Comprehensive Immigration Reform: What Happened, Why, and What's Next
September 25, 2007 - The Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees hosted a group discussion on Comprehensive Immigration Reform: What Happened, Why, and What's Next. The discussion was introduced by Larry Hansen, The Joyce Foundation, and featured contributions from Frank Sharry, National Immigration Forum, and Joshua Hoyt, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

The defeat of the comprehensive immigration reform bill in U.S. Congress earlier this year has changed the landscape for immigration advocacy efforts. The tactics used to rally opposition to the reform efforts are now spreading to the local level, and advocates for immigrants are working on new approaches to counter those efforts and to rebuild momentum for systemic reform.

Part of moving advocacy efforts to the local level involves ensuring that politicians understand the price they will pay if they advance an anti-immigrant strategy. In the 2006 mid-term elections, candidates who made anti-immigrant positions an important part of their campaign almost always fared poorly. As citizenship drives continue and the number of immigrants gaining the right to vote increases, this trend is likely to grow, meaning that candidates who espouse anti-immigrant views will have a harder time being elected. As new representatives and senators who are sensitive to immigrant concerns come into office, it will be possible to re-introduce comprehensive reform legislation. However, this process takes time, meaning another effort to introduce comprehensive reform is not likely to happen in the near future.

Advocates will also be working to counter many of the hurtful images and racially coded phrases used by anti-immigrant forces. By demonstrating that immigrants are important parts of their community and by exposing the hateful element that is often a part of anti-immigrant rhetoric, advocates can build a more accurate, more positive view of how immigrants contribute to their communities.

Another strategy is to use the courts to combat local legislative initiatives designed to negatively impact immigrants. For example, the village of Carpentersville had proposed measures cracking down on undocumented immigrants due in part to concerns about unpaid ambulance bills that were supposedly tied to providing services to immigrants. A lawsuit has been filed claiming that this debate created a hostile climate in the village that led to a baby who was being cared for by an undocumented nanny being denied necessary medical services by an ambulance crew. This kind of litigation can make local governments understand the potential costs of trying to crack down on undocumented immigrants.

The speakers listed several things funders can do to help immigration reform efforts, including:

• Promote citizenship and voter registration efforts that can help immigrants have a greater voice in civic affairs;
• Support efforts to protect immigrant communities from the negative effects of proposed local laws;
• Help advance the state of policy research to show the different roles immigrants play in their communities and the nation and demonstrate the costs of forcibly removing them;
• Find ways to connect social service provision to larger efforts for systemic reform; and
• Assist efforts to develop messages that will help people think about what it means to be an American and what implications that has for the immigration debate.
  

Solutions for a Broken System: Cook County Health Care
September 20, 2007 - The Health Program Affinity Group hosted a group discussion on Solutions for a Broken System: The Cook County Health Care Crisis. The discussion was introduced by Mark Ishaug, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, moderated by Dick Endress, Access DuPage, and featured contributions from Dr. Robert Simon, Cook County Health Services; Dr. Lee Francis, Erie Family Health Center; Heidi Nelson, Heartland Health Outreach; Donna Thompson, Access Community Health Network; Kevin Scanlan, Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council; John Bouman, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law.

Faced with stagnant or declining revenues, Cook County Health Services has had to make cuts while working to maintain a high quality of service. Budget difficulties are likely to continue, if not increase. Medical costs and energy costs have been rising faster than the overall rate of inflation, pharmaceutical costs also continue to grow, and increased numbers of uninsured and underinsured patients, combined with an increased demand for specialty care, will put a strain on the system.

Improved integration with the region's federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) could help relieve some of the burden on the County system. If the FQHCs can take increasing responsibility for preventive and ambulatory care, the County system can focus on the things it does particularly well such as specialty and emergency care. However, if referrals from the FQHCs to the County do not contain an adequate mix of insured and uninsured patients-that is, if the County receives more work from the FQHCs but not more revenue-the strain on the County system will only increase.

The County's IRIS (Internet Referral Information System) was supposed to help promote integration of clinics and County services, but there have been disputes between the clinics and the County over the number of non-paying patients referred to County services. However, IRIS has established a framework for increased interaction between FQHCs and the County, and further work on the system could help bring about an improved level of interaction.

