Collective Power

We are working towards a future with a vibrant and engaged civic sector that cultivates and invests in community organizing, activates and elevates the voices of underrepresented Chicagoans to transform harmful narratives, and builds the connections and momentum necessary to drive change to harmful policies and practices.

Mural in Auburn Gresham neighborhood

Collective Power: State of the Space

Strong, trusted relationships and partnerships across diverse stakeholders help drive sustainable social change. Elevating community voices and fostering collaboration build community power and momentum for policy and system changes. Communities with equitable access to resources and decision-making power are more likely to achieve long-term economic security and prosperity. When adequately funded and supported, community-led initiatives are most effective in driving neighborhood transformation and policy change. 

An analysis by the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Changing the Frame: Civic Engagement Through a Racial Equity Lens, found that Black and Latine communities have disproportionately experienced the adverse effects of a range of public policies that increase residents’ marginalization and create barriers to civic engagement. Yet, despite structural barriers to civic engagement, interviews with grassroots community organizers and analysis of nonprofits offer evidence of widespread community activism. 

Where We Focus

There is a wide range of interventions to elevate marginalized voices and build collective power. The Trust believes we can have the greatest impact by supporting community organizing, arts and culture and narrative change, and leadership development. 

The Trust’s Collective Power strategy amplifies marginalized voices, supports mediums that elevate community stories and counter harmful narratives, and empowers residents to ensure that those most affected lead neighborhood transformation, policy and practice change, and civic efforts.  

Collective Power Funding

Specifically, the Trust’s funding to build collective power supports:

  • Movement Building: To increase resident awareness and engagement and strengthen connections among grassroots community organizations to align efforts to change unjust policies and practices.

  • Arts, Culture and Narrative Change: To shift harmful narratives through media, art and film by amplifying diverse voices, sharing authentic stories, and challenging preconceived notions about the inequities we see in our region.

  • Community Leadership Development: To activate and elevate the voices of Chicagoans who are leading grassroots movements and are essential to making our region more equitable and inclusive.

Our Vision

We are working towards a future with a vibrant and engaged civic sector that cultivates and invests in community organizing, activates and elevates the voices of underrepresented Chicagoans to transform harmful narratives, and builds the connections and momentum necessary to drive change to harmful policies and practices. 

As we move forward, we are committed to learning together, adjusting, and being responsive. We will use insights from our grantmaking and input from our partners to shape our learning journey and approach. 

Collaboration is Needed

These priorities reflect where the Trust can achieve measurable impact. However, we cannot get there alone. Whether you are a donor, a community leader, work for a nonprofit, lead a company, or serve as a local government representative, we invite you to join us in increasing opportunities for Chicagoans to build assets. 

The Collective Power team works closely with the following funder collaboratives housed at The Chicago Community Trust: 

Join Us

Whether you are a donor, a community leader, work for a nonprofit, lead a company, or serve as a local government representative, we invite you to join us in increasing opportunities for Chicagoans to build wealth to create a stronger Chicago region. 

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How You Can Take Action

Interested in learning more or partnering with us?

Please contact Iona Calhoun-Battiste, Senior Director of Collective Power, at icalhounbattiste@cct.org, or Adele Nandan, Director of Donor Engagement, at anandan@cct.org.

Our Team

  • Iona Calhoun-Battiste

    Senior Director of Collective Power

    Iona Calhoun-Battiste is the senior director of Collective Power at The Chicago Community Trust. Admired for her ability to cast vision, strategically plan, develop cross-functional…

  • Marcus Samuel

    Impact Coordinator for People, Power and Policy

    Marcus Samuel is an impact coordinator for the People, Power and Policy team at The Chicago Community Trust. In this role, Marcus supports the team’s…

  • Adrianna Parker-Lang

    Program Manager for Collective Power

    Adrianna Parker-Lang is a program manager for the Collective Power team at The Chicago Community Trust. In this role, she manages grantmaking initiatives and stewards…