Field Foundation

Green graphic with white text featuring a quote from Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr.: "It is time for us to turn to each other, not on each other." The Field Foundation logo appears in the bottom left corner, with fieldfoundation.org in the bottom right.

We honor the memory of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., who dedicated his life to lifting up the voiceless and understood that meaningful change comes from communities standing together. His legacy and tremendous impact as a tireless advocate will endure.

#communitypowerbuilding #chicago

A clean, professional graphic featuring the Leaders for a New Chicago logo, which incorporates the iconic six-pointed Chicago star in red positioned above a blue bracket symbol. The program name "Leaders for a New Chicago" appears in gray text, with "New Chicago" on a second line. Below the logo, smaller gray text reads "A collaboration between the Field Foundation & the MacArthur Foundation." At the bottom of the image, "2026 Program" appears in large blue text. The design uses a light gray background and follows a minimalist aesthetic that emphasizes the partnership between the two foundations.

Coming soon! In mid-Feb, we're kicking off our 8th annual Leaders for a New Chicago Award program. In collaboration with @macfound.org, we will award $50K each to 8 individuals who are leading transformative change from the ground up - plus, $25K gen ops grants for affiliated nonprofits. Stay tuned.

A three-panel photo collage showing the Half Step Financial Forum recording at WVON radio station. The images capture three men seated around a radio studio table with professional microphones. From left to right: Daniel O. Ash (Field Foundation President) wearing glasses and a black turtleneck, Marshall Lindsey, PhD (Half Step Co-Founder) in a navy blue jacket, and Lyle Logan (Field Foundation Board Member) wearing black. All three are engaged in animated conversation during the broadcast. The top of the image features a green banner with white text reading "Half Step Financial Forum." The bottom displays the Field Foundation logo and website (fieldfoundation.org) on a green background.

Yesterday, Half Step, a nonprofit financing organization that expands access to capital for underserved businesses, took over The Morning Show with Rufus Williams on @WVON 1690 AM. Watch (conversation begins at 55:20): bit.ly/3LO4Npj

Learn more about Half Step: www.ahalfstep.com

ecorative graphic with blue and teal hearts on colorful background featuring the Healing Illinois logo (a checkered heart). Text reads 'HEALING ILLINOIS Subgrantee Announcement' with 'Congratulations!' in script. Bottom text says 'Read more at Healing.Illinois.gov'.

We're proud to share the 2025-2026 #HealingIllinois subgrantees! In partnership with @ilhumanservices, we will distribute $4.3 million in Healing Illinois grants to nearly 200 nonprofits to support racial & community healing statewide.
Learn more at healing.illinois.gov.

Chicago Community Planning Academy <p><span style="font-size: 14px;">This program is designed to empower residents to create positive change in their communities. It will occur March - May for a total of eight sessions.</span></p>

Sharing an opportunity to apply for the Chicago Planning Academy, Mar 10-May 26. The program, a collaboration between the Chicago Architecture Center & the Center for Neighborhood Technology, is designed to empower residents to create positive change in their communities. More below. bit.ly/4sQzDOA

Green background with a white quote that reads: "Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals." The quote is attributed to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in white text at the bottom right. The Field Foundation logo and website (fieldfoundation.org) appear at the bottom of the image.

Today, we honor the memory of Dr. King and celebrate the dedicated individuals and organizations who carry forward his legacy.

We had a wonderful turnout at our event, Data as Power: 50 Years of the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act! Panelists discussed the past, present, and future of HMDA data and its role in combatting redlining and enforcing fair lending laws.

A title card featuring the Field Foundation logo (a green square with stylized "FF" letters) and wordmark in green text on a white background. Below the logo, centered text reads "2025 Year in Review" in green. The design has a clean, minimal aesthetic with a thin green border framing the entire image.

As we approach the holiday season and year end, we want to express our gratitude for the opportunity to work with so many of you in our mutual pursuits to help shape a stronger Chicago.

Our 2025 year-in-review reel reflects community power building in action: bit.ly/48ICcKD

Happy holidays to all.

Join us next Wednesday at @woodstockinst.bsky.social “Data as Power: 50 Years of HMDA” event, where Field Foundation President Daniel O. Ash will moderate a panel on the successes & stumbling blocks of using Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Data & what’s possible for the future of fair housing.

