IMC Trading (IMC) is a global trading firm that was founded in 1989. Soon after its founding, IMC became a pioneer of corporate social responsibility. They were one of the first firms in their industry to formalize an ongoing commitment to donating a portion of their profits to nonprofit partners. IMC is committed to supporting organizations in the places where their employees live and work. There are over 1,900 employees at IMC, with over a third residing in Chicago. IMC knows that the driver of their success is the people who work there; they are “the very core of their organization.” In addition to carefully studying each local community’s needs, IMC incorporates employee feedback when selecting organizations to support.

What Chicago needs

According to data from the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) from 2025, only 41% of students in Chicago Public Schools are proficient in reading. In the schools WITS serves, only 37% of students read at or above grade level. WITS is the largest provider of literacy enrichment programming and corporate partnerships in Chicago Public Schools, delivering free programs that support both students and teachers. Annually, IMC provides over 450 hours of mentorship to WITS students. Most recently, IMC mentors worked with fifth and sixth-grade students from Manuel Perez Elementary School in Pilsen as part of a WITS Workplace Mentoring program. At the end of the school year, WITS students experienced an 18% increase in their positive attitudes toward reading, an incredibly important marker for continued academic success. Most remarkably, twice as many students in the WITS programs were reading at or above their grade level compared to the beginning of the year. WITS could not achieve this impressive impact without IMC’s investment. Since the beginning of WITS’s partnership with IMC, they have invested almost $250,000 in WITS, transforming the literacy outcomes of thousands of students.

IMC employees advocate for WITS

Community Engagement Manager at the IMC Chicago Charitable Foundation, Andrea Brewster, recognizes the positive impact WITS has on young readers.

Andrea has a deep commitment to education. Prior to her tenure at IMC, she spent almost a decade in the nonprofit industry supporting social and emotional learning for CPS students. In her role at IMC, Andrea connects IMC’s Chicago employees to local nonprofits like WITS through giving and volunteer opportunities. It is because of Andrea and mentors like Andrea Jackson (pictured above) that WITS has had such a long and impactful relationship with IMC.

WITS is committed to our relationship with IMC and providing engaging programs that benefit their employees and Chicago elementary students. It is through partnerships like these that WITS creates opportunities for every student in Chicago to become literate.

How can your company partner with WITS?

WITS has over 30 years of experience partnering with Chicago companies like IMC. There are many benefits to partnering with WITS:

• Turn-key programs that engage employees, leading to higher retention rates and employee satisfaction.
• A dedicated program coordinator to facilitate meaningful, research-supported programming.
• A streamlined way to give Chicago students and teachers access to age-appropriate, culturally specific books they currently lack access to.
• Exposure opportunities that highlight your company’s commitment to the city of Chicago.

If you are interested in becoming a WITS partner, please fill out our inquiry form.

Supporting WITS

WITS is proud to be 100% privately funded, ensuring uninterrupted program delivery that does not rely on school or city budgets. In addition to being a WITS partner, you can support our programming in several ways. We offer opportunities for individuals to donate, purchase books for the WITS library, and volunteer. No matter how you choose to support WITS, your contribution plays a vital role in empowering students to discover themselves through reading and develop foundational literacy skills.