|
|
|
RDLF News: Issue 39
|
|
|
|
|
LoCC Meets Aimée Eubanks Davis
|
|
|
The Leaders of Color Collective (LoCC) recently welcomed Aimée Eubanks Davis from Braven to talk about turning $5,000 gifts into $500,000 gifts.
|
The discussion was moderated by Jamyle Cannon, Executive Director of The Bloc, who started with a question: what have attendees' experiences been with receiving grants, and how large or small are their gifts? The attendees shared an interesting through-line: their most significant fundraising came from the personal connections that leaders cultivated with individual funders. Grants were cited as the vehicle, but the relationships were the method.
|
Unbeknownst to those who shared, participants created a perfect segue into Davis’s central talking point: donors fund organizations based on their relationships.
|
|
Through various examples of relationship-building that grew Braven into a nearly $50 million organization, Davis highlighted several strategies to deepen connections with current and prospective philanthropic supporters:
|
- Ask networks for connections
- Prepare for meeting potential supporters
- Develop a clear narrative of what you do
- Create a strategic communications plan
|
While her presentation included concrete steps for attendees, Aimée Eubanks Davis ultimately shared the outline for a mindset shift. Fundraising and philanthropic support are not passive or sporadic aspects of leading. They are active, ongoing practices that need consistent attention and strategic planning. Leaders must understand that funding the work of an organization is a top priority —alongside programming and organization management, not beneath it. Furthermore, fundraising must go beyond applications to open calls; a more concerted plan to utilize board and community networks to make connections to potential supporters is essential.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We are excited to announce that Sloane Fuller (left) and Mara Reed (right) have joined the team as our Office Administrators.
|
|
They each bring unique skillsets and organizational finesse to our operations. Their support will be critical for all aspects of our programming but especially for our grantmaking, fresh produce program, and foundation properties program.
|
|
|
|
Chicago Farm Lab
|
|
|
|
Chicago Farm Lab, located in Belmont Cragin, connects approximately 100 community members a year to urban agriculture and builds lasting relationships among neighbors.
|
It seeks to address food insecurity, degraded or absent green space, lack of biodiversity, and lack of community safety. Beyond that, it battles social isolation and recognizes the profound need for people to be in the presence and company of others.
|
We discovered Chicago Farm Lab through our research on Chicago's urban farms and were impressed with their mission and outreach. Its team has cultivated an inclusive community embracing education, food and farming. Our support has helped raise Chicago Farm Lab's profile while providing the mentorship and financial support to enliven their future ambitions.
|
Our grant has also been used to help pay for operating costs associated with raising 30 chickens, keeping bees, creating soil via Johnson-Su Bioreactors, increasing biodiversity via more pollinator plantings and increasing partnerships with like-minded grassroots organizations.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Upcoming Opportunities
|
|
|
Open Applications
- Workforce Solutions Program: The Workforce Solutions Program, run by the City of Chicago's Department of Planning and Development, is now available citywide. Non-profits are welcome to apply for this grant program that is funded through Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and proceeds from the 2025 Housing and Economic Development Bond. Reimbursement grants up to $250,000 may fund up to 100% of eligible expenses for non-profit businesses seeking to train current employees and/or new hires. For organizations located within these TIF districts, the application process is open year round. For those located outside of a TIF district, the next quarterly cycle for grants opens on July 1st and the deadline is July 30th. See newly awarded grantees here. To learn more: FAQ. Slides.
- Next Stage Chicago: This new special initiative will provide funds to support organizational development and capacity building for emerging producing theater organizations seeking to scale their operations and impact. Through a competitive application process, selected participants will receive grants up to $50,000. The application deadline is July 8th at 12PM CT.
- Chicago Region Food System Fund: The current round of funding supports staff in nonprofit organizations in order to support strong, resilient organizations within the food system. CRFSF encourages innovative ideas and proposals aligned with the overall focus of this round to support the longevity and well-being of food system organizations. The application deadline is July 13th at 11:59PM CT.
- Indigenous Tomorrows Fund: ITF will cultivate grant partnerships with Native-led and Native-serving organizations across the U.S. and its territories, giving away $1,650,000 total with all award decisions made by Native youth. Strong applicants can locate their work within at least one of the five youth-named impact bundles, demonstrate how youth are involved in their work (especially those under 18), and understand their work as part of a larger ecosystem of community thriving. The application deadline is July 14th.
- Holistic Resources for New Work Development: As part of the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation’s (PMAFF) sustained commitment to Chicago’s performing arts ecosystem, the Foundation is currently seeking proposals from Chicagoland arts organizations to support new performance work that is created and premiered within our local community. This pilot grant opportunity provides organizations with holistic resources to create bold new work, across performing arts genres, that speak to the complexities of our time and advances compelling visions of the world they hope to create. The application deadline is July 31st at 5PM CT.
- Charitable Trust Grant: The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office is offering a new dedicated grant opportunity through the Charitable Trust Hunger Relief Grants to support volunteer-driven nonprofits that provide hunger relief in Illinois. Through the Food Security Program, 10 grants of $5,000 each will be awarded to eligible organizations. Grant funds must be used exclusively to purchase food for people in need. The application deadline is July 31st.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
InvestigateWest: "'Our reporting exposed serious harm to incarcerated women — and the state’s answer was to dismantle the very records that allowed us to do that work,' said Jacob Fries, InvestigateWest’s executive director. 'Suing the government is time consuming and costly, but we felt compelled to take this step because the public has a right to know who is policing their communities.'"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underscore Native News: "The role the Haudenosaunee Confederacy played in shaping America’s democracy is no secret. Franklin wrote about this inspiration in several letters. Despite this, few Americans realize just how key his interactions with members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy were in shaping the United States."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inkstick Media: "It’s not just that thousands of Iranians and dozens of US service members have been killed or wounded, but the war has left Iran’s nuclear capacity broadly unchanged, its missile force largely intact, its hardliners empowered, and its leverage over the Strait of Hormuz — and consequently the global economy — enhanced."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LOOKOUT News: "'The main legal concern (of this bill) is its vagueness,' Sagarika Nandi, a Secular AZ extern, told LOOKOUT. 'When criminal statutes use broad and undefined terms, like "religious activity," it increases the risk of inconsistent enforcement and potential chilling of constitutionally-protected speech.'"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New York Focus: "Socialist candidates racked up victories in New York’s primary elections for the state legislature on Tuesday, with the Democratic Socialists of America poised to pick up at least six seats despite an enormous wave of outside spending."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Global Investigative Journalism Network: "The field of AI is rife with stories for investigative reporters to tap. This guide is meant to help reporters understand some of the nitty-gritty of the technology underlying AI and to give them a framework through which they can examine it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
We craft this newsletter for you. If you have any comments or suggestions, please reply to this email and you might see your ideas implemented in our next issue.
|
We have an open call for content from our partners to highlight the brilliant work they're doing in the community. If you are a current grantee or partner with The Reva and David Logan Foundation, please send your content to Sabrina Boggs, Communications Coordinator at sabrina(at)loganfdn(dot)org. Please note that we will not share fundraising campaigns.
Thanks for reading, and see you next time!
|
|
  
|
|
|
|
|
|
