One for the World has convinced over 3000 students to take a lifelong giving pledge, even before they have any regular income. We have grown our movement to over 30 leading US schools and are now growing internationally, launching in the UK, Canada and Australia. We can offer a series of insights about the behavior […]
Who Decides? The Importance of Sharing and Shifting Power to Achieve Community Impact
You voted for thisHow can we shift power to bring community voice into the decision-making process? Can community leaders shape a more equitable future, even as they fight for residents’ basic, daily needs? How can community-led groups build trust and influence when they are relegated to gathering virtually as a result of COVID-19? And, what role does philanthropy play in supporting community-led action?
These are all questions The Chicago Community Trust (the Trust) is looking to answer through its Building Collective Power grant making strategy, which aims to: (1) invest in people, specifically community leaders, through the support of resident-led action; (2) amplify voice by putting grant dollars towards local media that authentically reflects the narratives of the communities they represent; and (3) support grassroots campaigns and activities that advance a community agenda. Building Collective Power is part of the Trust’s greater strategic focus on closing the racial and ethnic wealth gap in the Chicago region.
Since 2020, the Trust has committed $3 million in grants towards its Building Collective Power strategy. The Changemakers Network, launched this spring, is a new grant making program that awarded grants to 18 community organizations and grassroots leaders who will work together over the next two years to develop strategies that accelerate community-driven change. Additionally, the Trust has provided $1.5 million in grants towards supporting community media, including funding grassroots outlets providing COVID-19 coverage in communities hit hardest by the pandemic.
This panel will take a closer examination at: (1) what it means to shift power to bring community voice to the forefront of decision-making; (2) how COVID-19 has both shifted the landscape in terms of how community-led movements operate and created challenges for communities of color to be able to participate in grassroots movements; and (3) why philanthropies, particularly community foundations, should take on a greater role to support community-led action that amplifies resident voice and positions residents to be at the center of hyperlocal change.
Confirmed Panelists
Unconfirmed Panelists
- Niketa Brar, Executive Director, Chicago United for Equity
- Jawanza Malone, Executive Director, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization
- Tonika Johnson, Creator, The Folded Map Project