Crossroads Fund in Context: Our History as Foundation

Crossroads Fund was imagined in 1979, when a group of young people came together with an idea -- they envisioned a foundation where community members would have control of the money and of grantmaking decisions, where the people who were most affected by and experienced at confronting racial, economic, and social injustice would make decisions about where to put resources to have the most significant impact for social change. They dreamed of a partnership of activists and donors -- of accountability to community -- so that people from all walks of life would be invested in progressive community change. This idea became the Crossroads Fund.

In 1981, Crossroads Fund gave out our first grant to a group that continues to serve as a crucial resource today for 7,500 clients a year, including low-income women, lesbians, and young women -- the Chicago Women's Health Center. That grant was for $4,130, and it helped to seed the growth of that organization, and the practice of Crossroads Fund as a critical resource for groups working for social change in the Chicago area.

Since our founding, we have continued our commitment to have community members make the decisions about where money is distributed. Our Board of Directors and grantmaking committee reflect the diversity of the issues that we fund. Since 1981, we have distributed more than $4 million to hundreds of groups, working across the spectrum of social justice issues. Want to know who recently received a grant? Click here.

A Community Foundation For Change

Crossroads Fund does not have an endowment. Instead, we raise all of the money that we give away in grants, and all of our program expenses, every single year. We grow and thrive through the support of a network of progressive individuals, businesses and foundations, who pool their resources to help create social and economic justice.

Want to learn more about how you can support Crossroads Fund? Click here.


Crossroads Fund Programs

Crossroads Fund programs include grantmaking, workshops, public programs on important issues of the day, and ongoing, informal coaching with new and emerging grassroots groups in Chicago.
 

Crossroads Fund's wide range of programs include grants, workshops and other informal technical assistance, public and private events, and more. A Board of Directors working on the issues and from the communities that Crossroads Fund supports helps to ensure overall accountability and effectiveness.

Grantmaking Programs:

The Seed Fund provides general operating grants of up to $10,000 for organizations with annual budgets up to $300,000. Many of these small, emerging and risk-taking groups are not yet eligible for support from other funding bodies; early support from Crossroads Fund is therefore often a necessary stepping stone for groups to move on, gain visibility, and create lasting change throughout the city and beyond. A committee of local activists experienced in the wide range of social issues and community areas that create Metropolitan Chicago make all grants decisions. We also invite interested peers in philanthropy and Crossroads Fund supporters to join in this annual process.

Social change is the focus of our grantmaking. Therefore, we generally do not fund direct service projects unless they are tied to social change work. For example, we would not provide Seed Funds for a group that only feeds hungry people, but would fund a group that has identified why people are hungry and then organizes to change the conditions that cause hunger. We also seek groups that represent and involve people directly affected by the issues at all levels of the organization -- grassroots leadership. See our Funding Guidelines for more information on this.

The Emergency Fund enables an organization to respond to a development that arises unexpectedly, needs an immediate response, and can be effectively addressed with a small amount of money.

Donor Advised Grantmaking provides alternatives to direct giving or setting up a private foundation. As a Donor Advisor, you contribute cash, securities, or other property to Crossroads Fund and retain the privilege of recommending grants to social justice organizations of your choice. For more information, see Creating a Donor Advised Fund).

Funding Guidelines: See "Grant Program Overview" and "Funding Criteria" for more information.

Additional Programs:

In addition to grants, Crossroads Fund provides a wide range of services for grassroots organizations and people interested in supporting social change.

Technical Assistance:

Many groups that come to Crossroads Fund are emerging community-led groups, often in the early stages of building organizational skills of staff and volunteers -- developing the leaders of tomorrow. In addition to grants, Crossroads provides needed support through:

• Ongoing informal technical assistance, particularly around writing grants, developing budgets, fundraising, and linking groups to likeminded organizations
• Affordable skills-based workshops topics such as proposal writing; orientations to the grantmaking process; fiscal management; technology; message development and public relations; and more.

Crossroads Fund hosts and co-sponsors with partnering organizations a variety of public and private programs annually. Recent highlights include:

• Public programs featuring local grassroots organizations and national speakers on race, civil liberties, and the war on terrorism
• A public program on the Death Penalty in Illinois and the potential issues to address with the new state administration
• Intimate gatherings across the Chicago area with grantee organizations and Crossroads supporters
• Our Annual Benefit, bringing together over 500 people to celebrate the achievements of local grassroots activists and raise money for Crossroads Fund

Ron Sable Award for Activism

Each year, the Crossroads Fund presents the Ron Sable Award for Activism to donor and grantee activists.   Made in memory of the late Dr. Ron Sable, the award honors exceptional individuals and organizations who reflect Ron's commitment to progressive social change and the interconnectedness of issues and struggles across communities.  Click here for more on Ron and this award.

Additional Donor Services

About what issues are you most passionate? Want to connect with other individuals and/or organizations with similar interests? Thinking about creating a giving plan? Interested in socially responsible investing?

The success of grassroots organizing depends on individuals making a commitment to invest, consistently and generously, in change. Hundreds of people use Crossroads Fund as their vehicle for making this investment. Crossroads Fund unites individual visions of what is possible with the organizations that make those concepts a reality.

Crossroads Fund board and staff are great resources, with knowledge and connections that run deep both in terms of the issues and communities that we support, as well as the more technical aspects of grantmaking and organizational development.

For more information on how we can help you, please click here or call Sheila O'Donnell, Development Director at 773.227.7676 or email