Healing Illinois announces record 204 sub-grantees across the state set to receive funding this year
Today on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, a day to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King and to improve communities through civic service, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) announces the relaunch of Healing Illinois.
This statewide effort, managed in partnership with the Field Foundation of Illinois, will address racial disparities by distributing $4.5 million in grants for organizations to begin or continue the work of racial healing.
Since its launch in 2020, Healing Illinois has empowered organizations to bring racial healing to communities in impactful ways, from developing and implementing engaging programming to creating infrastructure to support long-term healing. At the core of this initiative is the belief that everyone in Illinois can play a role in healing by valuing each other’s experiences and honoring the histories of the state’s diverse communities.
“Just as the launch of Healing Illinois in 2020 arrived during a pivotal time in our country, we are reminded again, today, of the urgency of this work,” said Dulce M. Quintero, Secretary Designate, IDHS. “We’re proud to see Healing Illinois continue this mission, knowing that the initiative’s growth will be reflected in the work of even more organizations across the state.”
From last year’s 184 grantees to 204 grantees this year, the Healing Illinois initiative is growing heading into 2025. To view the full list of grantees just announced, please visit the link here.
“Healing begins when we create the conditions for people to come together, develop trust, and create empathy across lines of difference,” said Field Foundation of Illinois Daniel O. Ash. “This work is essential for both our state and our country. We are proud to partner with IDHS and support the 204 Healing Illinois sub-grantees in their efforts to foster healing and positive change in their communities.”
For 2025, the funding priorities include the following:
- Community Building and Engagement: Funding for existing racial healing activities designed to strengthen relationships and promote collective healing within and across communities. This category prioritizes programs and events that bring people together to engage in dialogue, share learnings, or otherwise create spaces for racial healing.
- Media and Storytelling: Funding for projects that use media, narrative, and creative storytelling to advance racial healing. These projects aim to challenge dominant narratives that perpetuate racial harms.
- Education and Awareness: This category aims to prioritize initiatives that educate individuals and communities on the impact of historic and ongoing harms and highlight pathways towards healing.
About IDHS:
The Department of Human Services is one of Illinois’ largest agencies, with more than 13,000 employees. Illinois created IDHS in 1997 to provide our state’s residents with streamlined access to integrated services, especially those who are striving to move from welfare to work and economic independence, and others who faced multiple challenges to self-sufficiency. For more information, visit www.dhs.state.il.us.
About The Field Foundation of Illinois
The Field Foundation of Illinois is a private and independent foundation that, along with its strategic partners, distributes more than $10 million annually to organizations and leaders working to address systemic issues in historically marginalized areas of Chicago. To support community power building, the Field Foundation invests in Chicago’s civic infrastructure, creative sector, local news outlets, and organizers. Learn more at www.fieldfoundation.org.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250120158135/en/
Contacts
Jessica Bee
Jessica@ruddresources.net
773.470.3322
