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January Edition — Moving the Needle | Woods Fund Chicago
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Logan Square Neighborhood Association's Executive Director, Juliet de Jesus Alejandre, sat down with Woods Fund Chicago for a look back at 2020, and forward to what is on the horizon for the organization in 2021.
"For me, the story of who we are and why we do what we do is a win." - Juliet de Jesus Alejandre
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As we embark on a new year, we are inspired by the passion and leadership of our grantee partners, who have spent the last year fighting against poverty and structural racism while facing seemingly impossible challenges.
In 2021, Woods Fund Chicago will continue to support organizations and initiatives that promote community-driven solutions. The Fund is committing to:
• Embarking on strategic planning
• Deepening our investments in Black, Indigenous, Latinx, People of Color-led organizations committed to community organizing and policy advocacy
• Supporting the full ecosystem of organizing and advocacy — from individual organizations to coalitions to movements and movement building
• Supporting the sustainability of the organizing ecosystem in Chicago
• Strengthening and refining our internal infrastructure to center racial equity, women of color and economic justice
• Embarking on a journey to become a deliberately developmental organization, and
• Continuing to advocate with and on behalf of our grantee partners to the larger philanthropic sector in Chicago
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Happenings at Woods Fund Chicago
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ANNOUNCEMENT
Welcome Our New Program Officers!
Kelly Suzanne Saulsberry is a proud native of Chicago's South Side and a feminist advocate who is passionate about civic engagement; racial, gender, and economic equity; LGBTQ rights; and individual and community empowerment.
Her professional experience has been primarily in the non-profit and public sectors. Before joining Woods Fund Chicago, she was the Director of Policy and Outreach at the City of Chicago's Commission on Human Relations, the City's civil rights department. Before then, she was a Deputy Policy Director in the Chicago Mayor's Office of Rahm Emanuel, where she worked on issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, and transportation in underserved neighborhoods on the City's south and west sides. She has also worked in non-profit organizations where she directed and managed civic engagement, advocacy, and public programming initiatives.
Read Kelly's full bio here.
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Irene Juaniza (she/her) has worked as an organizer on various racial and economic justice issues both locally and nationally, including police brutality in Oakland, affordable housing in the Bronx, an elected representative school board in Chicago, state legislation supporting Chicagoland worker centers, and welfare reauthorization at the federal level.
Her early community work with young people includes developing one of Chicago’s first restorative justice programs, commonly known as peer juries. She credits her education in community organizing to the Center for Third World Organizing (CTWO), where she coordinated their national organizing training program for people of color organizers. Following her time at CTWO, she was recruited by a graduate of their organizing program to serve as Executive Director for a Chicago grassroots community organization, steering them through an organizational transition, shifting their organizing work to lead with a racial justice analysis.
Read Irene's full bio here.
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ANNOUNCEMENT
We are excited
to announce the addition of Dr. Lourdes Torres to the Woods Fund Chicago Board of Directors!
"I am honored to join the Wood Fund’s dynamic leadership team. I share its goal of working to dismantle structural racism and systemic interlocking oppressions, and its commitment to support community organizations engaged in the vital work of creating a more just and equitable society. This work has never been more necessary."
Dr. Torres is the St. Vincent de Paul Professor of Latin American and Latino Studies and Critical Ethnic Studies at DePaul University. She is the editor of the journal, Latino Studies and the co-series editor of the Global Latin/o American Series of the University of Ohio Press.
Her research and teaching interests include Latinx languages and culture, and queer Latinidades.
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UPCOMING EVENTS, JANUARY 29, 2021
Human Services’ Role in Advocacy:
A Call for Collaboration with Grassroots Activists
There is still time to reserve your spot for our upcoming panel, Human Services’ role in Advocacy: A Call for Collaboration with Grassroots Activists with Woods Fund President, Michelle Morales on January 29, 2021.
This panel will explore the relationship between human service organizations and grassroots movements on the frontlines of advocating for structural change, and discuss ways that human service leaders can engage in advocacy to promote justice for their clients and communities.
Click here today to sign up for this event.
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GRANTEES IN ACTION
Illinois Legislature Passes Bill Ending Money Bond
After years of courageous work by Woods Fund Chicago grantee Coalition to End Money Bond and Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice, IL has passed the Pretrial Fairness Act. The bill will overhaul the state’s pretrial justice system and end the use of money bond in its entirety.
Read the full article here.
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NONPROFIT AF
What to say and not to say in your statements about the white supremacist coup attempt at the Capitol
Over the past few days, I’ve been seeing public statements about the violent fascist coup attempt. Some are great, and some are awful. At this point, after the hundreds of statements that came out after George Floyd’s murder, many of us are exhausted with these statements against injustice, because so many of them are meaningless.
Read the full article here.
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NONPROFIT QUARTERLY
Rejecting False Harmony: How Philanthropy Can Support Real Healing
While many of us are still processing the domestic terrorism organized by white supremacists and incited by the outgoing president last week, we are already being bombarded by calls for healing, reuniting, and peace. Bipartisan initiatives are emerging, roundtable discussions are being organized, and think pieces asking, “How did this happen?” continue to circulate through social media.
Read the full article here.
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RAISE YOUR HAND FOR ILLINOIS PUBLIC EDUCATION
Lead Parent/ Caregiver Organizer (full-time)
As a growing organization of 2 FTE and 3
PTE, we are looking for an experienced partner to design the future of organizing at Raise Your Hand. This position requires someone who will be tactical and strategic, experienced at organizing leaders, and effective at training the next generation of parent leaders. The ideal candidate is someone who has experience intentionally developing members, leading campaigns, and has a desire to eventually lead and manage other staff. Reports directly to the Executive Director.
Read the full job description here.
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