Grants

Grant Recipient

Teamwork Englewood

Awarded: April 2023 Awarded Amount: $600,000

Grant Recipient

Academy for Global Citizenship Charter School

Awarded: April 2023 Awarded Amount: $500,000

Cultivate Collective's mission is to unite education, wellness, sustainability and economic vitality at the community level to drive meaningful generational impact. The Cultivate Hub will catalyze economic development and generate local wealth by providing durable pathways for job training, business incubation, home ownership assistance, employment, education, and civic prosperity on Chicago’s historically under-resourced southwest side.

Grant Recipient

Gary Comer Youth Center Inc.

Awarded: April 2023 Awarded Amount: $500,000

Xchange Grand Crossing builds on two decades of community engagement and development that has realized an exceptional education corridor on South Chicago Avenue. The new 50,000 square foot Xchange facility will house four distinct Crossings which together form a unique “Grand Crossing”. The Xchange serves as an intersection where local talent meets work and wellness opportunities, creating a more inclusive economy where all residents can thrive: • Crossing 1: A tech workforce and employment engine operated by Bitwise Industries to train residents and create hundreds of high-wage, fast growth jobs in IT, data analytics and digital health. • Crossing 2: An entrepreneurship accelerator operated by P33 TechRise and supported by investment partners to create local businesses and jobs. • Crossing 3: A digital health and wellness collaborative operated by Medical Home Network to address critical last mile needs tied to social determinants of health. • Crossing 4: A bioscience training and discovery incubator operated by Millennial Beacon to deliver solutions for traditionally underserved therapeutic needs. Xchange Grand Crossing will be constructed on approximately 2 acres at 7327-7369 South Chicago Avenue, where Comer has complete site control. This stretch of South Chicago Avenue was identified by the community partners as an ideal location for further development and innovative workforce solutions. We respectfully request $2 million - $1M to support continued pre-development costs and $1M toward the construction budget. An award from We Rise Together for completion of our pre-development phase and contribution toward the construction budget will enable us to unlock and leverage additional resources as summarized in our development budget.

Grant Recipient

DL3 Realty Advisors, LLC

Awarded: April 2023 Awarded Amount: $500,000

Exchange Crossing represents the cornerstone of the commercial development, entrepreneurship, and community wealth building efforts in the larger Thrive Exchange development. The project involves acquiring, refreshing, and re-programming the 8,500-square foot Star Plaza retail center at the southwest corner of 79th Street and Exchange Avenue on the border of South Shore and South Chicago. The troubled strip center is a neighborhood eyesore. It will be repositioned as a community anchor focused on providing community-serving retail and opportunities for entrepreneurs. It will also serve as the first real estate asset acquired and owned by the ReExchange Community Development Corporation (ReExchange CDC), a new nonprofit entity focused on building economic opportunity, community beautification, and improving community safety. This asset will serve as the foundational investment in a new Community Investment Vehicle in which South Shore and South Chicago Residents can invest. The ReExchange CDC will acquire and refresh/rehab Star Plaza, for which DL3 will serve as developer and Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago will serve as nonprofit sponsor and fiscal agent to accept and hold grant funds. On behalf of ReExchange, DL3 is seeking $1,180,000 in We Rise Together funds, $1,170,000 in City of Chicago Neighborhood Opportunity Large Grant Funds and is providing $600,000 of its own financing that will serve as patient capital, representing a total project budget of $2,950,000. After competing acquisition and rehab work, DL3 will partner with the ReExchange CDC to manage the retail center, secure new tenants, and reposition the strip center as Exchange Crossing.

Grant Recipient

McKinley Park Development Council

Awarded: May 2023 Awarded Amount: $15,000

Grant Recipient

IFF

Awarded: May 2023 Awarded Amount: $20,000

Grant Recipient

TransFormation Alliance

Awarded: May 2023 Awarded Amount: $130,000