Nonprofit Utopia Podcast

Equity in Action

Since 1993, Woods Fund Chicago has awarded more than $65 million to nearly 500 nonprofit organizations in the Chicago region. Central to its grant-making approach is a belief that systemic change is the only way to eradicate poverty and structural racism, and that people most affected by poverty and racial inequity should lead and participate in the process of addressing issues that directly affect them.
Consistent with that belief, the Woods Fund has been involved in the creation of the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) framework, and has recently spun off the TRHT Chicago. The TRHT is a comprehensive, national and community-based process to “unearth and jettison the deeply held, and often unconscious, beliefs created by racism”.  Support for the effort was provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF).
We will hear from Michelle Morales, the new President of the Woods Fund, and Jose Rico, the first Director of Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Chicago, as they share their vision for breaking down artificial racial constructs that keep us divided.

Good Food, Good Communities

When Shelby Parchman, Founder of InUrban Strategies, LLC, started coaching small businesses for a local entrepreneurship program, he noticed that many of the businesses with whom he worked were also in urban food deserts--communities with limited access to grocery stores and fresh fruits and vegetables. 
Shelby also noticed that the multi-billion local Good Food industry is expanding rapidly, and Chicago’s neighborhoods are uniquely positioned to capitalize.  What would happen if he narrowed his focus to food entrepreneurs serving Chicago’s South and West Sides? Tune in and find out!

DEI On Demand

What are some innovative methods that educators and activists are using to learn from activists from around the world, and engage in cross-border information exchanges? Join us as Dr. Nassim Abdi, PhD, CEO and Co-founder of Docademia/StoryBolt, talks about how she uses on-demand short documentaries and live video conferences with filmmaker-activists to take their organization’s commitment to DEI to the next level. She will also talk about the firm’s upcoming award ceremony celebrating documentary filmmakers who give voice to survivors of gun violence and to engage participants in action-based dialogue. 
Call in live at (347) 884-8121 to join the conversation. You don't need an account to listen. You can also participate in the live chat.  Archived episodes may be found at iTunes, Podcast Chart, Blubrry and Stitcher.

SPEAK! 2019: 24 Hours of Global Action

Last year, CIVICUS’ global SPEAK! campaign connected over 200 organizations from nearly 50 countries, allowing them to “speak” to one another  across lines of division, reversing the trend of increasing social and political polarization. Some of the results were truly amazing. Urgent peace agreements were signed, old prejudices were confronted and new relationships established.  This year promises to be even more impactful.
Join us as Nic MacKay, SPEAK! Campaign Consultant at CIVICUS: World Alliance for Civic Participation, talks about SPEAK! 2019 and shares lessons learned from previous campaigns and ways we can get involved with CIVICUS’s work beyond the SPEAK! Campaign 2019.
Call in live at (347) 884-8121 to join the conversation. You don't need an account to listen. You can also participate in the live chat.  Archived episodes may be found at iTunes, Podcast Chart, Blubrry and Stitcher.