into a powerful and united community of changemakers: staff, volunteers, partners, educators, and counselors, all working together to create brighter futures.
Community Support
In June, Compass for Kids was overwhelmed by the generous support of our community! From the Rotary Clubs and Elks Charity Golf events to the always-fun Caddyshack Open and the Fat Ass 5K, every effort helped fuel our mission. A special shoutout to all who participated in the ImpactLife Blood Drive, your impact goes far beyond one day. 💛 Thank you for showing up, giving back, and helping us support local kids in a big way!
Smart Owl Coffee Community Partnership
🦉☕ A big thank you to our wise and generous community partner, Smart Owl Coffee, for serving up their delicious Essentials Blend at the 2025 Stakeholder Breakfast!
This limited-time, Give-a-Hoot summer seasonal blend is brewed to make the grade, and better yet, a portion of every purchase goes straight back to Compass for Kids. 🎓💛
You can snag your bag of Essentials Blend online or in select stores, but hurry, it’s only around for a short time!
May 2025
Day of Service
THANK YOU to Keller Williams Capital for spending Red Day 2025 with Compass for Kids!
Your team went above and beyond, organizing Camp Compass supplies, cleaning the yard, scraping porch paint, building a shed, stocking our care cabinets, and helping with a fun cookie craft project. 
April 2025
Good as Gold Awards
Compass for Kids is honored to be recognized by the University of Illinois Springfield‘s Good as Gold Awards!
• Organization of the Year – Compass for Kids
• Youth Volunteer – Our amazing YLDP youth, Alex!
• Distinguished Volunteers – Huge congratulations to Merle Shiffman for her dedication to Club Compass!
• Heart of Gold Volunteers – The wonderful Jim Endris and Mary Lou Spengel, whose compassion and service continue to inspire us all.
To our volunteers, youth, and supporters – YOU make this possible. We share this celebration with each of you. Thank you for being the heart of Compass.
March 2025
Council of the Lakes Chili Challenge Results
We’re incredibly grateful to the Council of the Lakes for selecting Compass for Kids as the 2025 Chili Challenge nonprofit recipient! We had a blast with the challenges along the way and are honored to receive a generous check for $5,259.42. Thank you to everyone who helped, participated, and supported these events!
Pictured Left to Right: Ward 1 Alderman Jeff Cox, Compass for Kids Board Member Ray Zinnen, Chili Challenge Chairman Stacy Goldesberry, Elks Lodge #158, Elks Lodge #158 Exalted Ruler Matt Willis, Compass For Kids Chief Operating Officer Sarah Oglesby and Senior Donor Relations Manager Brandy Stabler, and Council of Lake Springfield Clubs President Adam Pallai.
Advocating for our Kids
Molly and Sarah spent the day at the Illinois State Capitol with ACT Now and over 200 advocates calling on Illinois leaders to release critical funding for after-school programs.
Here’s a link to read more: https://www.chalkbeat.org/…/illinois-afterschool…/
Sharing the Mission
We had a fantastic time sharing the mission of Compass for Kids at The Ritz Gala, beautifully hosted by Coalition of Rainbow Alliances. It was a wonderful evening of connection, community, and spreading the word about the impact we’re making together!
Community Support
Thank you to Midwest Toy and Comic Fest for selecting Compass for Kids as their nonprofit partner for this year’s event! We’re grateful for the generous support from local businesses—Titan Games, BUNN, Yanni’s Gyros, LongHorn Steakhouse—and all the amazing silent auction donors. We appreciate you!
February 2025
In the media
Compass for Kids Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Molly Berendt was featured on WICS Newschannel 20’s Women without Limits segment in February 2025.
View the full story here: https://newschannel20.com/…/women-without-limits-molly…#
UIS Alumni Rising Star Award
We celebrated Molly Berendt, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, at the 2025 UIS Alumni Annual Gala, where she received the inaugural Rising Star Alumni Award for her innovation and early career success.
The gala also recognized remarkable individuals for their contributions and impact. Former Rep. Cheri Bustos was honored with the Alumni Achievement Award, Professor Emeritus Charles N. Wheeler III received the Distinguished Service Award, and Julie Pryde was recognized with the Alumni Humanitarian Award.
Compass in the community
One in a Million Inc. hosted its annual Black History Ball, a special event that brings our community together to honor and celebrate Black history and culture. Our YLDP youth always look forward to this meaningful celebration and love being part of such an inspiring evening. It’s a powerful opportunity for them to connect, learn, and take pride in the rich history that shapes our community.
January 2025
Thank you, HDR Foundation, for choosing Compass for Kids as the recipient of this incredible grant which supplies BrickLAB STEM Kits and Curricula for Camp Compass. We appreciate your commitment to inspiring young learners and building brighter futures!
The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce Annual Gala was a lovely event! We celebrated Taylor Mullin, Administrative Assistant, as she completed her Leadership Springfield program.
UIS Basketball and Compass for Kids Partnership
We had so much fun at the UIS basketball games in January! We hung out with our friends from Bank of Springfield, and our Club kids made the welcome tunnel and played games on the court during breaks. We are especially proud of our YLDP, multi-talented youth, Marcus, for singing the National Anthem! Way to go, Marcus! Thank you to UIS Athletics for including us as your first community partner of the season!
Club Kids visit WICS Studio
The Graham Elementary Club Compass kids were treated to a field trip to Channel 20 WICS television studio in early February to get a behind-the-scenes look at broadcasting. The green screen was a huge hit—maybe we have some future broadcasters in the making!
