Lessons in Philanthropy: A Case Studies Approach

Over the past twenty years, academic institutions have increasingly developed programs of study on the nonprofit sector, most of which emphasize nonprofit management or fundraising. The study of organized philanthropy in general, and foundation giving specifically, is still at a relatively early stage of development. Accordingly, the development of research and teaching materials available for use in formal academic settings is largely an unmet need. There are numerous experiences in the grant making process that simply go unreported and unavailable for educational purposes. These experiences, however, can prove extremely educational and should not be overlooked. The cased studies that follow serve as a model for capturing, analyzing, and sharing these important lessons. These case studies are designed to increase the relevance of philanthropy teaching curriculums and better prepare future leaders that are engaged in philanthropy and nonprofit sector work. The overall goal of the present project was to develop case studies that would serve as teaching/learning tools about philanthropy by providing in-depth examination of critical issues and experiences related to foundation decision-making, governance and fund- distribution. Throughout the development of these cases, a special emphasis on philanthropic involvement in communities of color and other under-served communities was maintained in order to improve philanthropy’s work in relation to these populations. A core team of faculty and other professionals were assembled and trained on key aspects of case study research and development, as well as case study teaching methods. These individuals brought with them a wealth of experience in the field of philanthropy as researchers, foundation program officers, and directors of non-profits

Saving Our Homes: The Lessons of Community Struggles to Preserve Affordable Housing in Chicago\u27s Uptown

Over the past 25 years we have witnessed declining federal investment in affordable housing at the same time as there has been growth in low-income households. During this same quarter of a century we have seen a shift from a national War on Poverty to federal policies that treat poor adults and children as hopeless, undeserving citizens. In this new era of fiscal constraints there is no talk about meeting basic nutritional, housing, health care, and educational needs. A chorus of new conservative leaders claims to be speaking for the suffering middle class. The media increasingly talk of the haves and the have-nots. It is not easy to hear talk of helping the working poor over the din of politicians seeking to protect the family and traditional American values. This report is an effort to give voice to some of those working poor who have been struggling to preserve the affordable housing that is their road to self-sufficiency. It is the story about Uptown, a Chicago community which is about as American as it gets. Like the traditional urban communities in American cities in the late 1800s and early 1900s, our community is filled with immigrants who came to the United States, sometimes escaping persecution in their homelands and other times hoping to improve their quality of life through hard work in the land of opportunity. The names by the doorbells are not McGuire, Ianello, or Schmidt; they are Thu, Asoegwu, and Lopez

Housing Discrimination and Economic Opportunity in the Chicago Region

In 1990, the Human Relations Foundation of Chicago was created in response to a publication called Report on Race, Ethnic and Religious Tensions in Chicago, released by the Chicago Community Trust Human Relations Task Force in 1989. The human relations task force released recommendations for the creation of a foundation to energize efforts to combat racism. The Human Relations Foundation of Chicago implements the recommendations of the task force\u27s report, targeting Chicago leadership by concentrating on issues related to, but not limited to, housing, education, religion, media, government and business. Continued racial and ethnic segregation has continuing implications for the social, political, cultural, and economic vitality of Chicago region. Not only does this segregation affect how and where residents of our communities interact with each other, but by limiting free access to housing, education, and jobs a significant portion of the region\u27s population is being held back from sharing in opportunities and from realizing their full potential social, economic, cultural, and political contributions to Chicago and its surrounding communities. This report demonstrates the reality of such concentrations, and analyzes why they persist. We are particularly interested in assessing the impact of housing discrimination on job and wealth opportunities for people of color. Findings and recommendations are drawn from reports on this subject written since the last series of reports commissioned by the Human Relations Foundation of Chicago in 1990

Providing a Way Station: A Study of the Joint Apna Ghar -The Enterprising Kitchen Program to Provide Employment Services to Immigrant Women Victimes of Domestic Violence

This report examines an innovative partnership designed to assist the employment needs of immigrant women who are survivors of domestic violence. In late 1999 a partnership was formed between The Enterprising Kitchen (TEK) and Apna Ghar, two organizations that are located in Chicago’s Uptown community. Apna Ghar, which provides services including shelter and counseling to South Asian immigrant women, sought client assistance from TEK, an intensive employment training program for women who are very marginal to the labor force. This report examines the first eighteen months of the partnership in which Apna Ghar referred twelve women to TEK’s training slots. It looks at how the TEK model served the needs of both the immigrant women referred by Apna Ghar and the general TEK population, which is primarily composed of African American women. This report demonstrates the effectiveness of a small, focused and personalized work preparation program that provides a “way station” for learning new habits and skills that address the needs of both sets of women

One and a Half Decades of Apartment Loss and Condominium Growth: Changes in Chicago\u27s Residential Building Stock

We use data from the Cook County Assessor to document the decline in Chicago apartments and growth in condominium units from 1989 to 2004. While the total number of housing units in Chicago remained approximately constant at a little over one million, we find that at least 44,637 and perhaps as many as 97,894 apartment units were removed from Chicago’s housing stock during this period. Over the same period 102,408 condominium units have been added to the housing stock. We provide tables and maps that show the changes by in small apartments (less than six units), large apartments (7+ units) and condominiums by community area. Loss of small and large apartment buildings has been widespread across the entire city. Condominium growth has been most intense on the Northeast, Near South and Near West Sides. Some, but not all, of the community areas that lost large numbers of apartments gained condominiums. On average, across the city as a whole, for each 1,000 additional condominium units a community area gained, it lost 27 small apartment buildings and about 6 large apartment buildings

