Movement Building Fund
Frequently Asked Questions
What is movement building?
Movement building happens when organizations build networks and alliances, recognize the interdependence of their work with that of other organizations, and seek to advance the mission of the broader progressive movement, beyond individual issue areas. It requires connections that create/support collaborations and active partnerships that advance the vision, values, and aligned goals that link them together in principle, although not routinely in shared practice. The infrastructure needed, a deeply connected network of organizations and individuals drives the movement. There may be significant differences among the component parts, but these differences do not prevent them from functioning together to achieve a common goal. Made up of disparate groups, they function together at high levels, oriented and held together by their long-term goals and shared worldview.
How does this align with your current model of grantmaking?
Our core grantmaking practice is to fund community organizing and public policy advocacy to fight the brutality of racism and poverty. We support organizations working to address the systemic and structural racist inequities built into multiple issues/sectors. Strong applications will address the movement building tenets listed in Q/A1, and will also focus on fighting for racial justice and economic justice.
Can my organization apply individually?
Only applications submitted by a diverse collective of organizations will be considered.
Will organizations outside of Chicago be considered for funding?
Applications must include organizations based in Chicago, and the focus of the work must be the Chicago metropolitan area. Organizations that are based in the immediate areas outside of Chicago may be part of the diverse collective.
Can I apply as part of an existing partnership or collaborative?
Yes. While we want to encourage new relationships and partnerships, existing partnerships/entities can apply.
Fifty percent of the entity must be Woods Fund grantee partners; is there a list somewhere we can reference? Will a list of interested organizations be available so that we can look for potential partners?
No, we will not be providing a list of organizations. This format is intended for you to develop your own relationships, or leverage your current relationships to inform the movement.
Does Woods consider a community hub of houses of worship with a faith-based nonprofit, a collaboration?
Yes, but you should be part of a larger movement. We would love to see in proposals that groups include faith-based organizations because we know that often faith communities are community hubs, However, that should not be the only type of organization represented; we want to see an intersectional approach.
Can collaboratives outside of Chicago apply for funds, or are funds only available to Chicago collaboratives?
The funding is limited to metropolitan Chicago, which includes communities outside of Chicago, but any groups not located in Chicago should be working in collaboration with groups in Chicago proper. Within your collaborative, you can include groups that are aligned with you and your mission/goals.
Are organizations that received Safe and Peaceful grants or grants from Right On Justice considered Woods Fund grantee partners?
No.
Do these need to be new collaborations?
No. They can be existing movement networks and existing collaboratives.
Can movements focus solely on anti-Blackness, or must it include all groups? Can the anti-Black focus be “the” movement?
A movement should focus on anti-Blackness, and have an intersectional lens. It could be that the shared vision of Chicago is a Chicago that is pro-Black. Groups should be working in solidarity with each other. Allyship is very important in movement building.
While the fiscal sponsor has to be a current Woods Fund grantee partner, could a large organization doing work in communities still be a part of a larger collaborative effort?
We will have to see how it plays out in the application; depends on the collaborative and how you are positioning that larger institution. We don’t want to see smaller organizations get crowded out by larger organizations, or for the leadership of smaller organizations to not be heard/represented. The roles of each organization must be clearly articulated, and the application should be clear how/that each organization is central in the decision-making, and that the collaborative centers marginalized communities.
Is there a maximum organizational budget requirement for the fiscal sponsor organization?
No.
From a Woods Fund perspective, what does political acumen look like?
That will be up to the collaborative. It involves how you embed learning into this work so you are creating a shared learning and a shared understanding within the collaborative around a shared ideology, and discussing big ideas and topics and ideologies, and how you involve the grassroots individuals and organizations in that. It looks different in different organizations. About building a systems analysis and engaging those most centralized and those most impacted.
Would a relatively small group of co-applicants be considered, especially if their movement work reaches and collaborates with movement work across the city?
Yes.
Can organizations be partners in multiple collaboratives or proposals, or just one?
Yes. We anticipate that all participants are deeply involved in each part of the application process.
We are involved in building a community of practice that includes grassroots members, corporate, and civic stakeholders. Would that be considered movement building?
We will steer you away from engaging corporations and civic institutions. Movement building involves grassroots organizations who are creating larger movement around narrative change that is about a shared vision for Chicago. That work and the outputs from it can then inform those institutions, but not include those institutions in the movement building. Your movement should be citywide, and not just one single community. Movements can also include individuals like artists, or individual activists.
How does Woods Fund feel about coalitions partnering with other organizations?
Fine. That can be part of a movement building application. Coalitions can fit within the umbrella of a movement, but should not be the sole entity of the movement.
Are all of the co-applicants required to be an established 501c(3) non-profit organization?
No. Grassroots groups and/or individuals without 501c(3) status may be included as co-applicants.
Can independent political organizations (501c4) apply as co-applicants?
No.