Funders looking for ways to relieve the strain on the County system could focus on the following areas, which offer the opportunity to implement lasting changes that will continue into the foreseeable future:

• The supply of nurses graduating from local schools is not keeping pace with either the demand for new nurses in hospitals or with the number of applicants. Re-starting the County's nursing school could help put more nurses into the system, which could help reduce waiting times.
• New technology makes certain diagnoses possible without the need for a face-to-face visits with a specialist. If clinics are able to practice telemedicine, they can access the expertise of Cook County specialists without having to find ways to transport their patients to distant offices. This also reduces the burden on the doctors, who can quickly review information they receive electronically instead of having to schedule appointments with each individual patient.
• As health providers struggle with the growing number of uninsured patients, proposals that would provide coverage to more individuals could help provide hospital systems with more revenue. Health care systems and funders could work together to play an active role supporting proposals for broadened health coverage.
• The governance and administration of the County health system could be significantly improved. Funders could help the County access the services of consultants who can improve the administration and oversight of the County system.
  

Black Youth Project
April 30, 2007 - The Youth Task Force, the Education Funders Group, the Community Building Task Force, and the Funders for Lesbian and Gay Issues hosted a session on The Black Youth Project. The discussion was introduced by Jane Kimondo, Crossroads Fund, and included contributions from Cathy J. Cohen, University of Chicago.

While issues and policies that affect black youth often make headlines and are the subject of much discussion, the voices and perspectives of the youth themselves are frequently overlooked or ignored. Public issues like education, poverty, HIV/AIDS, welfare reform, affirmative action, sex education, and others play a direct role in the lives of black youth, which makes it crucial to better understand their beliefs and opinions.

The Black Youth Project surveyed 1,590 youths, including black, Hispanic, and white youth between the ages of 15 and 25. Approximately 40 in-depth follow-up interviews were conducted with survey participants. The survey included over 200 questions, and a large amount of data is still being analyzed. The project will also include a forthcoming analysis of the content of popular rap songs from the past ten years.

Some of the findings of the survey include:

• While rap music and rap videos are a frequent presence in the lives of many black youths, a majority of black youths agree that rap videos are too violent and that rap videos portray both black women and black men in "bad and offensive ways."
• Black youth are more likely than Hispanic and white youth to believe it is hard for black people to get ahead because of discrimination (61 percent of black youth agreed with this statement, compared to 45 percent of Hispanic youth and 43 percent of white youth). Follow-up interviews showed that the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina played a pivotal role for some youth in making discrimination plain to see.
• Black youth also differed from white and Hispanic youth in their perception of the quality of education black youth receive compared to the quality of white youth's education. Fifty-four percent of black youth agree that black youth receive a poorer education on average than white youth, while 40 percent of Hispanic youth and 31 percent of white youth agree with the statement.
• Responses to questions about the criminal justice system showed that black youth respondents were more likely to have been stopped by police officers than were white youth, and they were also more likely to have been arrested. White youth who were arrested were more likely to be convicted of a crime than black youth, but black youth were far more likely to be convicted of a felony.
• While a majority of black youth (79 percent) believes they have the knowledge and skills to participate in politics, most of the black youth surveyed (56 percent) believes that the government cares very little about people like them. Sixty-eight percent of the black youth surveyed believed the government would do more to find a cure for AIDS if it affected more white people.
• While only about one-fifth of the black youth surveyed indicated active political participation, they showed involvement in some non-traditional forms of action, including "buycotts" (purchasing goods or services because they like the values of a company), electronic petitions, and blogging.
• All youth surveyed are heavily in favor of mandatory sex education in school, and they also strongly disagree with government funding of abstinence-only programs.
  Data analysis will be ongoing, including matching the data to community profiles to see if the racial and ethnic makeup of the respondents' communities had any bearing on their responses. More data and updates are available at www.blackyouthproject.uchicago.edu
  

Foreclosures, Fraud and Home Loan Financing
February 6, 2007 - The Grantmakers Concerned with Poverty and the Community Building Task Force hosted a discussion on Foreclosures, Fraud, and Home Loan Financing. The discussion was introduced by Alison Janus, Steans Family Foundation, Jeff Pinzino, Woods Fund of Chicago, and Consuella Brown, Woods Fund of Chicago, and featured contributions from Jeff Bartow, Southwest Organizing Project; Raul Raymundo, The Resurrection Project; Teresa Lambarry, Spanish Housing Coalition; Sharod Gordon, Target Area Development Corporation; Robin Hood, ACORN; and Leslie Ramyk, Chicago Community Organizing Capacity Building Initiative.

