Woods Fund Chicago is a grantmaking foundation committed to the promotion of social, economic, and racial justice through the support of community organizing, coalition building, and public policy advocacy that engages people that are most impacted.
Our Vision
Woods Fund Chicago seeks to help create a society where people of all racial and ethnic groups — across all levels of social and economic status — are empowered and have a voice to influence policies that impact their daily lives, and where all communities are free of poverty and racism.
Woods Fund Chicago approaches all facets of our work with a foundation of racial justice. We are committed to funding community organizing and public policy advocacy that advances racial equity and economic justice. We firmly believe that the people most impacted by structural racism and economic injustice should lead the process of defining problems and developing solutions. Our work centers BIPOC voices, leadership, and organizing. We are devoted to disrupting white supremacy culture, confronting power, redistributing resources, and creating systemic transformation for real change.
We advance racial justice by supporting organizations that are engaged in systems change and power building by incorporating one or more of the following strategies: community-based organizing, coalition-building and/or public policy advocacy.
A commitment to racial justice means supporting BIPOC-led and BIPOC-centered community-based organizations to build their capacity and infrastructure to ensure their sustainability. We know that leaders of color have been shut out of skills and capacity-building programs that center community needs and indigenous leadership. Because of this, Woods Fund Chicago has committed to assisting grantee partners in strengthening the infrastructure of their organizations. As a foundation, we use our convening power to highlight issues that are impacting communities of color in Chicago.
Our strategic plan lays out our priorities, goals, and objectives for 2022 through 2024. This strategic plan highlights Woods Fund Chicago’s desire to ensure we are supporting leaders in the movement-building ecosystem and uplifting groups whose intersections of identities have been marginalized. Our strategic plan looks at four capacity areas: Leadership, Community Role, Grantmaking, and Fiscal Management.
To ensure a shared understanding of Woods Fund Chicago’s goals and objectives, refer to our Glossary of Terms for definitions of key terms used throughout our website and strategic planning documents.
Every year, Woods Fund Chicago seeks to make an impact in communities of color by investing in the organizing and public policy advocacy needed to undo generations of systemic and institutionalized racism. Leading with a racial equity lens, we strive to invest our dollars in work predominately led by people of color and that centers the most vulnerable in our society by providing general operating support, capacity building support, and other resources identified by our grantee partners.
Since 1993, Woods Fund Chicago has awarded more than $86,000,000 to support the organizing and advocacy sector in Chicago.
“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.”
Woods Fund Chicago strives to stay connected to the wider social justice community, from continuing communication with grantee and philanthropic partners, to advancing racial equity in all parts of its work. This section is updated regularly with news from Woods Fund Chicago, upcoming events, and updates from grantees’ efforts.
Housing isn’t an issue that begins and ends at the polls. Learn about our grantee partners' work to house every Chicagoan and bring justice to the painful racial and economic inequities of the city.
Though Woods Fund Chicago does not directly fund the arts, we see how many of our grantee partners utilize creative practices as one of many tools to organize, educate, and strengthen communities
The first newsletter of 2024 is here! Caroline McCoy, Vice President of Programs, shares exciting announcements on how Woods Fund Chicago is "creating more space to further deepen our trust-based philanthropy practice," from multi-year unrestricted grants, changes in our grantmaking cycles, strengthening our internal processes, and more!
Woods Fund Chicago is ushering in 2024 with two exciting additions to our Board of Directors: Jose Oliva, Campaigns Director at HEAL (Health Environment Agriculture and Labor) Food Alliance, and Quinn K. Rallins, Civil Rights Lawyer at Loevy & Loevy.
It's the last newsletter of the year! This month, we look back at 2023, including sharing exciting updates on Woods Fund Chicago's 2022-24 strategic plan progress.
“In the struggle for racial justice and systemic change, what will it take to recalibrate our leadership?"
President Michelle Morales on Reflecting, Recalibrating, and Reimagining
Woods Fund Chicago President Michelle Morales' statement on displacement.
Read about the $1.6M+ funded to 45 Chicago organizations, including new core grantee partners
In this month's newsletter, Woods Fund Chicago highlights grantee partners at the forefront of labor organizing.
Our grantee partners are hiring!
— Woods Fund Chicago (@WoodsFundChi) March 18, 2024
Learn more about opportunities to join organizations and coalitions that are making an impact: @ASEChicago, @AAAJ_Chicago, @cofionline, @HANACenter, @ilblackadvocacy, @latinopolicy, and @mujereslatinas!
More here: https://t.co/kGe5cnSDr3 pic.twitter.com/2M82hyLlba
Applications for the Woods Fund Chicago 2024 grantmaking cycle are now open! Please note: This is the only cycle for 2024.
— Woods Fund Chicago (@WoodsFundChi) February 5, 2024
The deadline to submit the form is February 23 for Returning Grantee Partners and March 1 for New Applicants.
Learn more at https://t.co/0zQ5jtVJ9m. pic.twitter.com/88VgIs3UFg
WFC and @CrossroadsFund hosted an amazing first session & orientation for this year’s Cultivate: Women* of Color in Leadership (*trans and cis women, gender-nonconforming & nonbinary individuals)! We're excited about the community & relationships to be built in the months ahead! pic.twitter.com/l7nM5JvSGv
— Woods Fund Chicago (@WoodsFundChi) January 19, 2024
While attacks on racial justice take place nationwide, funders are nervous to continue supporting programs that explicitly center racial and social justice. These threats, however, are exactly why funding must continue.
— Woods Fund Chicago (@WoodsFundChi) March 15, 2024
Read more from @Philanthropy: https://t.co/vB6JJP0pZQ pic.twitter.com/KXYmpyiWqh
Woods Fund Chicago is excited to announce two additions to our Board of Directors: Jose Oliva, Campaigns Director at @HEAL_Food, and Quinn K. Rallins, Civil Rights Lawyer at @LoevyandLoevy. Congrats Jose and Quinn!
— Woods Fund Chicago (@WoodsFundChi) February 1, 2024
Learn more: https://t.co/FUjunUKeMc pic.twitter.com/w0DoJJTxZj
This new year, we celebrate the lasting power of our commitment to sustaining change. We look forward to another year of growth, understanding, collaboration, and community.
— Woods Fund Chicago (@WoodsFundChi) December 26, 2023
Learn more about our 2023 in Review: https://t.co/sXIDN0qv5G
Photo credit: @ChiFreedomSchool pic.twitter.com/o0kgaAKrZN
📰 Though we do not directly fund the arts, we see how many of our grantee partners utilize creative practices as one of many tools to organize, educate, and strengthen communities.
— Woods Fund Chicago (@WoodsFundChi) February 29, 2024
Learn about our grantee partners' work and more: https://t.co/pbMs7jTA2C
📷: @ArtsPrison pic.twitter.com/RxtV2zbAxq
The first 2024 newsletter is here! 📰 Caroline McCoy, VP of Programs, shares what we're making space for in 2024. Plus: Grant apps open soon, WFC welcomes new board officers and committee chairs, and more!
— Woods Fund Chicago (@WoodsFundChi) January 25, 2024
Read the January newsletter: https://t.co/Nz2QfqKP0I
📷: @ChiFreeSchool pic.twitter.com/col9qKVzou
It's the last newsletter of the year! 📰 This month, we look back at 2023, including sharing exciting updates on Woods Fund Chicago's 2022-24 strategic plan progress.
— Woods Fund Chicago (@WoodsFundChi) December 21, 2023
Read these reflections and more, and stay tuned for more exciting announcements in 2024! https://t.co/sXIDN0qv5G pic.twitter.com/dgyxaaSAgf