A vibrant floral arrangement sits on a round wooden table with black metal legs. Behind the arrangement is a large sign reading "Joy in the Making" in white text on a red background, with colorful abstract art visible on the right side. The MacArthur Foundation and Field Foundation logos appear on a green curved element at the bottom of the sign. The setting is an elegant event space with atmospheric lighting projecting architectural patterns on the walls.

The Field Foundation and @macfound.org held a special event Thursday to honor arts and culture grant recipients who dedicate themselves to Chicago’s communities. It was a joyful opportunity to connect, uplift and have fun—while celebrating our shared purpose and creative spirit. bit.ly/4rwoXUX

Photo credit for images 2 & 4: @vincentdjohnson.bsky.social

Congrats as well to the winners of the Sarah Brown Boyden Awards for exemplary reporting in every category. We salute the hard work of these journalists and the broader local journalism community in ensuring all Chicagoans have access to credible, fact-based news and information. /end

Congrats to the winner of the $1,000 Dorothy Storck Award for commentary, @brandisfriedman.bsky.social of @wttw.bsky.social; and to the winner of the $500 Best of the Best Award for reporting, Stephanie Zimmermann of the @chicago.suntimes.com. 5/

Congrats to Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Jim Williams of CBS2 Chicago; and to the 2025 Journalist of the Year, @jakewittich.bsky.social of @windycitytimes.com. 4/

Supporting journalists through this crisis has been a key priority for the Field Foundation, given how dramatically layoffs have reshaped the industry. Learn more about our support here: lnkd.in/gzY6w52V

Last Friday's ceremony honored outstanding work across the field. 3/

Journalism is the bedrock of informed communities, and we were proud to sponsor this event. In recognition of the recent wave of layoffs at local news organizations, we also provided support for laid-off Chicago area journalists to attend and remain connected to their professional community. 2/

The Field Foundation's Mark Murray and Maudlyne Ihejirika pose with Jim and Joyce Williams at the Chicago Journalists Association's 86th Anniversary Awards Ceremony. All are formally dressed in an elegant setting at the Newberry Library.

Photo of Brandis Friedman in front of a microphone at the Chicago Journalists Association's 86th Anniversary Awards Ceremony. She is wearing a white shirt, black tie and red glasses. The setting is a wood paneled room at the Newberry Library.

Brandis Friedman and Maudlyne Ihejirika pose for a photo at the Chicago Journalists Association's 86th Anniversary Awards Ceremony. Brandis is wearing a white shirt, black tie and red glasses. Maudlyne is wearing a black dress and a black fur coat. The setting is a wood paneled room at the Newberry Library.

Maudlyne Ihejirika poses for a photo at the Chicago Journalists Association's 86th Anniversary Awards Ceremony.

The Field Foundation was delighted to join the city's journalism community at the Chicago Journalists Association's 86th Anniversary Awards Ceremony, where we celebrated exceptional local journalists and impactful reporting from the past year. 1/

A large group of DePaul University students gather for a group photo in the Impact House office space. The modern workspace features exposed industrial ceiling with visible ductwork and lighting, concrete floors, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking an urban street. The diverse group of students, dressed in casual fall attire including jackets and coats, are arranged in multiple rows and smiling at the camera. The photo is framed with a bright green border with "DePaul Visit" as the header and the Field Foundation logo and website (fieldfoundation.org) at the bottom.

The Field Foundation's COO Mark Murray recently hosted a group of DePaul University undergraduates for a discussion about careers in the arts. Mark shared his journey from a practicing artist to his current position on the business side of the arts. Thanks to the students for spending time with us.

We're looking forward to celebrating Tonika Lewis Johnson's recognition as a 2025 MacArthur Fellow. Field Foundation President Daniel O. Ash will moderate an event at Kennedy-King College next week to honor Tonika's work and impact. Learn more in this @blockclubchi.bsky.social story.

Congrats again to the 2025 “A Road Together” (ART) grant recipients announced this week. As part of our 5-year, $15M partnership with @macfound.org, 25 Chicago-based arts and culture nonprofits will receive general operating grants totaling $2.85M over three years. More: fieldfoundation.org/art

The 2025 ART Grant Recipients are listed below. Congrats to all!

UrbanTheater Company (UTC)
Walls Turned Sideways

#ARoadTogether #arts #culture #community #powerbuilding #philanthropy #chicago

/end

The 2025 ART Grant Recipients are listed below. Congrats to all!

