Celebrate 50+ Years of Impact: Light a Candle for Dan Bassill’s 80th Birthday!
On December 19, 2026, Dan Bassill marks a remarkable milestone—his 80th birthday.
For over five decades, Dan has dedicated his life to empowering youth, building learning networks, and expanding tutoring and mentoring programs across high-poverty neighborhoods in Chicago and beyond. Reaching 80 is special, but the true celebration is the tens of thousands of young lives transformed along the way.
Light a Candle to Power the Vision
Since 2011, Dan has invited friends, alumni, and advocates to celebrate his birthday through a simple tradition: "lighting a candle" on his cake.
• $8.00 lights 1 candle (representing one year of Dan's life).
• $40.00 lights 5 candles.
• $80.00 lights 10 candles.
• $800.00 lights a full decade of impact! Every dollar raised directly fuels Dan’s ongoing efforts to sustain and share these vital resources heading into 2027 and beyond.
A Legacy of Local Action and National Vision
Dan’s journey began in 1973 as a volunteer tutor at Montgomery Ward Headquarters in Chicago. By 1975, he was leading the program, and in 1992, he co-founded Cabrini Connections while launching the Tutor/Mentor Connection—an initiative created to help high-poverty communities start and sustain high-quality youth programs.
While Dan has earned numerous awards, his favorite recognition comes from the heartfelt "Thank you, Dan" messages sent by former students, volunteers, and community leaders over the past 50 years.
Today, Dan continues to lead this movement through the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC:
• Sharing Insights: Writing weekly strategic guidance on the Tutor/Mentor Blog and MappingforJustice Blog.
• Connecting Resources: Maintaining an extensive Resource Library linking families and leaders to Chicago-area programs.
• Inspiring the Next Generation: Featured in Tutoring Chicago’s 60th Anniversary Video to share lessons learned from over five decades in the field.
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Share the Responsibility—Help Build the Future
Dan is looking for champion investors, partners, and successors to take ownership of these rich archives and build the next generation of the Tutor/Mentor Connection in Chicago and other cities facing persistent poverty.
How You Can Help Today:
1. Light a Candle: Use the PayPal button below to make a birthday contribution via PayPal or secure credit card. (Note: Contributions support Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, a social enterprise dedicated to inner-city youth, and are not tax-deductible).
2. Spread the Word: If you are a former volunteer, student, or partner, share your story and pass this request along to your network.
3. Become a Partner or Sponsor: Reach out to connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, BlueSky, Mastodon, or Facebook to discuss strategic partnerships or sustaining investments.
Or, Mail contributions to
TUTOR/MENTOR INSTITUTE, LLC
c/o Daniel F. Bassill
932 N. Salem Ave
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
* Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC is not a 501-c-3 non-profit.
It is a social enterprise dedicated to making good things happen for kids living in areas of concentrated, persistent poverty.