Grants

Grant Recipient

South Side Weekly NFP

Awarded: March 2023 Awarded Amount: $25,000

The South Side Weekly and Hyde Park Herald will host three listening sessions in partnership with local community organizations. Each session will focus on a different aspect of community safety, covering topics such as gun violence, evictions, and urban design. These sessions will be used to produce 1-3 stories co-published by both outlets, as well as to create, maintain and disseminate an online resource list for community members.

Grant Recipient

Juneteenth Productions

Awarded: March 2023 Awarded Amount: $25,000

Entering our 3rd year & 4th season of Change Agents, we’re committed to expanding the capacity to reach more journalists & CBOs, identify more opportunities for community-driven grassroots actions, & build a professional staff that can sustain two production workshops annually. Specifically, we’re committing two-thirds of the series episodes to addressing solutions-based activities in Chicago’s BIPOC communities that are effectively improving community well being, safety and violence prevention, and strengthening community empowerment. We'll also increase the number of community engagement events in the communities spotlighted, utilizing the episodes as tools for social change to expand awareness, inspire civic involvement and underscore the work of the CBO collaborators. In the two and a half years since its inception, Change Agents has featured the following grassroots activities directly addressing community-building and safety: One Code: One Austin follows Institute for Non-Violence Chicago’s violence intervention work in Austin Englewood: Reframing the Narrative unveils Residents Association of Greater Englewood’s (R.A.G.E.) community engagement initiatives and narrative reshaping Growing a Greater Englewood looks at Grow Greater Englewood’s work for food sovereignty and battles against food insecurity Reclaiming Austin (in production) examines Austin Safety and Action Plan’s (ASAP) to mentoring African American young men to develop of code of ethics for behavior and community safety Justice That Heals explores Broader Urban Involvement and Leadership Development’s (BUILD) construction of a Peace and Justice Center to house Austin’s first restorative justice community court For our fourth season, we’re extending the production workshop from 12 weeks to 16 weeks, allowing for a fuller orientation period for the journalists & CBO reps to get acquainted & build trusting relationships in order to collaborate effectively, explore anti-bias methods of reporting, & more production & story crafting time for the journalists. We’ve currently identified and have partial commitments from the following CBO’s providing advocacy and/or direct services addressing violence prevention, community safety and community building, specifically addressing criminal justice, incarceration and re-entry reforms: The Chicago Community Bond Fund Chicago Beyond Fully Free Campaign Illinois Justice Project Community Anti-Violence Education (C.A.V.E.) The final 2 weeks will bring the pairs back together for intensive episode review & feedback. Three days will be committed for the journalists & CBO reps to share their work, plan community engagement events, & stimulate discussion & action. The time will also be used to reflect on & share the growth in their thinking & behavior regarding bias, cultural differences & systemic racism. Throughout the 16-week session, journalists will continually be challenged to look deep within themselves to identify & address personal & professional biases, stereotypes & fears that prevent them from fairly and accurately covering stories in communities unfamiliar to their own experiences A total of 25 weeks per session will be utilized by Juneteenth Productions’ Change Agents staff: 7 weeks for research & recruitment of journalists, CBOs & issue/story ideas, promotion & series social media posts 16 weeks for podcast production workshop & community engagement event planning 2 weeks for evaluation & solidification of season launch, marketing/promotion & outreach events

Grant Recipient

Block Club Chicago NFP

Awarded: March 2023 Awarded Amount: $25,000

A $25,000 investment from The Trust will help bolster our South and West Side coverage. Funding goes toward the salaries of our five full-time reporters in these beats, allowing them to keep neighbors informed, hold elected officials accountable and answer questions or concerns from residents every single day.

Grant Recipient

Invisible Institute

Awarded: March 2023 Awarded Amount: $25,000

The Invisible Institute is looking for support to expand our ground-breaking Freedom of Information Act program to increase access to public records. To do so, we intend to hire Sam Stecklow, a reporter and leading expert in public records requests for journalism. Without access to official records, journalists and community advocates cannot effectively hold their government accountable. Sam’s work will deepen our ability to investigate government agencies, increase transparency, and support local reporters who lack the resources to pursue complicated requests. Additionally, Sam will expand our public education around how communities can and do use the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), including teaching other people the way he has successfully forced criminal justice government agencies across the country to comply with public records laws, so that communities can leverage the process.

Grant Recipient

Latino Policy Forum

Awarded: March 2023 Awarded Amount: $20,000

Grant Recipient

Real Men Charities, Inc.

Awarded: March 2023 Awarded Amount: $25,000

The South Side Drive magazine is published by Real Men Charities, Inc. (RMC) The organization’s mission is to "build healthy families and communities through the promotion of collective empowerment, sustainable lifestyles, and creating safer neighborhoods to achieve a quality of life". The magazine is designed to be a catalyst for economic development, reflecting a truthful image and examples that demonstrate the art of living. We seek to share the good news about Chicago’s south side and Black culture while serving as the "Guide to the Good Life" in our city. We are 'keepers of the culture' by presenting the voices of the people who are often disenfranchised, marginalized, and undervalued. This magazine captures the essence of the beauty of Black culture, business, health, and lifestyles. RMC seeks a grant award to build capacity, circulation, and a stronger digital platform. This is inclusive of training younger people to capitalize on the skills required in a technology-driven world.