The recent suspension of HB4050, a program that provided measures to reduce predatory lending in certain Chicago communities, has taken away a tool that can prevent families from falling into foreclosure and communities from having to deal with excessive numbers of boarded-up houses. Complete evaluation of the effects of the legislation while it was active needs to be performed so that community organizations and foundations can better understand both the strengths and weaknesses of HB4050 and use that knowledge in future efforts to combat predatory lending.

Many communities in Chicago have seen an increase in the number of foreclosures since the mid- to late-1990s, and the rapid pace of those foreclosures is increasing the number of vacant buildings and contributing to community blight. People are often receiving loans with high finance charges, rapid increases in monthly rates, or other conditions that can leave borrowers unable to meet their payments and in danger of losing their homes. In some cases, home owners received checks that, when cashed, enrolled them in a loan program with difficult terms. HB4050 was an attempt to combat some of the predatory lending practices in these communities.

While it was active, HB4050 required the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to create a database collecting information on mortgage loans for homes in ten Chicago zip codes. Using the information in the database, potential borrowers might be referred for credit counseling if:

• They had a credit score under 620, OR
• They had a credit score between 621 and 650 and the loan met one of a number of criteria (including a rate adjustment in three years or less, an interest-only loan, a re-finance loan within 12 months of the original purchase, and other criteria) that could indicate a potential problem.

Under the law, the mortgage originator was required to pay a $300 fee for the potential borrower's credit counseling.

The legislation operated for five months before it was suspended by the governor. Critics said that the program, by selecting only a few zip codes, created a form of red-lining-some lenders would not do business in the selected zip codes so that they could avoid the hassle of the program requirements. Some residents also did not like the prospect of being forced against their choice into a credit counseling program.

The program might have functioned better on a broader geographical scale rather than selecting only ten zip codes. If, for example, the program covered all of Cook County, mortgage lenders would not easily be able to simply stop lending in the area covered by the program. However, such an increase in the program's scope would likely require an increase in the capacity of credit counseling services to deal with the increase in new clients.

Part of the public relations battle surrounding HB4050 and any future efforts to combat predatory lending should involve community residents who can tell their stories. Community organizers met many people who went through credit counseling while HB4050 was in effect, and the great majority described it as a positive experience-even those who might not have initially been pleased with the requirement. Many of them also ended up not going through with the loans, hopefully indicating that potential future problems were averted. A detailed analysis of consumers' experiences with HB4050 could be useful in making decisions about future legislation.

Future efforts at combating predatory lending depend to a degree on the government's willingness and ability to enforce new and existing lending rules. Along with its credit counseling component, HB4050 provided a possible enforcement tool; the collected data could have shown which lenders habitually engaged in predatory practices and provided the starting point for enforcement activities.

HELP: Housing, Education and Local Politics
January 11, 2007 - The Grantmakers Concerned with Poverty hosted a discussion on HELP: Housing, Education and Local Politics. The discussion was introduced by Alison Janus, Steans Family Foundation, and Robert Wordlaw, Chicago Jobs Council; facilitated by Consuella Brown, Woods Fund of Chicago; and featured contributions by Veronica Anderson, Catalyst; Irene Juaniza, Blocks Together; and Sokoni Karanja, Centers for New Horizons.

Two public programs-the Chicago Public Schools' Renaissance 2010 plan, which is closing and replacing selected elementary and high schools, and the Chicago Housing Authority's Plan for Transformation, which has resulted in the demolition of thousands of public housing units (many of which will not be replaced)-have led to significant changes in Chicago neighborhoods. Some communities have been affected by both plans, losing schools within their borders while also losing public housing units.

These communities often have to deal with additional pressures from gentrification. As new housing, including some market-rate housing, is constructed to replace demolished public housing, new residents have moved into sections of these neighborhoods. While some improvements have been seen in these neighborhoods, many existing residents feel that the improvements were not made with them in mind-instead, the neighborhood is being changed to benefit newcomers once lower-income residents move away.

Changes in schools can leave residents with this same impression. While the school closings have displaced about 9,000 students, only a small number of these children, less than one percent of them, ended up attending upper-echelon schools in the CPS system. Most of them-approximately two-thirds-ended up in schools that were on probation, partly because families want to keep students near their neighborhood support network. While these students made some initial gains on their test scores in their new schools, their scores still lag behind those of their peers. Additionally, as schools are transformed and re-opened, they often end up serving a smaller portion of the community than they did before the closure, meaning fewer local residents benefit from the new school.

An alternative to closing schools and shuffling students is keeping a school open while bringing in new administrators and teachers. This allows the enrolled students to remain in place and enjoy the benefits of the changes. Sherman Elementary in Englewood is undergoing such a transformation and is being closely watched to see what results it generates.

