From an early age, Merle Goldblatt Cohen has served as an important part of Chicago’s philanthropic community, getting her start more than 50 years ago as a member of the Young Leadership Division of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and as a recipient of the National Young Leadership Award. She has served on the Women’s Division of the Jewish United Fund of the Jewish Federation, chairing numerous fundraising events for that organization.

Merle Goldblatt Cohen also served as President of Child Abuse Prevention Services, a former Chicago nonprofit organization. Ms. Goldblatt Cohen served on the board of directors for over ten years, founding its Women’s Board, chairing the Illinois Child Abuse Prevention Advocacy Coalition, and serving as a member of the finance and resource development committees. When Child Abuse Prevention Services merged with Metropolitan Family Services, a similar not-for-profit, Ms. Goldblatt Cohen became a very active member of the Metropolitan Family Services Board and continues to raise money and seek major gifts for Chicago area children and families.

Ms. Goldblatt Cohen’s greatest concerns involve health care. In addition to her long-time leadership at the Cancer Research Foundation, Merle Goldblatt Cohen inaugurated and chaired the first annual University of Chicago Hospitals benefit and chaired the two subsequent annual balls, each of which raised over $200,000 for specially-designated Hospital projects. She is a past chairman of the Women’s Board of the University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation.