Chicago has a deep history of community organizing, continually evolving to address emerging ideas and shifting challenges.

The Chicago Racial Justice Pooled Fund provides unrestricted grants to nonprofits that are Black-led and use grassroots community organizing as a primary strategy, as well as ally-led community organizing groups addressing anti-Blackness.

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.

Who can apply?

Organizations that meet the following criteria are eligible:

• Utilize community organizing as a primary strategy

• Black-led organizations addressing racial injustice; if ally-led, the organization addresses anti-Blackness

• Located in Cook County, Illinois

• Annual organizational budget does not exceed $750,000

• Designated 501c3 by the IRS, or has a fiscal sponsor; the Fund will also consider organizations without 501c3 designation that have an organization bank account

What happens after I submit an application?

The Allocations Committee reviews submitted applications every month. If they have questions that are not answered within the application materials, they will reach out to the applying organization for additional information.

The full Steering Committee then reviews the Allocations Committee’s recommendations and, once agreement is reached, approves the slate of recommendations.

CRJPF is housed at the Crossroads Fund; therefore, Crossroads Fund’s board has the final approval for all funding decisions.

Crossroads Fund will notify each organization by email when a final decision is reached.

While we try to process applications as quickly as possible, it normally takes about three months for the entire process.

How to apply

Grants are for general operating support and range between $25,000 – $50,000 per year.

Create an account or log in to Crossroads Fund’s Online Grant Portal.

1. Click APPLY in the upper menu.

2. The application will now be available. Scroll down to the lower right corner and click “Apply” to start the application.

All applicants, including those who have received grants in the past, must use the Grant Portal.

If you have any questions regarding the online system, or the application process in general, please email Katie Madden at katie@crossroadsfund.org or call 773-227-7676.

What are the reporting requirements?

We know leadership development takes time. Campaigns don’t operate on annual cycles. But rigorous, intentional community organizing always has results.

Organizations that receive grants will submit 6-month and year-end reports that summarize accomplishments, challenges and expenditures.

The information an organization provides in a grant report is automatically included in future applications, so that organizations don’t have to provide the same information multiple times.

Reported impact, outcomes, challenges and constraints are regularly compiled and evaluated.

The aggregated information is used to improve the Pooled Fund and to continue to raise money for future grants!