Resilience Grant

The Foundation believes that art is key to the quality of life for people in the region and is an indispensable part of healthy and vibrant communities. The arts should serve and reflect the true diversity of the city and that organizations led by and serving communities of color, which have been historically underfunded, should have resources to build sustainability and thrive.

With a focus on Chicago, the mission of the Culture Program is to support the development, growth, and visibility of artists and arts organizations of color to advance racial equity, inspire creativity, and foster more culturally vibrant, diverse, and sustainable communities.

We define arts organizations of color as organizations whose primary practices and mission are by, for, and about artists, cultures, and communities of color. Indicators may include but are not limited to the presence of some combination of: organizational mission; history; executive, artistic, and governance leadership; programmatic content; artists; and audience.

Small and mid-size arts organizations of color are vital to strong communities as well as to a strong arts ecosystem in Chicago and the wider great Lakes region. They act as important community anchors, uplifting creativity in communities; supporting a range of rich cultural expressions; and nurturing the voices and talents of artists of color.

As the arts sector continues to recover from the challenges exacerbated by the pandemic and the impact of decades of inequities in arts funding, the Culture program aims to support the recovery, long-term sustainability, and growth of organizations of color by offering Resilience grants, or multi-year general operating support grants. Our goal is to provide organizations with flexibility and runway to address _their _specific needs and goals.

The Foundation funds arts organizations rooted in communities of color whose work, missions, audience, and operations may demonstrate, but are limited to, some the following characteristics (in no particular order):

• Offers regular seasons or cycles of engaging, rigorous, and thought-provoking arts exhibitions, performances, and/or public programming
• Nurtures artistic production among/within communities of color
• Incorporates the voices, concerns, and needs of artists of color and communities of color into their programming, leadership, and decision-making
• Pursues and sustains a robust network of partnerships or relationships with other organizations or entities across the arts ecosystem
• Is at pivotal stage or phase in their organizational trajectory or growth
• Can articulate (a) pathway(s) towards sustainability
• Demonstrates a commitment to pay equity for artists of color