Intonation Music
Kalapriya Foundation, Center for the Indian Performing Arts
Making a Difference Dancing (M.A.D.D.) Rhythms Organization
Pegasus Theatre Chicago
Territory NFP
The Era Footwork Collective

list continues ⬇️ 6/

The 2025 ART Grant Recipients are listed below. Congrats to all!

Chicago Torture Justice Memorials Foundation
Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange
Cultural Access Collaborative
Design Museum of Chicago
Folded Map Project
FreshLens Chicago
High Concept Labs
ILA Creative Studio

list continues ⬇️ 5/

The 2025 ART Grant Recipients are listed below. Congrats to all!

About Face Theatre
Africa International House USA
Aguijón Theatre
Architreasures
Ballet Folklorico de Chicago
Changing Worlds
Chicago Blues Revival
Chicago Mobile Makers
Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center

list continues ⬇️ 4/

Art — Field Foundation

Now in its third year, the ART partnership has awarded general operating funding to 156 nonprofits – all of which have annual budgets of less than $1 million and operate largely in traditionally underserved communities. Learn more: fieldfoundation.org/art 3/

As a five-year, $15 million partnership with @macfound.org the ART initiative is rooted in the belief that small and mid-sized arts and culture organizations – including social service groups and community organizers – are vital to Chicago's identity, economy, and social fabric. 2/

Image shows the "A Road Together" logo with text arranged in a modern, stacked layout within a rectangular frame that gradients from green to blue. Below the frame, smaller text reads "an initiative of: Field Foundation" and "supported by: MacArthur Foundation" with their respective logos. The design uses a clean, contemporary aesthetic with the program's signature green and blue colors.

Graphic displaying the first half of 2025 ART Cohort grant recipients on a white background with green border. The list includes 13 organizations: About Face Theater Company, Africa International House USA Inc., Aguijón Theater Company, Architreasures, Ballet Folklorico de Chicago, Changing Worlds, Chicago Blues Revival, Chicago Mobile Makers, Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center, Chicago Torture Justice Memorials Foundation, Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange, Cultural Access Collaborative, and Design Museum of Chicago. The A Road Together logo appears in the bottom left corner in green and blue, with the website fieldfoundation.org/art in green at the bottom right.

Graphic displaying the second half of 2025 ART Cohort grant recipients on a white background with green border. The list includes 12 organizations: Folded Map Project, FreshLens Chicago, High Concept Labs, ILA Creative Studio, Intonation Music, Kalapriya Foundation Center for the Indian Performing Arts, Making a Difference Dancing (M.A.D.D.) Rhythms Organization, Pegasus Theatre Chicago, Territory, The Era Footwork Collective, UrbanTheater Company, and Walls Turned Sideways. The A Road Together logo appears in the bottom left corner in green and blue, with the website fieldfoundation.org/art in green at the bottom right.

We’re excited to announce the 2025 "A Road Together" (ART) grant recipients – 25 Chicago-based arts and culture nonprofits who together will receive general operating grants totaling $2.85 million over three years. 1/

A social media graphic with a gradient blue background featuring decorative wavy lines and other shapes. At the top center is the Healing Illinois logo—a white circle containing a heart made of blue and teal checkered pattern with "Healing Illinois" text. The main text reads "HEALING ILLINOIS GRANT APPLICATION" in large, bold yellow-gold letters. Below that, "open now" appears in white script font with a small starburst accent. The website "Healing.Illinois.gov" is displayed in white text. At the bottom, "COMMUNITY HEALING" appears in white capital letters against the blue background with large decorative shapes.

GRANT OPPORTUNITY: Healing Illinois Returns for 2025-2026!

We're proud to partner with @ilhumanservices.bsky.social to distribute $4.3 million in funding to Illinois nonprofits fostering racial healing and community healing statewide. Learn more: www.healing.illinois.gov.

We're proud to help support our Journalism & Storytelling grant recipients in overcoming these challenges. And we're especially proud of Chicago News Weekly & Investigative Project on Race & Equity for their impactful work. Check them out! /end

ttps://www.cnwmedia.com/
www.raceandequityproject.org

The discussion covered all aspects of launching a news business start-up — from the process of securing a nonprofit 501c3 designation or fiscal sponsor, to what keeps these news leaders up at night: the constant challenge of diversifying revenue, increasing staff and maintaining sustainability. 4/