The Chicago Fund for Safe and Peaceful Communities
Tap into your power, experience and knowledge.
Apply for a grant from The Chicago Fund for Safe & Peaceful Communities, and show Chicagoans what you can do for Chicago.
If you run – or can create – a summer program in one of our prioritized Chicago communities that is designed to promote peace, build trust and strengthen relationships across ages, and if your organization’s annual operating budget is less than $500,000, then we want to empower you with funding from $1,000 to as much as $10,000. There is a straight-forward process to applying for a grant. Follow these recommended steps.
NOTE: The application period for the 2024 PSPC Chicago Fund has closed. Please stay tuned for details about the 2025 PSPC Chicago Fund.
4 easy steps to apply
1
Define your project
Review the 2024 PSPC Chicago Fund RFP, then develop a clearly worded description of your project. This should include its name, who it is for (for example, young children, teens or all ages), what its main activities will be, where it will happen and what you anticipate its results will be. Remember: We are funding projects that are specifically in one of our prioritized Chicago communities.
2
Enhance your project
We believe that powerful things happen when people work together, so we encourage collaborations among organizations, agencies and civic groups that can lead to great community activities. We also strongly the inclusion of the Seven Field Principles (7FP) in your project. The 7FP is a proven tool for fostering strong communities and reducing violence, and is very effective when used in a comprehensive and coordinated way within communities. The Fund will strive for that kind of coordination among all funded projects.
3
Assemble your data
You’re almost there – let’s put some numbers together. Develop a budget for your project. Have your organization’s Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) available, or have approval to use the FEIN of your collaborating partner that will serve as the fiscal sponsor for this grant. Watch a recording of the 2023 PSPC Chicago Fund information session to gain more insight and ask questions about your application.
4
Make it happen
When you’re ready to submit your application, it’s best if you do the work from a computer with a strong Internet connection. (We do not recommend submitting via a smart device.) To ensure you have everything you need to apply, print out this checklist. When you’re ready, go to Grant Central, create a username and password, and follow the prompts.
Checklist for Applicants
You will need access to the internet to complete and submit your application.
Prioritized Communities
The following community areas have been prioritized for support from the Fund based on data compiled by the University of Chicago Crime Lab for highest number and rate of homicides:
Fiscal Sponsors
You can select a fiscal sponsor on your own, or you can consider one of these organizations, which have agreed to serve as fiscal sponsors for funded organizations, if needed.
Resilience Partners NFP
Contact: Deirdre Bates and Brittany Blackwell
dbates@resiliencepartnersnfp.org
bblackwell@rpnfp.org
www.resiliencepartnersnfp.org
312-281-6552
The Monroe Foundation
Contact: Otis Monroe
omonroe@themonroefoundation.org
773-315-9720
Looking for help with your application?
Virtual sessions to help guide organizations through the application process will be held on Thursday, February 8 at 12pm and on Thursday, February 22 at 6pm. Attending these sessions is not a requirement to apply for funding. Anyone interested in attending should register in advance.
Watch a recording of an information session we held about the 2023 PSPC Chicago Fund application process.
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