The mission of the Big Shoulders Fund is to provide support to the Catholic schools in the neediest areas of inner-city Chicago. The funds raised by Big Shoulders are used for scholarships, special education programs, instructional equipment, much needed facility improvements, faculty support, and operating grants. Serving both Catholics and non-Catholics, Big Shoulders Fund supported schools are seen as anchors in their communities and in the lives of the families they serve. It is our hope to provide the inner-city Catholic schools with the resources to prepare Chicago's young people for a productive future. The Big Shoulders Fund seeks to offer inner-city children and their parents the choice of a faith-based, value-centered education.