May 2025  —  Moving the Needle  //  Woods Fund Chicago 

As Congress debates a budget that would strip Medicaid coverage from millions, Woods Fund Chicago grantee partners are sounding alarms and calls to action.

Their work serves as a reminder of a powerful Disability Justice tenet that has long informed WFC’s partnerships: leadership by the most impacted. 

Our partners are on the front lines of efforts to protect and improve Medicaid and Medicare.The Jane Addams Senior Caucus, a senior-led justice organization, has been active for years to push for Medicare for All; while both the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) and Alliance for Community Services have protested the upcoming cuts and called for their constituencies to make their voices heard to congress. ICIRR named the stakes: “If passed, this would be the largest Medicaid cut since the program came into existence and puts the health access of almost 14 million people at risk! This proposed federal budget harms communities by taking away affordable healthcare and instead funneling money into deporting our neighbors, friends, and loved ones.”

ICIRR’s call is one of solidarity amid legislation that targets our most vulnerable communities. Meanwhile, Alliance for Community Services has organized rallies to pressure local legislators to reverse their support for the measure. But our partners are not waiting for another shoe to drop to secure care for our communities. Alliance for Community Services was part of a broad coalition that won passage of a state bill this Spring that protects nursing home residents from retaliation when exercising their rights: the policy worked from existing tenant protections against landlord retaliation. 

Focused on our own strategy areas and giving priorities, funders can sometimes apply silos to potential grantee partners that falsely pigeonhole their work. But as the Jane Addams Senior Caucus puts it, “We welcome the advocacy and support of our younger allies. We recognize that what we achieve in equity for seniors today will serve them well in their aging years tomorrow.” The wins our grantee partners achieve serve communities far beyond their immediate constituencies. When Alliance for Community Services fights to defend Medicaid, they are defending coverage for the 3.4 million people in Illinois who are enrolled. What any partner achieves toward equity will serve us all well tomorrow.

In Inside Philanthropy, writer Michael Kavante surveyed the minority of funders who have spoken out against the actions of the current administration to find out if they’ve faced retaliation. His cautious conclusion is that while the administration continues to target philanthropy in general, and to attack specific law firms and universities, individual foundations have not yet been targeted. His summary of the current landscape aligns with what we have seen since late last year: our grantee partners face both substantial losses from federal funding cuts, and an ongoing threat to strip organizations of nonprofit status. The piece ends with a call to courage from Woods Fund Chicago President Michelle Morales:

“We’re the sector who has resources, particularly those of us who are endowed,” Morales said. “We have the resources to be able to fight back.”

Read more in Inside Philanthropy.

Under ‘Crime-Free Housing’ Laws, Families May Be Evicted for Minor Offenses

Why We’re Reading It: A sweeping investigation from the New York Times found that tenants across the state have faced mandatory evictions after misdemeanors or even 911 calls. “One in four Illinois residents now lives in a place that compels renters to sign a lease contract that states a tenant can be evicted if accused of a crime.” Legislation to significantly regulate these laws — more than 100 are on the books statewide — passed out of committee this month thanks to the work of advocates including several WFC grantee partners: Housing Action Illinois, Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness, Illinois Justice Project, and Shriver Center on Poverty Law.

The New York Times  //  Read now

AirGo Radio Features Back-to-Back WFC Grantees

Why We’re Listening: Chicago podcast AirGo Radio recently featured both Dixon Romeo, executive director of Southside Together, and Alex Ding, co-director of Dissenters. The sprawling conversations interrogate what it takes to build and maintain coalitions. "We're used to turning in towards each other, fighting against each other: those tendencies can distract us,” says Ding. "We have a world to win. There's millions of people we need to organize — how do we take that really seriously?"

Spotify via AirGo Radio  //  Listen to Dixon's Episode  //  Listen to Alex's Episode

A Long Walk Home

Multiple Positions Open // Learn more

Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness

Community Engagement Manager // Learn more

Chicago Community and Workers’ Rights

Communications Coordinator // Learn more

Community Organizing and Family Issues

UPLAN — National Organizer // Learn more

Enlace Chicago

Multiple Positions Open // Learn more

Faith in Place

Multiple Positions Open // Learn more

HANA Center

Multiple Positions Open // Learn more

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Multiple Positions Open // Learn more

Inner City Muslim Action Network

Multiple Positions Open // Learn more

Latino Policy Forum

Accountant // Learn more

Mujeres Latinas en Acción

Multiple Positions Open // Learn more

Progress Center for Independent Living

Independent Living Advocate // Learn more

Woodstock Institute

Director of Development & Communications // Learn more

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 Top Banner Image: Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights // Caption: Advocates and storytellers gather outside the Capitol after a bipartisan briefing with congressional staff in the Rayburn House Office Building. Organizations represented included Community Catalyst, Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PA), Arab American Family Services (IL), Catalyst Miami (FL), and Center for Health Progress (CO). 

Image Collage Banner: Alliance for Community Services

Grantee Partner Banner News Image: Organized Communities Against Deportations

Graphic Design: Sarah Sommers Design

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