GRANTMAKING IN CHICAGO The MacArthur Foundation has deep roots in Chicago, where it is headquartered and where John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur lived. The Foundation seeks and seizes opportunities to work locally as an expression of its civic commitment to its home, and because being rooted in Chicago yields a deeper understanding of issues faced by urban areas and how to address them. AT A GLANCE and expand Chicago’s stock of afford- learning work, which aims to support able rental housing. The Foundation positive change in American education • Since 1978, MacArthur has invested also has played a major role in helping through innovative approaches to $940 million in Chicago. Grants have to ensure that Chicago’s historic plan to learning. supported nearly 1,100 organizations transform public housing high-rises into and individuals in the region. mixed-income communities is • Through its Models for Change initiative, successful. the Foundation has invested more than • Between 2002 and 2012, MacArthur $140 million in efforts to create models invested more than $200 million to • MacArthur awards more than $8 million of juvenile justice reform through work support community and economic annually to more than 200 arts and in key states, including Illinois. development and other activities in culture groups in the Chicago region, Chicago neigh borhoods and to including theaters, dance groups, music • The Foundation’s policy research increase opportunities for low-income organizations, visual art programs, film initiative includes special projects on the individuals and families. centers, museums, and libraries. nation’s fiscal future—with a focus on states and localities, including Illinois— • In collaboration with partners in the • Chicago is home to three innovation and immigration-related issues in the region, MacArthur seeks to preserve sites for MacArthur’s digital media and Chicago area. John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation November 2012 Grantmaking in Chicago COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MacArthur makes investments to improve conditions in Chicago neighborhoods, foster greater economic diversity, increase opportunity for low-income individuals and families, and develop new knowledge about effective responses to social and economic urban challenges. In Chicago, the central—and largest—of these initiatives is the New Communities Program, a coordinated effort by LISC/ Chicago to address a comprehensive range of issues to measurably improve quality of life, including employment, HOUSING ARTS AND CULTURE health, housing, and violence reduction. The Foundation’s interest in housing— The Foundation awards more than which is based on the premise that $8 million in annual support to more than Through LISC’s national office, the New decent, stable, affordable housing is 200 arts and culture groups in the Communities Program model is being essential to strong families and vibrant Chicago region, including theaters, implemented in sites across the country. communities—has focused primarily on dance groups, music organiza tions, Complementary investments seek to the supply of affordable housing, funding visual art programs, film centers, reduce gun violence, improve access to direct investments in the preservation of museums, and libraries. Most of these and use of information technology and rental housing. Activities also include grants provide multi-year, general data, stimulate economic development, research on the relationship between operating support, allowing groups the and increase employment to improve housing and outcomes in areas such flexibility to fund ongoing work and take neighborhood conditions. as health, education, and employment, creative risks. and on policy reform that supports a Anti-violence efforts include support for stronger, more robust housing market The Foundation makes general operating the Chicago Police Department’s that meets the needs of all Americans. support grants directly to 50 large Violence Reduction Strategy, CureViolence institutions (those with budgets over In Chicago, The Preservation Compact (formerly CeaseFire), and the University of $2 million). Arts organizations with annual has brought together leaders from the Chicago’s Becoming a Man program, budgets between $500,000 and which has shown promising results in public, private, and nonprofit sectors to craft a new vision for Cook County: to $2 million are supported through the keeping middle-school students in school MacArthur Fund at the Prince Charitable and away from contact with the juvenile reverse the downward trend in Cook County’s affordable rental housing Trusts. Small groups, those with budgets justice system. supply. To achieve this ambitious goal, of less than $500,000, receive grants the Compact is implementing the through the MacArthur Fund at the The Foundation is investing more than comprehensive Rental Housing Action Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. $200 million over 10 years to improve Plan for Cook County, which includes Chicago neighborhoods, leveraged by initiatives designed to change the policy In addition, the Foundation supports LISC and local organizations with an environment and preserve and improve special, time-limited projects and initiatives estimated $500 million in additional existing affordable rental homes that that benefit a set of arts organizations or funding from other private and public might otherwise be lost to condominium the sector as a whole. Examples include sources. conversion, demolition, or rising costs. the International Connections Fund, which helps arts organizations advance their For more information visit For more information visit work by collaborating with peer organi- www.macfound.org/ced or www.macfound.org/housing or zations abroad; the American Rhythm www.newcommunities.org. www.preservationcompact.org. Center, which provides shared rehearsal, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation page 2 office, and teaching space for seven dance young people’s interests, often using and supported across geographic companies; and the Working Capital Loan digital and traditional media. locations. Fund, which provides small and medium- sized arts organizations access to capital. Chicago is home to three innovation sites For more information visit where it is possible to see con nected www.macfound.org/education or For more information visit learning in action: www.youmediachicago.org. www.macfound.org/arts. • ChicagoQuest, the first of three planned 6–12th grade charter public schools where pedagogy and JUSTICE REFORM EDUCATION curriculum are based on the principles MacArthur’s juvenile justice initiative, Society is reinventing how knowledge is of game design and aim to engender Models for Change, seeks to create created, organized, accessed, and creative problem-solving, critical successful and replicable models of shared, with far-reaching implications for thinking, and productive collaboration; reform through investments in key states, including Illinois. The goal is to accelerate institutions of learning like schools, • YouMedia, a popular teen learning libraries, and museums. MacArthur’s space at the Harold Washington Public progress toward a more effective, fair, digital media and learning initiative aims Library that is the model for more than and developmentally sound juvenile to support positive change in American 35 similar spaces that are planned or justice system that holds young people education through connected learning, a in operation in museums and libraries accountable for their actions, provides for their rehabilitation, improves their life new framework for thinking about and nationwide; and chances, and manages the risk they supporting learning that promotes • The Chicago Hive Learning Network, pose to themselves and to the public. discovery, creativity, and critical thinking a group of civic and cultural organiza- through activities and real-world experi- tions working together in new ways to Illinois was chosen as one of four core ences that bring together academics and re-imagine how learning is organized states because of its strong juvenile justice leadership, potential for collabo- ration, community and civic engagement, ongoing reform efforts, and receptivity to and readiness for change. The Foundation supports Chicago-based organizations working toward state-wide juvenile justice reform, including Northwestern University’s Children and Family Justice Center, the Community Justice for Youth Institute, and Youth Outreach Strategies. Through 2012, the Foundation’s commit- ment to juvenile justice reform through Models for Change totals to more than $140 million. The initiative is in a “legacy” phase designed to sustain momentum for reform by sharing and promoting successful models to critical reform audiences like law enforcement, judges, prosecutors, defenders, and legislators. For more information visit www.macfound.org/juvenile_justice or www.modelsforchange.net. page 3 www.macfound.org Grantmaking in Chicago POLICY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS live here. Through its international grant- The building was designated a Chicago MacArthur’s policy research initiative making programs, MacArthur provides Landmark in 1975 and a National Historic currently supports special projects support to organizations such as the Landmark in 1976. focused on the implications of an aging Chicago Council on Global Affairs; the society, the use of benefit-cost analysis to Field Museum; the Center for International An exhibit on the history and architecture promote effective