Chicago United for Equity Receives $380,000 Grant to Advance Co-Governance Initiatives

Chicago, IL – Chicago United for Equity (CUE) is proud to announce that it has been awarded a $380,000 grant by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation over the next two years to support its mission, which includes advancing power-sharing structures in government (or co-governance) in Chicago. This funding will build the foundation necessary for government and community to collaboratively work on solutions to our city’s most critical challenges.

The grant will specifically support the organization’s Co-Governance Pilot Initiative and yearlong Equity Fellowship, both of which are rooted in civic love and aim to shift power to those most impacted in institutional decision-making processes. Through this work, CUE seeks to create a more equitable and just city for all.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for this opportunity to continue our vital work in acknowledging history, shifting power, and building accountability in Chicago,” said Candace Williams, Interim Executive Director at Chicago United for Equity. “This grant will support the empowerment of community members and ensure that decision-making processes reflect the diverse voices of the most impacted in our city.”

CUE believes in the power of community voices and collective action to achieve audacious goals, including systems change and policy reform. To transform Chicagoans' relationship to power, CUE invites community members, stakeholders, and supporters to join in this important work through its Co-Governance Initiative and Equity Fellowship, among other programs. CUE Co-Governance Initiative in Chicago, a partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice, is currently in the process of implementation through its Co-Governance Pilot Initiatives. CUE’s Equity Fellowship, which now includes more than 200 Fellows, is a yearlong program that brings together 15-20 leaders across diverse identities, neighborhoods, and perspectives in government, media, research, philanthropy, storytelling, organizing, and advocacy to strengthen their racial equity practices.

About Chicago United for Equity

Chicago United for Equity (CUE) is a network of racial justice advocates working across diverse types of civic power as organizers, researchers, artists, storytellers, policymakers, lawyers, and more to redesign Chicago’s civic institutions and transform Chicagoans’ relationship to power. Since 2018, CUE has garnered national recognition for developing people-powered voter guides, participatory budgets, and community-led policymaking strategies. CUE equips leaders across various sectors with the tools to drive transformational change, ignite civic imagination, and meaningfully engage with the most impacted communities across the Chicago region. CUE, its Fellows, and its partners harness their collective power and civic love in pursuit of a Chicago that works for all of us. Learn more at www.chicagounitedforequity.org.