The combined effect of removing public housing units and closing schools can drain a community. The Plan for Transformation will replace less than half of the housing units demolished, which will exacerbate the existing affordable housing shortage in many communities, particularly gentrifying communities that face rapid increases in housing costs. While income has crept up in some communities, it is still far below the regional median, and poverty remains widespread in many of these communities. Residents may find it difficult to develop their community according to their vision-as gentrification moves into some of these communities, land is purchased by speculators who simply hold on to it, meaning community-based development can be difficult to accomplish.

Some communities are working to preserve what they have left. Schools that received students from other closed schools cannot themselves be closed, but some community residents are attempting to build other, more positive reasons to keep these schools running. They are actively working to improve the quality of education and the safety of neighborhood schools through bringing in quality leaders, training security staff, initiating parent patrols, and other measures. Plans like the one used for Sherman Elementary could be helpful in other communities, if the plan proves successful.

In keeping neighborhood schools open, communities can face challenges of sudden surges of enrollment and possible increases in violent incidents. While these incidents can be troublesome in the short-term, some neighborhood schools have developed ways to deal with such incidents that can lead to an overall decrease in violence.

Along with community-based measures, there is pending city and state legislation that could affect or prevent planned school closings, including a proposed city ordinance that would put a moratorium on future school closings.

Conservative Funding and Progressive Funding
September 19, 2006 - The Community Building Task Force hosted a discussion on Conservative Funding and Progressive Funding. Jeffrey Pinzino, Woods Fund of Chicago, introduced the session and presented a recording of a debate from the 2006 Council on Foundations conference that featured presentations by Gara LaMarche, Open Society Institute; Heather Higgins, Philanthropy Roundtable; and Deepak Bhargava, Center for Community Change. Participants discussed the debate after listening to the recording.

The issue of a "war of ideas" between conservative and progressive foundations in many ways comes down to the role foundations play in promoting new ideas and social movements. Rather than playing a leading role, foundations often enable such ideas to grow and progress, giving voice to people who otherwise might not have one. In this way, foundations really are not fighting a war of ideas, but are simply trying to provide assistance to people who may come up with ideas that can change their community and the world around them for the better.

To help this change occur, foundations can provide a space for reflection where ideas can be developed and shared by various organizations. They can also fund grassroots organizing and attempt to link these efforts with analysis that can help ideas with proven positive effects move into the larger social framework.

Many of the questions of where ideas come from and how they can be promoted relate to issues of power-who has the ability to advance ideas, and what do they do with it? How much effort does a foundation spend promoting their own internal, staff- or board-driven goals (which may often be in conflict), and how much effort does it spend on ideas generated outside of the foundation? Money and the ability to organize people are two often-cited sources of power, both in philanthropy and in politics, but ideas are another form of power and should not be ignored.

Another question foundations must face when determining their role is how to balance their direct service funds with more policy-oriented programs aimed at solving systemic problems that generate the need for direct services. Such reform efforts could eventually produce more significant returns than direct-service programs, but the effects can be very difficult to gauge and often take a long time to emerge. In the meantime, the need for direct services continues to exist. Balancing the need for direct service with the need for solutions to systemic problems while also taking into account board and donor priorities can be difficult.

Participants discussed a particular remark made during the conference stating that the public functions best when there is a reflexive element in the culture. This element often seems to be missing in current public discourse, with repetition and vituperation replacing reasoned discussion. Both sides of the political spectrum often feel condemned by the other side, making it difficult for them to let their guard down and have an open, frank discussion. Foundations can play a role in encouraging such discussion and providing places where it may take place.

To some foundations, the war of ideas is not reflected in their day-to-day experience. Their activities are often apolitical in nature, and the foundations resist being tagged with any political identity. However, some observers believe it is impossible to be

apolitical-the act of choosing one organization and not another to receive funds demonstrates the foundation's priorities, and these priorities can often be tied to a school of political thought. This is the source of some of the divide between foundations of different political orientations-conservative foundations often see the responses of mainstream foundations as inherently liberal rather than apolitical, and some conservative foundations were formed partly in response to this perception of liberal dominance in the philanthropic world.

The Role of Arts in Community Development
May 23, 2006 - The Arts and Culture Funders Group hosted a session on The Role of Arts in Community Development. The discussion was introduced by Mark Murray, Field Foundation of Illinois, and Michelle Boone, The Joyce Foundation, and featured presentations from Aly Kassam-Remtulla, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Keri Blackwell, Local Initiatives Support Consortium; Michael Warr, Columbia College Center for Arts Partnerships; Elieen Figel and Jackie Samuel, consultants working with LISC.

