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Letter from the current President,

Welcome to the Junior League of Springfield website. We are an organization of women over 300 strong who are committed to improving our community. We are affiliated with the Association of Junior Leagues International headquartered in New York City where the first League began when a group of young debutantes wanted to make a difference in their city. The Junior League of Springfield began as a Service League in 1939 with a membership tea at a local hotel and became a Junior League in 1950.  We have evolved from an exclusive invitation-only organization for women who had to be under the age of 35 to actively participate, to an organization open to any woman any age over twenty-one who wants to make Springfield a better place. Our members now range in age from women in their twenties, who have just joined, to those in their eighties, who have been members since the 1950s.  We have both stay-at-home mothers, and single and married career women. If you are a woman over the age of 21 who likes to volunteer, please check out our new member area. Our new member (Provisional) class began on August 12th. However, you may join at any time.

Our two major fundraisers, our Next-to-New sale in the fall and our Kitchen tour in the spring, help to fund both grants awarding money and projects awarding money and volunteers to other non-profit groups. Last year, we awarded over $10,000 to eight project and grant requests.  We are also helping the Children’s Museum to begin the process of re-opening.  If you are involved with a non-profit organization in Springfield, be sure to look at the section about projects and grants. It includes an application. Traditionally our projects and grant applications are due October 31st so be sure to look for the application due date. 

Among our most significant achievements are helping to found the Ronald McDonald House, the Golden Laurel Awards for outstanding high school senior scholars, the Midwest Charity Horse Show, and the Old Capitol Art Fair. Our members learn how to effectively serve on committees and many current and/or former members serve on the boards of nonprofit organizations throughout our city.

 We offer for sale two items linked to the city of Springfield. The sale of both these items go towards the projects and grants mentioned above. One is our award winning Honest to Goodness cookbook.  It includes a recipe that belonged to Mary Lincoln, as well as one originated in Springfield called the “horseshoe”.  First printed in 1990, our cookbook is now in its fifth printing and has sold over 37,500 copies. Another item closely linked to our city is our beautiful silk scarf that features several local buildings associated with Abraham Lincoln and Springfield. It is large and versatile enough to wear for many occasions.

 We are proud of all we have done and are doing in Springfield and thank you for visiting our website. If you have any questions about our organization, please do not hesitate to contact me at our headquarters:

(217) 544-5557 or by e-mail at president@jlsil.org.

Jessica Dalheim

President 2008-2009

Updated 08 November 2008