United Neighborhoods Equity Fund

United Neighborhoods Equity Fund is sponsored by United Way of Metro Chicago. This fund provides unrestricted grants and capacity building to small, local organizations throughout the Chicago region, particularly in historically disinvested communities.

of the page as possible: --> Announcing United Neighborhoods Equity Fund 2025 Grantees - United Way of Metro Chicago Announcing United Neighborhoods Equity Fund 2025 Grantees United Way of Metro Chicago Announces United Neighborhoods Equity Fund 2025 Grantees Small, local organizations will each receive up to $50,000 in unrestricted funds CHICAGO, IL - Jan.

16, 2025 – United Way of Metro Chicago announced the 2025 grantees of the the United Neighborhoods Equity Fund. The fourth cohort of the Equity Fund includes ten small, local organizations throughout the Chicago region. Each of the grantees will be awarded up to $50,000 of unrestricted funds over two years to be used according to the needs of each nonprofit.

The organizations and leadership of the fourth cohort are: 773 Dance Project (Pauline Mosley, Executive Artistic Director) – works to increase accessibility to dance in underserved communities through performance, arts education, and community engagement.

Code Your Dreams (Brianne Caplan, Founder and Executive Director) – a global nonprofit dedicated to serving underserved communities by providing computer science education to students as young as kindergarten. DBC Gifts Of Love, NFP (Michiel D. Burnett, President and Executive Director) – helps entrepreneurs and community leaders give back to those in need in the south suburbs and on the South Side of Chicago.

Front Porch Arts Center (Keli Stewart, Founder and Artistic Director) – fills a much-needed void on the West Side of Chicago by creating arts programming, including enriching workshops, performances, and exhibitions. Life Is Work (Zahara Bassett, CEO and Founder) – a trans-led organization that educates, empowers, and organizes TLGBQ+ people from diverse backgrounds to secure safety, wellness, and justice for all.

Link Further (Jason Clark, Founder and CEO) – connects corporations and industry professionals to students, enhancing their educational experience by providing resources that equip them to achieve their goals. Mr. Dad’s Father’s Club (Joseph Williams, Founder and Executive Director) – empowers fathers and positive male mentors to actively engage in their children's lives, fostering a strong foundation of mentorship and literacy.

The Reign Project, NFP (LaTonya Darden, Co-Founder, Vice President, and Executive Director) – shapes the lives of youth across Chicago through mentorship, entrepreneurship, advocacy, and violence prevention programs.

School of Opulence (Vance White, Executive Director and Founder) – restores the holistic health of queer people of color (QPOC) by advocating for resources and providing programming that raises the quality of service, quality of life, and life expectancy of QPOC.

Tools Up Foundation, Inc. (Dominique Jones, Founder and Executive Director) – provides premium construction education and hands-on training to empower minority youth and young adults while revitalizing the community.

In addition to the unrestricted funding, grantees receive two years of intensive capacity building, support from DePaul University’s nonprofit management program and opportunities to network with corporate partners, funders and each other.

“With the launch of the fourth cohort, the United Neighborhoods Equity Fund continues to break down barriers for small nonprofits in historically disinvested communities on the South and West Sides of Chicago and in the south suburbs,” said Sean Garrett, President and CEO of United Way of Metro Chicago. “Building thriving neighborhoods can only happen when we invest in these communities.

The United Neighborhoods Equity Fund is a crucial part of United Way’s commitment to transforming neighborhoods from the inside out. ” The United Neighborhoods Equity Fund is made possible with the generous support of founding sponsor Peoples Gas, which committed $1 million to the initiative, and corporate sponsors Boeing, IMC, Nicor Gas, PNC and Target, plus academic partner DePaul University.

“Prosperity across all of Chicago rises when we invest in people at the neighborhood level through local organizations that have the right expertise,” said Polly M. Eldringhoff, Vice President – Operational Performance and Compliance, Peoples Gas. “These nonprofits are elevating their communities from the inside out.

They know what their neighbors need in order to thrive. ” United Way will assist the cohort in building capacity at the grassroots level to accelerate neighborhood-driven outcomes and mentor them to plan for long-term success. Since launching the United Neighborhoods Equity Fund in 2021, United Way of Metro Chicago has invested more than $1.

8 million in 39 small, local organizations on Chicago’s South and West Sides and in the south suburban region. Learn more at LIVEUNITEDchicago.

org/united-neighborhoods-equity-fund About United Way of Metro Chicago United Way of Metro Chicago brings together business, government, philanthropic, individual and community leaders to deliver funding and resources while amplifying the expertise of nonprofit organizations across greater Chicago.

We help individuals meet their basic needs and work alongside neighborhood partners to address local priorities and create communities where all people can thrive. United, we are building a stronger, more equitable Chicago region. For more information, visit LIVEUNITEDchicago.

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