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Impact for Equity

Chicago, Illinois

Grants

2021 (2 years)
$725,000

Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI) has served the Chicago region as an independent public interest law and policy center for more than 50 years, addressing compelling social justice issues, and striving to create a just society. BPI’s work is carried out in close collaboration with community-based organizations and other policy and advocacy groups, as well as with strategic government alliances. Since the launch of its Justice Reform program in 2014, BPI has built substantial subject matter expertise through its work with the Mayor’s Police Accountability Task Force and with Grassroots Alliance on Police Accountability (GAPA), its work on bail reform and justice reinvestment, its work advising both the Parole/Sentencing Reform Coalition as well as the Illinois Coalition for Higher Education in Prison, and its prior partnership with the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, to help develop and implement a strategic plan. This award enables BPI to continue to advance policing reform in Chicago and to continue to support broader justice reform efforts in Chicago, Cook County, and Illinois with a focus on expanding alternatives to incarceration, reducing long sentences, and improving reentry outcomes.

2019 (2 years)
$800,000

Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI) has served the Chicago region as an independent public interest law and policy center for nearly 50 years, addressing compelling social justice issues, and striving to create a just society. Most of BPI’s work is carried out in close collaboration with community-based organizations and other policy and advocacy groups as well as with strategic government alliances. Since the launch of its Justice Reform program in 2014, BPI has built substantial subject matter expertise through its work with the Mayor’s Police Accountability Task Force and Grassroots Alliance on Police Accountability (GAPA), its work on bail reform and justice reinvestment, and its prior partnership with the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice to help develop and implement a strategic plan. This award enables BPI to advance policing reform in Chicago and to continue to support broader justice reform efforts in Chicago, Cook County and Illinois with a focus on expanding alternatives to incarceration and improving reentry outcomes.

2017 (2 years)
$800,000

Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI) has served the Chicago region as an independent public interest law and policy center for nearly 50 years.  Since the launch of its Justice Reform program in 2014, BPI has built substantial subject matter expertise through its work with the Mayor’s Police Accountability Task Force and Grassroots Alliance on Police Accountability, its work on bail reform and justice reinvestment and its prior partnership with the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice to help develop and implement a strategic plan. This award enables BPI to advance policing reform in Chicago and to continue to support broader justice reform efforts in Chicago, Cook County and Illinois with a focus on expanding alternatives to incarceration and improving reentry outcomes.

2016 (2 years)
$750,000

Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI) has served the Chicago region as an independent public interest law and policy center for nearly 50 years. In 2012, BPI received the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions for its housing, education, and political reform work. Last year, BPI entered the criminal justice field with a successful project supporting the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice in a strategic planning process that clearly identified and articulated both the Department’s vision and near-term goals and helped it implement operations and communications to achieve its priorities. BPI seeks support to build its capacity to expand its nascent justice program and support broader justice reform efforts in Illinois. This award enables BPI to educate state and local policymakers and advocate for reform in three main areas: jail and prison reduction strategies, cash bail, and increased funding for community-based services. The award also supports BPI to continue its partnership with the Department of Juvenile Justice by collaborating with the Department and other advocates to improve the outcomes of youth released from secure custody.

2014 (1 year)
$310,000

Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI), a recipient of the 2012 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, is a public interest law and policy center that advocates for solutions to complex social justice issues. This grant will enable BPI to leverage its organizational strengths and assets to guide the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice through a strategic planning process that will result in a comprehensive one-year operating plan that identifies and articulates the Department’s near-term goals and priorities; help the Department effectively implement the operating plan; and develop a complementary communications strategy.

2014 (1 year)
$150,000

Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI) is a public interest law and policy center that addresses issues of social justice and quality of life in the Chicago region. By providing direct technical assistance to municipalities and timely, informative research on housing policy issues, BPI contributes to a county-wide initiative to preserve affordable rental housing: The Preservation Compact. This grant enables BPI to continue its collaborative approach to engage state and local policymakers, housing advocates, and real estate developers, among others, about affordable rental housing’s essential function within a community.

2012 (2 years)
$225,000

Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI) is a public interest law and policy center that addresses social justice and quality of life issues in the Chicago region. One of the organizations that uses its information is The Preservation Compact, which seeks to raise awareness about affordable rental housing’s value and create a climate in which public, private, and non-profit sectors work together to stem the loss of affordable rental housing in Cook County. BPI will use this grant to continue to provide legal and policy research to sustain local housing policy initiatives in support of the Compact.

2011 (4 years)
$750,000

Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI) is a Chicago-based, public interest law and policy center that advocates for solutions to a range of social justice issues, including affordable and public housing, public education, and state and local political reform. The grant will support the Polikoff-Gautreaux Fellowship Endowment Fund, strategic planning activities, and an upgraded suite of communication tools, including a redesigned website.

2010 (2 years)
$400,000

To support monitoring, technical assistance and an advisory role in the Plan for Transformation of public housing (over two years).

2009 (2 years 11 months)
$200,000

To support activities related to the Preservation Compact: An Action Plan for Cook County (over three years).

2007 (3 years)
$400,000

In support of the monitoring, technical assistance, and advisory role to mixed-income developments under the Plan for Transformation (over three years).

2007 (2 years)
$175,000

In support of activities related to the Preservation Compact (over two years).

2004 (2 years 11 months)
$600,000

In support of monitoring, technical assistance, and advocacy to ensure successful mixed-income developments under the Plan for Transformation of public housing in Chicago (over three years).

2002 (3 years)
$750,000

To redevelop Chicago's public housing to result in mixed-income communities (over three years).

2001 (3 years)
$300,000

To support a regional inclusionary housing initiative (over three years).

2001 ( 5 months)
$75,000

To support regional affordable housing activities.

2000 (1 year)
$200,000

To represent the long-term interests of public housing residents and to promote dispersed affordable housing in the Chicago area.

1999 (3 years)
$450,000

To support neighborhood revitalization programs for the Henry Horner Homes public housing development and the Near West Side of Chicago (over three years).

1998 (1 year)
$30,000

To support preparation of an alternative site plan for a resident referendum on public housing options in the Henry Horner Homes.

1995 (3 years)
$300,000

To support the Three Neighborhoods Project (over three years).

1994 (1 year)
$50,000

In support of general operations.

1992 (1 year)
$130,000

In support of general operations and the Transportation and Air Quality Planning Project (over two years).

1991 (1 year)
$40,000

In support of general operations.

1988 (2 years 2 months)
$105,000

In support of general operations (over three years).

1983 (1 year)
$105,000

In support of general operations (over three years).

1982 (1 year)
$72,500

To develop a model cable TV ordinance for the City of Chicago.

1982 (1 year)
$25,000

In support of general operations.

1982 (1 year)
$4,000

To develop a model cable TV ordinance for the City of Chicago.

1982 (1 year)
$25,000

To develop a model cable TV ordinance for the City of Chicago.

1982 (1 year)
$20,000

To develop a model cable TV ordinance for the City of Chicago.

1981 (1 year)
$25,000

To develop a model cable TV ordinance for the City of Chicago.

1980 (1 year)
$25,000

In support of general operations.