Grants

Grant Recipient

FIELD FOUNDATION OF ILLINOIS INC

Awarded: December 2021 Awarded Amount: $300,000

Field Foundation is seeking renewed support of up to $350,000. At Field Foundation, we know that media and storytelling connects communities, helps us understand possible solutions to tackle deep problems like the racial wealth divide and technology deserts. In this moment, when there are uprisings and protests pushing us to examine the patterns of neglect and divestment that have damaged communities of color, at Field we have decided now is the time to deepen our commitment to this precious group of media and storytellers that help us think about and know our city in a unique way. Field is changing how news production and storytelling reflect Chicago and we are helping to create a more equitable, connected and inclusive media ecosystem.

Grant Recipient

GREATER SOUTHWEST DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Awarded: December 2021 Awarded Amount: $25,000

Greater Southwest Development Corporation, Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce, and Chicagoland Inventors Organization are seeking to partner together to: 1. Plan a collaborative effort around business education 2. Connect black and brown small business owners to each other, on the south side of Chicago. 3. Leverage each other’s best practices for the benefit of each organization’s clientele. The high-level goal of this partnership is to close the resource gap for Black and Brown Entrepreneurs on the South and Southwest side of Chicago, and to encourage increase in wealth building and the creation of jobs.

Grant Recipient

The University of Chicago - Office of Civic Engagement

Awarded: December 2021 Awarded Amount: $25,000

UChicago Office of Civic Engagement (OCE), the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and its current local financial partners including Chicago Community Loan Fund (CCLF) and Seaway, a Division of Self-Help Federal Credit Union, request a $25,000 planning grant from the Fund for Equitable Business Growth. These funds will enable the partnership, in early 2022, supported by learnings gained from the pilot implementation and robust evaluation of the Small Business Financial Fundamentals (SBFF), to re-examine the program’s partnership model, to make refinements to the program design including the core curriculum engaging UChicago Booth School of Business faculty and local banking partners, and to participate in co-learning opportunities between the funders and the BSO cohort. Over this period, the project team will also gather additional data and feedback from SBFF pilot participants and connect them to ongoing supports and resources to inform future enhancements to SBFF. The partnership will integrate shared learnings and prepare to advance a second program cycle of SBFF, which is responsive to the evolving needs of entrepreneurs of color. Through SBFF, UChicago and its local banking partners will continue to support local entrepreneurs to build financial management knowledge and skills, support recovery and resilience as firms rebound from the pandemic, and help prepare these businesses to ultimately apply for and absorb financial capital.

Grant Recipient

Chicago Community Foundation

Awarded: December 2021 Awarded Amount: $238,600

In support of the activities of the Fund for Equitable Business Growth (FEBG cost center 314), including the Project Director position ($100,000), consulting support for the BSO Collective Impact Initiative ($118,600), and professional services ($20,000).

Grant Recipient

Arab American Action Network

Awarded: January 2022 Awarded Amount: $35,250

Grant Recipient

Erie Neighborhood House

Awarded: January 2022 Awarded Amount: $30,875

Grant Recipient

LATINOS PROGRESANDO

Awarded: January 2022 Awarded Amount: $46,600

Grant Recipient

GRANTMAKERS FOR EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONS

Awarded: February 2022 Awarded Amount: $25,000

800+ grantmakers will engage in resource-rich and supportive experiences providing them with information, connections and tools to continue improving and pursuing equitable grantmaking practices that positively impact nonprofits and communities.