In the past, community development efforts have generally included arts in a minor way-perhaps by planning a mural or two. However, recent efforts are showing the benefits that come from putting arts development and community development hand in hand, and communities across Chicago are engaged in planning efforts to better employ the arts and their local artistic resources in building their communities.

The benefits of the arts in a community can be broadly divided into three categories: 1) The arts provide access to resources; 2) They enable residents to engage in problem solving activities; and 3) They build social relationships. For example, in Englewood DanceAfrica Chicago commissioned a poet to write a poem on the subject of HIV/AIDS, and the troupe developed an interpretive dance to go along with the poem. The performance became both an artistic and educational experience, allowing audience members to learn more about a serious issue in their community.

Three other communities in Chicago-Albany Park, Humboldt Park, and South Chicago-are currently engaging in a process of determining how to integrate arts into their community development plans. Some of the things that have been learned in these processes include:

• Finding the right size group to make a plan for the arts in the community can be difficult. A group that is too small may not be representative of the entire spectrum of the community, while a group that is too large may be unwieldy, causing difficulty in accomplishing anything.
• Involving individual artists living in the community can be very useful. The earlier they are involved, and the more valued they feel, the better their contributions will be.
• The arts can play a significant role in helping a community remember its history. Even when the history may not be pleasant, it can be useful for residents to remember all the forces that made the community what it is today.
• Getting support and participation from local government representatives can help plans move forward faster.
• The arts can help revitalize public spaces in a community, turning abandoned areas into thriving places or bringing more life to underutilized facilities.
• While professional artists can be very helpful in community development efforts, the informal artists in a community also have ideas and energy to contribute, and they should not be overlooked.
• Gaining and keeping the trust of groups and individuals involved in the planning process is crucial. Many of these people and organizations have seen previous efforts come and go, so they may be skeptical of any new planning process. Earning and maintaining trust takes a long-term effort.
  

Immigration Reform and the Current Policy Debate
May 15, 2006 - The Community Building Task Force and Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugess co-hosted a discussion entitled Immigration Reform & the Current Policy Debate. Introduced by Jenny Arwade, Albany Park Neighborhood Council, and moderated by Larry Hansen, The Joyce Foundation, the discussion featured presentations from Christina DeConcini, National Immigration Forum; Elena Sugura, Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform; Lawrence Benito, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Reform; and Sandra Bruno.

The drive for immigration reform has hit a crucial juncture. On the one hand, a bill recently passed the United States House of Representatives that not only makes undocumented immigrants felons and bars them ever obtaining immigration status but also potentially criminalizes all contact with undocumented immigrants-people who employ, feed, or provide shelter or transportation for undocumented immigrants could be prosecuted for "smuggling."

On the other hand, demonstrations in Chicago and other cities in March and May generated tremendous turnout and showed popular support for more humane, comprehensive solutions to the problems of the immigration system. Compromise bills have appeared in the Senate, and Senate leadership expects to have a bill passed by Memorial Day. The exact provisions of the Senate bill, and the question of building a conference version of the House and Senate bill, are the issues that will shape the final bill.

If a bill is to successfully address the entirety of the problems with the immigration system, it needs to provide more than just increased border security-previous efforts to reduce the number of undocumented immigrants through increased enforcement have not had much of an effect. Comprehensive reform should include:

• A path to citizenship for existing undocumented immigrants;
• An increase in the number of work visas issued annually. This number should better reflect the current demand for immigrant workers, and it should be adjustable;
• A reduction in the backlogs of families wishing to enter the United States. For residents of some nations, this backlog can be 12 years or longer;
• Enforcement provisions that enlist the assistance of employers; and
• Provisions to help immigrants integrate into society.
  Security concerns have been raised in relation to proposals to provide paths to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, but an effective proposal would actually increase security, as it would take millions of people who are currently more or less invisible to the system and give them visibility.

The grassroots movement that has grown around the issue of immigration in recent months has surprised people on all sides of the issue, and the burgeoning support for more humane reforms has been built through the efforts of numerous organizations and media personnel-Spanish radio DJs were instrumental in promoting the demonstrations. The demonstrations can in part be seen as a reaction to the strict provisions of the House bill-passage of that legislation helped galvanize thousands of people on this issue. Organizations hope to build on the momentum of these marches throughout the summer, with more demonstrations planned for Labor Day.

