Community organizing is the backbone of democracy.
At its core, organizing nurtures connections among community members so they can identify root causes of problems, generate solutions, and take action to create better conditions together.
It builds power in communities most impacted by injustice by developing local leadership and establishing alliances.
Structural harm runs deep in Chicago, yet some of the most innovative and creative work is happening here.
When we invest in organizing, we invest in people.
We connect visionary funders to Black- and ally-led organizations, awarding grantees flexible funding to strengthen and expand their work as they see fit, including for organizational capacity building. These dollars bolster grantees’ campaign work on issues ranging from housing justice and environmental justice to healthcare and criminal justice reform.
The Fund supports community organizing and the larger ecosystem of movement building that contributes to dismantling anti-Black racism in Chicago and Cook County. We emphasize efforts and organizations that are Black-led, Black-centered, and accountable to Black community. A list of grant recipients is available upon request.
What we mean
Racial Justice Community Organizing builds movements and collective power to dismantle the systems, structures, and institutions that are rooted in white supremacy and perpetuate anti-Blackness.
Movement building is the effort of multiple organizations engaging power holders and the broader society to address a systemic problem or injustice, while promoting an alternative vision or solution. Movement building requires a range of intersecting approaches through distinct stages over a long period of time.
Collective Power is the capacity of a group to achieve shared goals through coordinated action and collaboration.
Anti-Blackness encompasses the practices, attitudes, systems or behaviors that minimize, marginalize or devalue the full participation of Black people in life.
White supremacy is an ideology that promotes the belief that white people are superior to individuals of other racial and ethnic backgrounds, leading to systemic discrimination and social injustice.
