Grants

Grant Recipient

Southland Development Authority NFP

Awarded: November 2022 Awarded Amount: $500,000

This grant application seeks funding to support the development of an ambulatory medical campus in Sauk Village by Dardur Medical Group, a Black- and woman-owned and -operated healthcare startup. Spearheaded by Dr. Taiwo Durowade, Dardur Medical Group is uniquely well-positioned to meet the growing healthcare needs of the nearly 103,000 individuals who live in Sauk Village, Chicago Heights, Ford Heights, Crete, Steger, and surrounding neighborhoods and who currently do not have access to primary medical care services.

Grant Recipient

Juan & Only, LLC

Awarded: November 2022 Awarded Amount: $650,000

Juan & Only and Batter & Berries will collaborate to bring a restaurant and shared event space to the Austin community called The Bruce—the neighborhood's first full-service catering, community event, and programming for the arts space. Batter & Berries/The Bruce will be a staple landmark in the Austin community, making job opportunities available, providing career exploration and career pathway opportunities for disadvantaged youth, giving Austin residents an opportunity to experience a breakfast/brunch dining experience in the Soul City corridor, and serve as a prestigious event space for artists, educators, business owners, social entrepreneurs, community members, and public/private events.

Grant Recipient

Enlace Chicago

Awarded: November 2022 Awarded Amount: $1,000,000

The project building is an owner-occupied two-level 7,560 square foot commercial building with C1- 2 zoning on a residential block located at 2329 S. Troy Avenue in the Little Village (South Lawndale) community. The existing building requires repair and improvements to the exterior envelope. Prior renovations deleted numerous windows at the west and south elevations that will be reopened and expanded to improve interior lighting and exterior aesthetics. A new roof will be required. The interior is in usable condition, and the building is currently in use as an owner-operated print shop on the lower level and as an office and community space rented by Enlace Chicago on the second floor. While occupiable, the building will require a gut rehabilitation in order to meet the specifications of the project. The project scope includes updating all mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems; improving structural integrity as needed; reconfiguring the floorplan; improving accessibility by installing an elevator; updating the storefront and exterior; and adding a green roof. The parking lot is in good condition, but is not in alignment with the sustainability goals of the project and will be replaced with permeable pavers. Front and back gates and fencing are in fair condition but will be replaced. The site is suitable for the proposed development, and the current zoning (C1-2) is appropriate for the proposed uses. The proposed development of an office and community space simply expands the current second floor use to the ground level. The site will be tested during the feasibility phase for environmental contamination from the ground level print shop and other previous uses. No significant issues are known at this time.

Grant Recipient

Policy Kings LLC

Awarded: November 2022 Awarded Amount: $750,000

Located at 51st Street and Martin Luther King Drive, Policy Kings is aiming to be a revolutionary, African American owned, mixed-use commercial and residential development project drawing community together in the name of art, culture, health & wellness culinary experience and retail therapy. The space will fill the void of affordable housing options for those African American professionals who are currently not able to afford to live on Chicago's south side due to the influx of luxury non minority and low income housing. In a recent community round table involving the National Association of Black Journalists and The Nascent Group, Black Representation and presence of those living in their communities while working towards making their communities better, was named as the single most effective catalyst for uplifting the community outside of entrepreneurship itself. This project fills the overwhelming need for market rate housing in a space that is currently dominated by only low income and luxury housing often referred to as the missing middle or N.O.A.H. naturally occurring affordable housing. Designed by longtime Chicago pacemaker and Entrepreneur, owner of Leaders and one of the founding creatives behind Boxville Marketplace, Corey Gilkey and renowned social impact real estate developer James Daughrity, owner of Daughrity Real Estate, the space With the help of other African American Artists and Designers such as Norman Teague of Norman Teague Studios, Dwamina Drew of Enstrumental Design and many more, will transform a shuttered city block into an art-forward experience that combines affordable housing options with opportunity and space for emerging black entrepreneurs. The project is 17,7220 sq ft, and will include six eco-sustainable affordable apartments, indoor and outdoor dining, an elevated gym, health and wellness experience, Chicago's first elevated women's boutique, sharing and healing space, Queenz, and a brand new extension of Chicago's favorite local streetwear brand, Leaders 1354 as well as a frame and printmaking workshop teaching young minority artist who to frame and print their own art. Policy Kings is working with local architectural firm, Silvestro Design Operations, African American general contractor James Webb, local business development firm the Nascent Group, and Minority owned local Environmental Strategy firm Seesenrgi Eco Solutions Enterprise. A local gym and juice shop with add a much needed space for health and wellness to the neighborhood, healthy food options will create space for a vibrant restaurant operated by longtime Chicago restaurateurs, Nikki Hayes of 63rd St Beach and Oreal James also revitalize the Lorraine Hansbury Mural to bring to life a corridor that has long needed invigorating. Spaces such as these transform neighborhoods and create a healthy, safe and walkable space. The mission of this project is to transform the corridor folding into the 15 minute walkable model with inclusivity at the top of mind by creating opportunity for up and coming black entrepreneurs with early, but proven track records. The space understands the impact that development has and has formed a bond with Chicago Baptist institute to create an on site job skills training program that will allow returning citizens, local residents out of work and unskilled laborers to become skilled laborers through targeted skilled training sessions as well as access to jobs during the construction process. These skill sets will equip participants with a labor based skill that will allow them access to training up to and including stable union jobs for a lifetime. The aim of this project was not only to build buildings but to change the trajectory of a community in every way. In the wise words of Alderwoman Pat Dowell, development will sort out the occurrences in our community. As we develop, we rise. For 20 years, Corey Gilkey has been an important pillar in the community for arts, culture and entrepreneurship. This Policy Kings development project is the chance for Corey to partner with another social equity developer, James Daughrity, who grew up in this very neighborhood to help build space and provide opportunity for people who have similarly grown up un shuttered and forgotten neighbors like them on the south side of Chicago. Entrepreneurship for the African American community is a key focus in this project and access to the beginning phases of creating and acquiring business through representation, involvement and access in the community has been an idea that has been brought to the attention of both business owners. This ask and desire for black owned business is not just an idea for this community and group, but the same is echoing across the nation . Leaders of the World, a sub brand of leaders, has already been tackling this work by creating informal community workshops on marketing, business ownership, cross continental work opportunity and workshare and more. These workshops will be amplified with the policy king's development by creating a separate entrepreneurship and community space for all of these conversations to continue, but drilled down into the following special interest groups . women in the queenz location, young men at the leaders location, mental and physical health at Promise Chicago location and wellness at the hospitality at the restaurant space and arts and culture in the printmaking and frame workshop. The 51st st business district will be instrumental in helping to ensure that all community segments are included and that they are acting as a bipartisan group to gauge and give feedback on the number of attendees and lasting outcomings of the workshops. The racial wealth gap is a problem that exists not only in Chicago, but throughout the world. This disparity of black owned business has only increased since the pandemic began. For instance, the Paycheck Protection Program designed to help keep businesses afloat during COVID-era pandemic restrictions that shuttered Main Street doors for months or more. Not only were the vast majority of Black-owned firms — some 95percent — shut out of the program’s crucial early round, but those that did receive funding had to wait much longer for it. Historically, minority-owned businesses and startup entrepreneurs have faced limited access to capital because of discrimination in lending, stolen and blocked generational wealth, and restricted access to financial education. When financing is obtained, it is often with less favorable terms, including high interest rates and additional credit and collateral requirements. Policy Kings is offsetting this by creating affordable retail space that is fairly priced and geared to help minority businesses owners instead of being predatory. This helps to create an ecosystem of strong black emerging entrepreneurs that set a positive example for those in their own communities through representation. Another prominent issue that is forcing working minorities families and professionals out of the neighborhoods that they grew up in is the lack of income for those making a living wage. Luxury rentals, low income housing and air B&B is creating a void of space for those who work a regular 9-5 job to live. The policy kings development will add more livable market rate rent units for those working in the community to remain in the community. In 2020, there were only 36 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households in Illinois. 452,786 extremely low-income renter households live in Illinois. Renters face a shortage of 288,917 affordable and available rental homes. The lack of affordable rental homes is an issue that particularly matters for communities of color.