While the turnout for the demonstrations has surprised many of the organizers, there is still much work to be done. People favoring harsher treatment of immigrants are very persistent at getting their message out, and television talk shows regularly carry their views to a broad audience. Educational efforts are needed to counter this message and to demonstrate the more humane, effective solutions are a better approach to reforming the immigration system.

Worker Centers
November 11, 2005 - The Community Building Task Force hosted a presentation on Worker Centers that covered both local activity and the national picture. Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, Grantmakers Concerned with Poverty, and the Health Program Affinity Group co-sponsored the meeting. Regina McGraw, Wieboldt Foundation, moderated the discussion, which included presentations by Ari Glazer, San Lucas Workers Center; Jessica Aranda, Latino Union of Chicago; Tim Bell, Chicago Workers Collaborative; José Olivia, Interfaith Workers Center; and Esther R. Lopez, Deputy Chief of Staff for Labor and Professional Regulations, Office of the Governor.

Increasing numbers of workers, particularly immigrant workers, are employed in jobs that are not part of traditional labor unions, jobs that pay low wages and have little if any benefits attached to them. Many of these workers are not aware of their rights, such as the right to collect worker's compensation if injured on a job. Worker centers have become a tool that can help organize these workers, educate them about their rights, and assist them in resolving disputes such as delinquent pay with their employers. A recent study looking at worker centers nationwide noted that the Chicago area has a relatively high number of these centers.

Many of the workers utilizing workers centers are not regular employees; instead, they provide day labor for firms that need their help. Often they connect with these firms through a third party, an employment center that can help them find companies looking for day labor. These companies often contract with the employment center, so that the employment center directly pays the workers. Some companies (as well as some employment centers) use this arrangement to pay workers less than the minimum wage and to deny them any employment benefits whatsoever (including unemployment and worker's compensation).

Some worker centers are dealing with this problem by becoming employment centers themselves, connecting day laborers to jobs where they can be paid a living wage and treated fairly. Other worker centers are trying to hold existing employment centers accountable for their actions by asking them to sign a pledge that they will treat workers fairly and also by pressuring companies to only work with employment centers that have signed such a pledge. Some worker centers have become involved in training workers with the skills they need to improve their employment situation while also instructing them in workplace safety to help them avoid accident and injury. Worker centers can also be a vehicle for organizing workers that currently are not reached by conventional unions.

State government has recently passed a law to deal with some of the problems day laborers face. The law requires employment centers to be registered with the State and has stiff penalties for those groups that do not register. Once the centers are registered, the Department of Labor is better able to keep an eye on them and ensure their practices are fair.

The number of worker centers nationwide has increased rapidly in recent years, going from only five in 1985 to 35 in 2001. The recent nationwide study found that some of the strengths of these centers are that they provide a vehicle for collective voice, they help develop leaders, and they effectively deal with many of the problems workers bring to them. Some of their weaknesses are that they often have a small membership base, they are often not sustainable on their own, and they generally lack the resources to perform detailed economic/industrial research.

Representatives of worker centers present at the discussion emphasized that they do not believe they need to replace traditional labor unions. Rather, they want to combine the strength of the workers they are organizing with the resources of the traditional unions to improve the employment situation for workers across the board.

Criminalization of Black and Latino Youth
May 18, 2005 - Panel moderator Ricardo Millett, President of the Woods Fund of Chicago, welcomed everyone and introduced the panel.

Judith Browne, Executive Director of Washington DC-based Advancement Project, began the program by giving a brief history of zero-tolerance policy and introducing the new study conducted by her agency, titled Education on Lockdown: The Schoolhouse to Jailhouse Track. There is a lack of national data on school-based arrests; the report is based on surveys in Palm Beach, Denver and Chicago.

Ms. Browne described a girl's temper tantrum in St. Petersburg as "the Rodney King incident" of zero-tolerance: the public is now aware that many situations are blown out of proportion by school authorities, who call police to handle the smallest infraction. Furthermore, serious racial disparities in America result in minority-targeting in schools.

Lauren Adams of Northwestern University's Children & Family Justice Center gave detailed accounts of police-student confrontations and the legal process that follows. Of all student arrests, half of the cases are dropped: the child can go home, but the arrest remains on his/her record until the age of 18. Of the other half of the cases that go to court, one-third are dropped, one-third result in community service, and the final third actually receive time in the juvenile justice system. Dropout rates skyrocket for students expelled or arrested.

