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Southside Community Organizing Capacity Building Application

SOUTH SIDE COMMUNITY ORGANIZING CAPACITY BUILDING INITIATIVE

Background

In 2003, through our foundation’s process of strategic planning, the Woods Fund identified the South Side of Chicago as an area that was not receiving the resources it needed to support effective community organizing activities. This was followed by a study by the Center for Impact Research which identified barriers facing groups and leaders that limit not only their capacity for organizing, but also their ability to attract resources for their work. This study also provided key data on current activities at the grassroots level that helped inform initiative strategies to expand the scope of these community organizing efforts to address systemic change.

The Woods Fund staff employed the following five strategic activities in implementing the South Side Initiative:

Results to Date

Eight groups were awarded grants totaling $222,000 over two years in support of capacity building activities such as developing a leadership training curriculum, advancing organizing campaigns, strategic planning, increasing membership, grants development and fundraising.. The diversity of the eight groups is evidence of the wide net cast by the Initiative, including an organization that blends service delivery and organizing; a project of a community development corporation; and a training institute, as well as more traditional organizing groups.

As we reflected on the first phase of this initiative with grantees and other South Side organizers, we realized that strengthening the capacity of South Side organizing requires more than funding individual organizations. We believe it will require looking at South Side organizing as a field – a system of organizers, advocates, relationships, institutions and methods that together advance social justice and change. To help achieve this, our second round of this initiative will include a Learning Table to support the work that happens between and across organizations, including issue analysis, best practices, action strategies and building common ground.

2007 South Side Initiative - Phase Two

We believe the second phase of the Initiative holds even greater promise for success in further strengthening the field of community organizing on the South Side. Within the strategic framework of this effort, the following two objectives will drive this phase:

Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible for participation in phase 2, an organization must be

• A current Woods Fund organizing grantee in good standing;
• Headquartered on the South Side of Chicago;
• Focused on organizing and advocacy for resources and services to be equitably distributed to South Side communities; and
• Committed to improving the lives of less-advantaged individuals living on the South Side of Chicago through community organizing and public policy advocacy.

South Side Neighborhoods as defined by this Initiative

South: Avalon Park, Burnside, Calumet Heights, Chatham, Douglas, Grand Boulevard, Greater Grand Crossing, Hyde Park, Kenwood, Oakland, South Chicago, South Shore, Washington Park, Woodlawn

Far South: Auburn-Gresham, Beverly, East Side, Hegewisch, Morgan Park, Mount Greenwood, Pullman, Riverdale, Roseland, South Deering, Washington Heights, West Pullman

Southwest: Archer Heights, Ashburn, Bridgeport, Brighton Park, Chicago Lawn, Clearning, Englewood, Gage Park, Garfield Ridge, McKinley Park, New City, West Elsdon, West Englewood, West Lawn

Organizations Currently Participating:

Arab-American Action Network

Alianza Leadership Institute

Brighton Park Neighborhood Council

Developing Communities Project

Grand Boulevard Federation

Inner-City Muslim Action Network

Kenwood Oakland Community Organization

LeClaire Courts CDC

Lugenia Burns Hope Center

Metropolitan Area Group for Igniting Civilization

Southside Together Organizing for Power

Southwest Organizing Project

TARGET Area Development Corporation

How South Side Community Organizing Groups Can Get Involved

If your organization is headquartered on the South Side and you are interested in being considered for the Initiative, please contact Jeff Pinzino at jpinzino@woodsfund.org for information on submitting a letter of inquiry, or consult the “New Applicant Procedures and Forms” section of this website.

For any South Side community organizing group, regardless of Woods Fund grant status, you may be eligible to participate in the South Side Learning Table, a series of facilitated workshops that allow participants to develop a common analysis and ideas for collective action on issues confronting the South Side. For information on upcoming South Side Learning Table opportunities, send an e-mail with your name, title, contact information, and a short description of your organization including key organizing issues and strategies to Jeff Pinzino

Our foundation will provide periodic South Side Initiative updates on this website. As always, we welcome your ideas and suggestions.

The Application Form is available for download in MS Word format.

Application Form