Grant Recipient

Urban Juncture Foundation

Awarded: November 2022 Awarded Amount: $1,500,000

We request a $2 million grant to complete the buildout of the Bronzeville Cookin' culinary facility at 51st & the CTA Green Line and thereby establish a robust foundation for our award-winning work to revitalize the 51st Street commercial corridor and rebuild our neighborhood. For almost 20 years Urban Juncture has led a multi-pronged effort combining $12 million in private, public, and philanthropic investments to transform the "look and feel" of the spaces adjacent to the CTA transit hub. We have established vibrant gardens to invite, engage, and connect neighbors from all walks of life. We've combined art, music, cuisine, and other forms of culture to activate and reclaim previously vacant and blighted spaces. We've developed a business incubator to advance hundreds of local entrepreneurs. We've established Boxville, our shipping container market, to dramatically improve entrepreneurs' access to retail space. And we've created the first restaurants in a generation adjacent to the Green Line station. Across these efforts, we've catalyzed creation of more than 50 jobs and a sense of excitement at 51st & the CTA Green Line, while upending prevailing narratives about our community. We've accomplished all of this despite being unable to secure the capital necessary to complete the core of our 51st Street work, our 16,000 SF building at 300-314 East 51st Street. This facility serves as our headquarters and resource center and was intended to be filled with culinary activity. However, due to our lack of capital, we've been able to complete just 4 of our building's 12 spaces, thereby rendering us unable to complete the first phase of our work, limiting our ability to advance the next phase of neighborhood revitalization, and undermining the financial basis of all of our work. The requested grant will allow us to complete the buildout of the 8 remaining spaces in our building and launch four unique culinary enterprises within these spaces. As a result, your investment will establish a sound financial basis for our work, serve thousands of patrons with high quality food every week, provide training and employment for hundreds of residents per year, and facilitate the continued transformation of the 51st Street commercial corridor.

Grant Recipient

SOUTHWEST ORGANIZING PROJECT

Awarded: December 2022 Awarded Amount: $20,000

Grant Recipient

Women in Need Recovery

Awarded: December 2022 Awarded Amount: $30,000

With the generous support the LGBTQ Community Fund, WIN Recovery will provide wraparound, holistic reentry services at our sites in Chicago and Berwyn to members of the LGBTQ2S+ community after a period of incarceration, helping them to rebuild their lives and unleashing their potential. WIN Recovery will do this through a new drop-in resource center in Chicago and four reentry homes in nearby Berwyn. With the support we provide, hundreds of LGBTQ2S+ folks will begin the process of healing, make measurable progress toward self-sufficiency, including housing and employment, and remain free from incarceration.

Grant Recipient

Youth Services of Glenview-Northbrook

Awarded: December 2022 Awarded Amount: $40,000

The Pride Youth Program provides social, support, and leadership programming to more than 250 LGBTQ+ youth ages 4-24 and their families. The funds from this grant will help us provide programming that meets the unique needs of LGBTQ+ youth and their families, with a focus on (1) providing additional supports and resources for Spanish-speaking families, (2) supporting other community organizations in creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth and families, and (3) creating paid leadership opportunities for LGBTQ+ high school youth.