Andres Durbak, Director of Safety and Security for Chicago Public Schools, described his 27-years of experience as a Chicago police officer before working for CPS. He agreed that aspects of the zero-tolerance policy are not perfect, but disagreed that police or school security staff are over-reacting to incidents or specifically targeting minority students. In fact, he explained that arresting a child is the last option an officer wants to use since criminal elements often do not exist in most school incidents. Mr. Durbak pointed out that Advancement Project's report was missing a historical perspective of crime in Chicago schools. He emphasized that the juvenile justice system has evolved to extricate only serious offenders, and that the victims' rights should never be ignored.

Ranjit Bhagwat of Southwest Youth Collaborative responded to Mr. Durbak's presentation by stating that teachers often criminalize youth; poverty and racism contribute to the zero-tolerance agenda; and whole communities can often be unfairly affected by this policy. Mr. Bhagwat offered the idea of a holistic approach to dealing with violent youth.

Mr. Durbak assured the panel and audience that aberrant behavior among officers in CPS is dealt with swiftly and seriously. Officers in schools receive in-depth training with continuing education. A third-party agency investigates all reports of possible abuse or inappropriate conduct. He reiterated that school shootings have dropped by 50% and school murders by 25% in the last 10 years.

Jonathan Ramirez provided a "face" to the individuals the panel had been discussing: Jonathan is Latino, 16 years old, and a freshman at Kelly High School. He is a youth leader in his school and community; he also serves on the Board of Directors for Brighton Park Neighborhood Council. Jonathan told the audience of his first-hand experience being arrested in school for fighting with a colleague. Charges were later dropped, but the stigma of the arrest and accusation lingers - his grades dropped dramatically due to school suspension and the emotional consequences. Jonathan said he was denied a job at McDonald's because of the arrest he now has on his record; many of his classmates are in similar situations. Jonathan recommended more peer juries in schools, alternatives to out-of-school suspension, and the inclusion of youth representatives in policy-making decisions.

Questions from the audience and discussion followed. Among the highlights, Mr. Durbak provided a step-by-step explanation of how an incident in school is dealt with, from when officers first appear on the scene to the process of maneuvering the juvenile justice system.

In the Forefront of Accountable Employer Initiatives
March 2, 2005 - The Community Building Task Force met to discuss Chicago and Wal-Mart: In the Forefront of Accountable Employer Initiatives. Regina McGraw of the Wieboldt Foundation moderated the discussion, while 6th Ward Alderman Freddrenna M. Lyle, Paul Sonn of the Brennan Center for Justice, and Madeline Talbott of ACORN served as the panel.

Wal-Mart was the focus of the discussion because of their recent efforts to open two stores in the Chicago area (only one of which was approved by the Chicago City Council). Rather than simply lobbying to keep Wal-Mart out of a neighborhood, recent efforts have shifted to legislation that would require Wal-Mart and other large retailers to pay a living wage, provide health care for all employees, and protect free speech in parking lots and sidewalks around the store. Chicago is at the leading edge of this battle, and an ordinance legislating these requirements (referred to as the "big box" ordinance) has been introduced and is waiting to be heard in committee.

The organizing efforts behind this legislation have been demanding but rewarding, as many people in the neighborhoods targeted by Wal-Mart have needed to shift their views of the company, which is often viewed positively by residents because of its low prices. If people act as citizens and employees, though, instead of just consumers, they begin to perceive the overall harm that low wages, lack of health care, and predatory business practices can have on a community. Initially, the battle over Wal-Mart had labor and community members on different sides of the issue, but as more community residents have grown to see the potential problems of having a nearby Wal-Mart, the potential for a partnership between the two groups has grown.

The positive experiences of some neighborhoods, like Logan Square, with Costco demonstrate that the provisions of the "big box" ordinance are feasible. Costco offers a living wage and full family health care coverage, even for part time employees. The company serves as a business model that is often in direct contrast to Wal-Mart's practices but is still very profitable.

Other items mentioned in discussion included:

• Since Wal-Mart is so big, the media tend to cover any stories involving it, and those stories have generally served as a good education to community residents about some of the problems involved when Wal-Mart comes to a community. Since people are usually acquainted with the pro-Wal-Mart side of the story, coverage of the anti-Wal-Mart side is often new and eye-opening.
• There is a distinction between anti-Wal-Mart campaigns and pro-Living Wage campaigns. The former may be more effective in generating emotion such as anger that can motivate some residents, while the latter can present a positive center for the campaign that might get more legislators involved. The living wage campaign also can help bring in those who view Wal-Mart positively simply because it provides jobs, and who do not think the stores should be prevented from entering a community. Placing rules on the store, like paying a living wage, often makes sense to such residents and can get them involved where an anti-Wal-Mart campaign would not.
• For reasons of fairness, the proposed ordinance would work best if it applied to existing large retailers, not just those built after the ordinance's passage. Other provisions of the ordinance to be resolved in committee include the exact size of stores affected by the ordinance, the scope of retaliatory activities against employees that can be prevented, and the elimination of restrictions on the re-use of a site after a store closes.
  

