Home  About Us Program Areas Guidelines How To Apply  FAQ  Related Links Contact Us  Forms    History The Arie and Ida Crown Memorial is a fund named in honor of the parents of Henry, Irving, Herman, and Edward Crown. Arie and Ida Crown immigrated to the United States from Eastern Europe at the end of the 19th century. They settled in Chicago, Illinois hoping to provide a better life and opportunities for their children. Arie was an itinerant peddler, but he and Ida were able to offer their children a stable home embedded in Jewish values and traditions. The Crown brothers’ upbringing gave them a strong foundation on which to build one of the most successful corporations in America today. In 1947, the Crown brothers allocated a portion of the profits from Material Service Corporation to create a foundation that would allow them to give back to the country and community that offered them the opportunity to prosper. Today, the Foundation’s work is carried on by the descendants of the Crown brothers and focuses its giving in various program areas across the city of Chicago and Cook County, as well as within the Jewish community in Chicago, nationally, and in Israel.