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Articles & Publications

Building Power from Within Communities - Woods Fund of Chicago Invests in Building Resident Participation in the South Side's Renaissance

Through our South Side Community Organizing Initiative, the Woods Fund focuses its resources on less-advantaged residents who have historically been left out of the democratic process. Our foundation is committed to building a more robust community organizing infrastructure in this part of the city. We hope the valuable lessons we have learned will help inform and advance the continued development and impact of “people power” in all under-resourced communities.

Click the following link to download a PDF copy of our full report on this grantmaking initiative Building Power from Within Communities Report

Section 8 And The Public Housing Revolution: Where Will The Families Go?

Under pressure from Congress and its viability test requirements, Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) is planning to tear down much of its high rise public housing. Where will the families vacating those units go? Will this change provide better housing in safer neighborhoods with quality public services and greater job opportunities or replicate the racial and economic isolation and segregation that have characterized public housing high rises? This paper addresses these issues and suggests some policies that could promote a positive outcome. Paul B. Fischer, Lake Forest College, August 29, 2001

Missing Voices: A Personal Perspective on Diversity in Program Evaluation

Missing Voices addresses the biases and unreliability of approaches to program evaluation other research and urges people at the margins of our society to use this more effectively to champion their policy solutions. Society much too often fails to include their voices in the definition of the problems or even more importantly proposed solutions. Ricardo Millett. An edited version of this article was published in the CYD Journal Community Youth Development Volume 2, No. 2 – Spring 2001.

Evaluation of the Fund’s Community Organizing Grant Program

In March 1994, the Directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago, a private grantmaking philanthropy, authorized an evaluation of the Fund’s ten-year-old Community Organizing Program (CO Program). The Directors essentially wanted to learn what impact the Program had made on organizing and in Chicago’s neighborhood, and what the Fund might do to strengthen the CO Program in the coming years. The Directors underscored that their wish was to learn more about the strengths and weakness if the Fund’s grantmaking program than about the effectiveness of individual organizations. Sandra O’Donnell, Yvonne Jeffries, Frank Sanchez, Pat Selmi. April 1995. Please contact us to request a copy of this report.

Community Organizing in Three South Side Communities: Leadership, Activities, and Prospects

This study identifies barriers facing groups and leaders in communities on the South Side of Chicago that limit not only their capacity for organizing but also their ability to attract resources for their work. The findings also provide key data on current activities at the grassroots level, with particular attention to groups and leaders that have the potential to expand the scope of their efforts to larger, community-based initiatives.

South Side Report

South Side Executive Summary

Criminal Justice and Re-entry Funding Review

In our continuing support of issues related to criminal justice and prisoner re-entry, the Woods Fund is pleased to share this report. While not exhaustive, it is a review of local foundation investments in the area of criminal justice based on a series of interviews. We embarked on this study to better inform our grantmaking decisions by determining which foundations provide funding in this area and the types of grants being made. The report also includes a matrix document which maps the various types of grantmaking identified. This study was performed in 2004 by Carrie Beeks, an intern from Loyola University's Philanthropy and Non-Profit Graduate Certificate Program.

Criminal Justice System Re-entry Funding Review

Funding Review Matrix

Grantee Perception Report

To see our Grantee Perception Report conducted by the Center for Effective Philanthropy, please click on the link below:

Grantee Perception Introduction

The Illinois Asset Building Group (IABG) debuts with release of Assets and Opportunity Scorecard

To download the release, click Assets and Opportunity Scorecard

Promising Practices in Revenue Generation For Community Organizing

This report provides insight, interviews and dozens of practical examples for community organizing groups that want to strengthen and diversify their funding bases.

To see this report, please click on the link below:

Promising Practices in Revenue Generation for Community Organizing Report