News

$15 Million in New Grants

Share

The Foundation wrapped up 2020 by awarding 110 new grants totaling nearly $15 million to nonprofits and other organizations in December. These grants recognize the innovative ideas and hard work of these organizations in addressing the unique challenges our communities face at the end of a difficult year.

Below are a few grant recipients in each of Joyce’s programs, highlighting some of the key issues we are prioritizing in 2021. Please click on the links below to learn more about their work.

Culture

Asian Improv aRts Midwest, Black Ensemble Theater, Chicago Sinfonietta, Puerto Rican Arts Alliance, and South Side Community Arts Center, $30,000 each for one year in general operating funds, to support BIPOC-led and BIPOC-serving arts organizations through the COVID-19 economic downturn. In 2020, the Foundation awarded a total of $2 million to support BIPOC artists and art organizations.

Democracy

Michigan Nonprofit Association, $250,000 for one year, to promote community engagement in Michigan’s first-ever independent political redistricting process in 2021, built on the state’s 2019-2020 census engagement, and Voices for Racial Justice, $120,000 for one year, to focus on civic engagement in redistricting and other issues among people of color in Minnesota.

Education & Economic Mobility

Council of Chief State School Officers, $500,000 for one year, to work with nonprofits to provide technical assistance to school districts and schools in Illinois and Minnesota to help with re-opening and learning loss post COVID-19 pandemic.

Education Counsel, LLC, $156,000 for four months, to investigate how Congress could use its authority to more fully remedy racial inequality in higher education, and the Resources Legacy Fund, $100,000 for one year, to support the Student Borrower Protection Center’s efforts to reduce racial disparities in student loan repayment.

University of Utah’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy, $99,000 for 15 months, to convene researchers and develop a research agenda on how dual credit/dual enrollment programs can improve college access and completion for students of color and students who face structural barriers to social and economic progress.

Environment: Climate Solutions and Great Lakes Water Quality

Environmental Health Watch, $120,000 for two years, for capacity building and community driven advocacy on local and state lead and water policy in Ohio, and to defend existing investments from expected budget cuts due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund, $300,000 for two years, for a statewide education and outreach campaign to support strong, equitable clean energy policies and reduce global-warming and carbon pollution in collaboration with communities and other groups across Illinois.

Gun Violence Prevention & Justice Reform

Columbia (University) Justice Lab, $216,905 for 18 months, for a national research project on youthful offender laws in order to inform systemic emerging-adult justice reforms, with the aim of reducing harmful impacts and racial disparities resulting from involvement in the adult justice system.

The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence, $50,000 for one year, to implement a plan to reduce domestic violence homicide in Cook County by dispossessing firearms from domestic abusers, and the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, $50,000 for three months, to plan a new project to provide mentorship and technical assistance for public officials tasked with dispossessing domestic abusers of firearms in the Great Lakes region.

Special Opportunities

Vera Institute of Justice, $300,000 for two years, to support and expand the Safety & Fairness for Everyone (SAFE) Initiative, which provides legal services to immigrants facing the devastating consequences of detention and deportation.

About The Joyce Foundation

Joyce is a nonpartisan, private foundation that invests in evidence-informed public policies and strategies to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region.

Related Content

Policy Watch

High Stakes for Voters in Upcoming Wisconsin Election

Wisconsin voters will also be asked to weigh in on a statewide ballot issue in upcoming election.

Webinar

Healthcare-based Screening and Violence Prevention Tools

Researchers from the University of Michigan and the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute discussed new findings that explore the role of two tools—SaFETy and Lock to Live.

In The Media

Philanthropy Has a Key Role to Play in Reimagining Public Safety

Quintin Williams, Joyce Foundation senior program officer, co-authors an article on supporting alternative and co-response programs for public safety, transforming emergency systems with non-police solutions that reduce risks and improve outcomes.

Source
Inside Philanthropy

Webinar

Impact of Mass Shootings on Youth

Researchers discuss new findings that explore the psychological impact of mass shootings on youth, and the impact of anonymous reporting systems on school gun violence prevention.

Webinar

Illinois Firearm Injury and Violent Death Dashboard Review

The Joyce Foundation, Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), and the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine present a new dashboard on violent deaths and firearm-related injuries in Illinois.

News

Statewide Offices of Gun Violence Prevention Take Root

In January 2025, Wisconsin launched OVP to support gun violence reduction efforts, joining over a dozen other states in addressing public health and safety challenges related to gun violence, while highlighting disparities in Black and Brown communities.

Webinar

Diversified Crisis Response – Findings from the Chicago CARE Pilot

During the webinar, the panelists presented key findings from the implementation evaluation of the CARE pilot.

News

Illinois Launches Data Dashboards to Report Violent Deaths & Develop Prevention Strategies

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) launched a new dashboard detailing information about firearm-related injuries and deaths in the state.