Two Woods Fund Grantee Partners Among 11 Local Leaders Awarded for Their Groundbreaking Work

We are excited to share this exciting news about Woods Fund grantee partners Juliet De Jesus Alejandre, Executive Director of Logan Square Neighborhood Association, and Sharlyn Grace, Director of the Chicago Community Bond Fund, both recently named 2020 Field Foundation Leaders of a New Chicago. They have been recognized as racial justice visionaries for the work they do to address systemic issues in Chicago’s divested communities.

Juliet de Jesus Alejandre developed a strong racial justice framework that centers Latinx youth from the community in actions, policy conversations, and strategy meetings. Alejandre has a commitment to long-term problem solving in Logan Square through community-driven solutions and coalition building at the local, city, state and national levels.

Sharlyn Grace’s work provides direct resources and organizing efforts to end people being jailed simply because they are poor. The use of money bonds has decreased by over 50 percent thanks to pressure from litigation and community organizing led by CCBF and her leadership. Through Grace’s coalition building efforts, eliminating money bond is now a statewide issue. She is a lifelong organizer who uses her legal skills, credentials, and access in support of grassroots movements for social change.

Goodbye, But Not Farewell

On July 10th, the Woods Fund team says goodbye to our friend and team member, Caronina Grimble. Caronina has been a part of our team for the past seven years. Having transitioned from the Illinois Department of Human Services to philanthropy, Caronina brought a knowledge and analysis of policy, of state government, and a passion and fight for racial equity; she also brought a community lens to her work. In her time with us, Caronina consistently put the needs and perspectives of our grantee partners first. Her relationship with grantee partners, and her knowledge of their work and campaigns, helped us to refine our grantmaking, leverage more support for community issues and organizing campaigns, and champion innovative work occurring across the city of Chicago.

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Racial Equity and Racial Justice Resources

Are you a foundation or community based organization looking for resources to support your emerging racial justice efforts? Here are just a few organizations with a plethora of helpful online resources (and foundations, if you can, drop them a few dollars...):

Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity (PRE)

Racial Equity Tools

ABFE

CHANGE Philanthropy

Race Forward

Native Americans In Philanthropy

Summer of Extremes: Racism, Health Inequity, and Heat

COVID-19 Collides With Climate Crisis on 25th Anniversary of Chicago Heat Wave | A Chicago Journalism Conference

Q: What do Chicago's 1995 heat wave and the COVID-19 pandemic have in common?

A: The heat wave death map and the COVID-19 death map are ALMOST IDENTICAL.

ICYMI | On June 23-25, the filmmakers hosted a journalism conference via Zoom:

"In 1995, Chicago was hit by one of the deadliest heat waves in U.S. history, disproportionately killing 739 poor and elderly, mostly people of color. Now history repeats itself. The coronavirus pandemic is exposing the same deadly inequities. Marking the 25th anniversary of the devastating heat wave, summer 2020 is predicted to be one of the hottest on record --and against the additional public health crisis of police brutality-- one of the most revolutionary."

SUMMER OF EXTREMES Night One explored the connections between the heat wave, the climate crisis, and COVID-19

SUMMER OF EXTREMES Night Two explored the mental health of journalists when reporting on communities in crisis, and the mental health of those who ingest that media

SUMMER OF EXTREMES Night Three reimagined what a just and equitable heat emergency plan will need to look like.