Chicago Commitment: Culture, Equity, and the Arts Grant

The Chicago Commitment: Culture, Equity, and the Arts Grant aims to foster racial equity and inclusivity in Chicago by investing in diverse organizations that utilize arts and culture as a means of community engagement. This program provides flexible funding to support organizations with operating budgets over $1 million, enabling them to explore new ideas and maintain stability. The grant prioritizes projects that reflect the unique voices of Chicago's communities and address systemic barriers faced by marginalized groups.

NOTE: While we are open to new relationships, we are currently prioritizing longstanding grantee partners. We generally do not fund unsolicited proposals; however, we do review them. Although very few are selected for funding, we review unsolicited proposals that meet our guidelines.
Chicago is a global city with vibrant, diverse neighborhoods and a strong civic culture. And yet historical and current systemic racism creates unequal access to resources and opportunities for Black, Latine, Indigenous, Asian, LGBTQIA+, and disabled people and communities—especially when these multiple identities intersect. A resilient and dynamic Chicago region is dependent upon a more equitable Chicago, where every Chicagoan has the opportunity to prosper and contribute to their community and where Chicago’s diverse voices are elevated, recognized, respected, and included.
We focus on strengthening local organizations including the creative sector; supporting civic partnerships on timely issues; investing in vital communities; and advancing influential leaders with a diversity of experiences and a commitment to racial equity.
Our Areas of Focus
Our focus areas were designed with the priorities of Chicagoans in mind—taking heed of what residents and leaders believe are the most urgent concerns and promising solutions.
Civic PartnershipsLeading or participating in partnerships to address critical or timely challenges with the goal of advancing racial equity and building a more inclusive Chicago.Vital CommunitiesInvesting targeted resources in a small number of place-based initiatives and organizations that provide infrastructure support to neighborhoods.Advancing LeadershipPromoting and advancing leaders committed to diversity whose influence will inform and improve decision making across the city.Culture, Equity, and the ArtsReflecting diverse creative sector voices and sustaining the creative life of the city.
The Culture, Equity, and the Arts (CEA) program is based on the ideal that arts and culture are essential to furthering the Chicago Commitment’s goal: To invest in people, places, and partnerships to advance racial equity and build a more inclusive Chicago.
The arts help to introduce people to diverse perspectives, build bridges across social boundary lines, expose people to culturally relevant experiences, and develop human empathy.
Through this program, we offer unrestricted general operating support, directly and through regranting partners, to large, mid-sized, and small organizations. These resources provide flexible, reliable funding that helps organizations maintain stability, plan ahead, pursue new ideas, and invest in new artistic directions.
We offer multi-year, general operating support directly to organizations with budgets above $1 million. Grant sizes range from $55,000 to $80,000 per year, typically for three years.

Eligibility

Staff review each LOI to determine whether the organization:Has an annual operating budget of $1 million or greater as demonstrated by two consecutive, final, independently audited financial statements indicating both revenues and expenses of $1 million or aboveHas a mission that aligns with the Chicago Commitment's visionIs a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status from the Internal Revenue Service in good standing with the IRS and the Illinois Secretary of StateHas a reasonable level of fiscal and organizational healthWe offer support to organizations with a primary focus on arts and culture and to organizations that are arts-centered, meaning that art is integral to executing an organization’s mission but not the only aspect of its work. For example, a human services organization in which arts programming is integral to its violence prevention work may be eligible.

Ineligibility

The Foundation does not provide funding for the following:Scholarships or tuition assistance for undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate studiesGrants to individuals, except for Leaders for a New Chicago, and the MacArthur Fellows Program, which is not open to applications or public nominationsAnnual fundraising drivesPaid advertisementsPolitical activities or attempts to influence action on specific legislationOrganizations that are closely affiliated with larger institutions, such as universities and schools; receive significant financial or in-kind support from the larger institution; and are not independent nonprofits with self-governing boards and independent audits, are not eligible.