Native Americans in Philanthropy: A Demographic Profile of Independently Incorporated Native American Foundations and Selected Funds in the United States

In partnership with Native Americans In Philanthropy this report gives basic demographic information on 60 grant making entities grouped into three categories: 1) Native foundations that are independently incorporated; 2) 501c3 Native organizations; and 3) tribal funds. These categories capture the variety of Native controlled approaches currently at work in the field. The Native Foundations category includes thirty-six Native controlled, independently incorporated grant making foundations that were operating in the United States during the years 2001-2003. These foundations received their 501c3 charitable designation from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and are largely committed to carrying out a grant making function. They vary in terms of foundation type, focus, financial resources and experience. However, they do have a common thread: their interest and commitment to improving conditions for Native people. Overall, the data presented in this report shows that Native people and communities have embraced and are deeply engaged in the development of philanthropic organizations, and this movement offers hope that new Native leadership in this field translates to more effective philanthropic work in addressing the many needs and issues that exist in Native communities

Minding the Gap: An Assessment of Racial Disparity in Metropolitan Chicago

In cooperation with the Human Relations Foundation of Chicago (HRF), CURL and the Jane Addams Hull House examined inequalities among racial and ethnic groups in Chicago. Drawing from a broad range of existing data sources, researchers documented areas of reduced inequality as well as other areas of persistent inequality. Minding the Gap: An Assessment of Racial Disparity in Metropolitan Chicago examines seven quality of life measurements: income, wealth and employment, education, housing, transportation, health, the lives of children and the criminal justice system. This report, by examining these seven systems, not just one, creates a unique context for understanding both the complexity of these individual systems and the relationships between these systems. The goal of this effort is not only to educate the public about these gaps, but also to serve as a catalyst for public and social policy discussion throughout the region by initiating a community engagement process. The report was featured in a Sun-Times Editorial

The Secure Program: Safety Enhanced Communities Utilizing Resident Endeavors - Final Report

This report describes a collaborative project between the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) and the Center for Urban Research and Learning (CURL) at Loyola University Chicago. The project, entitled Safety Enhanced Communities Utilizing Resident Endeavors (SECURE), is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of physical security improvements in affordable housing developments. The project began in August of 1997 and was completed in December of 1998. The focus of the SECURE program was to address the growing security needs and concerns among residents who live in transitional neighborhoods with relatively high crime rates. The SECURE project studied four affordable housing developments in the Chicago area. The housing developments that participated in the program were The Pines of Edgewater, Northpoint, Diversey Square, and Park Apartments. IHDA selected the participating developments based on location, ability to implement the program, neighborhood characteristics, and management capacity. The four developments are geographically dispersed throughout Chicago and each is situated in a unique neighborhood setting. Each development submitted a proposal describing the security concerns at the property and how they planned to address these problems. In addition, the developments were to create a local partnership including the active participation of residents, the integration of local community policing strategies (CAPS), and the collaboration with an existing neighborhood organization to promote safety. In return, IHDA provided funding for physical security improvements at each of the four participating developments. The security upgrades included hardware, such as lighting, fencing, metal doors, and monitoring equipment. The total grant amounts to $435,000, serving a total of 885 units. CURL’s responsibility was to conduct a comprehensive research evaluation of the SECURE program. The evaluation determined the impact of the security improvements in creating a safer environment and reducing residents’ fear of crime

Homeless over 50: The Graying of Chicago\u27s Homeless Population

This is a report of a 2-year collaborative study of homeless people aged 50 to 64 in Chicago between Loyola University Center for Urban Research and Learning and the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness. This study had three goals: To obtain a demographic profile of people who are homeless in Chicago and are between the ages of 50 and 64; to understand how the various systems designed to serve this population do and do not meet their needs; and to begin to suggest a range of policy and programmatic responses to meet the needs of this population. Information for this research was gathered from a variety of sources: archival survey data from the 2001 Illinois Regional Roundtable study, homeless agencies administrative data; focus groups with individuals who were homeless; life histories of homeless individuals; and interviews with providers. The broad range of data, both quantitative and qualitative, and from differing perspectives allowed the researchers to explore the complexity of experiences facing older homeless individuals. One of the most surprising findings from the study is that a majority of people aged 50-64 in the Roundtable study became homeless for the first time in middle age. The median age for first homelessness was 47. A second key finding is that the number of people who are homeless in Chicago between the ages of 50 and 65 increased between 2001 and 2006. A broad range of homeless service agencies saw, in total, a 26% increase in the older individuals they were serving. The study found that a sizable portion (possibly 40%) of this population have the will, ability, and work history to become employed, but are hampered from obtaining employment. There are three likely reasons for this: 1) a mismatch of their skills to the job market; 2) the decrease of jobs paying a living wage and 3) ageism in the employment market. Conversely, the employment prospects for the remaining 60% of individuals are very limited. We found that many have one or more factors, such as chronic illness, that limit their ability to hold employment. Finally, safety net social welfare programs fail this population. The meager safety net programs in place for single adults such as Earnfare target individuals younger than 48, and most programs for seniors cannot be accessed until 62 (housing) and 65 (SSI