Funding Strategies for Civic Engagement and Social Justice
December 15, 2004 - Josh Hoyt, executive director, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, shared the organization's strategy for involvement in electoral politics. As part of its planning process, ICIRR considered whether being involved in electoral action should be part of organizers' efforts; what the limitations on its involvement would be given its tax status; and how it could be done. Needs assessment indicated that the Illinois immigrant population had grown by 54 percent over 10 years and made up an important swing vote constituency. None of the funds for this work derived from Chicago funders. Support came from: Center for Community Change, New Americans Opportunity Campaign, Tides Foundation, and the organization's general operating funds.

• Help undocumented immigrants gain legal status
• Implement the New Americans Initiative, helping legal permanent residents become ready for citizenship
• Help get the vote out among naturalized citizens

Local community organizers carried out geographically targeted activities, resulting in 14,000 immigrant-group voters registered, with more than half of those in the suburbs. Voter registration data was delivered to congressional district offices to demonstrate the importance of these constituents. Weekly training reached 100 people, attracting many young people. Ethnic press coverage samples documented the success of media contacts. ICIRR made a strategic decision not to pay field organizers for voter registration work in order to incite working for justice without pay.

• Very transactional
• Date-oriented and short-term
• No need for those involved after election date
• Numbers-oriented results related to number of calls, number of votes

Participants noted that funders must provide support to a 5-state minimum for voter education and voter registration, creating a challenge for nonprofits in developing strategies that do not rely upon foundation grants.

ICIRR found that this work has led to a greater willingness among local organizing groups to cross-pollinate and collaborate across alliances.

The State of Community and Police Relations in Chicago
May 18, 2004 - The Community Building Task Force held a discussion on the current state of community and police relations in Chicago. Panelists included: Wesley Skogan, Northwestern University; Lieutenant Thomas J. Lemmer, Chicago Police Department; Howard Saffold, Positive Anti-Crime Thrust, Inc.; and Jeff Bartow, Southwest Organizing Project. The panel was moderated by Paula Wolff, Chicago Metropolis 2020.

Research illustrated local and national trends in recorded crime. Noted was a decrease in burglary, murder, rape, assault and vehicle theft in the city. However, Chicago has higher crime rates compared to cities similar in size. Beat meeting attendance is directly correlated to the level of crime in a community. Research showed that beat meeting attendance builds awareness of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) and increases CAPS involvement.

There is a strong need for improved police relations in the Latino community. The Latino community has a high perception of police corruption. Spanish-speaking Latinos describe high problems with gang violence, street crime, auto theft, and drugs, and poor relationship with the police in their communities but do not report the crimes.

The police department will establish a Juvenile Intervention and Support Center at 39th and California. The Center hopes to provide earlier intervention services, reduce the flow of juveniles referred to Juvenile Court for minor offenses, and reduce the recidivism among first time offenders. Key objectives of the Center include diminishing gang recruitment in the area and reducing long-term crime. The Center will focus on station-adjustments and provide enhanced intervention and accountability through case management. It recognizes that effective juvenile delinquency intervention can be achieved only through a multi-systemic approach. Intervention efforts include:

• Graduated sanctions
• Develop strategies that address the multiple problems related to delinquency
• Involve a multidisciplinary approach including the police, mental health systems, schools and child welfare agencies.

1. What are the data/ research questions that must be addressed?
   • Suggestions included reviewing police department internal policies.
2. What are the practices or procedures that should be examined and possibly changed?
   • Suggestions included police training and culture sensitivity.
3. What are the policies that should be examined and possibly changed?
   • Suggestions included translating Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) meetings.

The Advancement Project has begun to research and highlight issues regarding the Zero Tolerance policy in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Examples shared by the panelists illustrated how schools are disciplining students for school-related infractions. Youth are being suspended for minor infractions, arrested and then sent to juvenile court. Statistics for most crimes illustrated they were not for serious violence, but trivial infractions.

The Zero Tolerance policy was implemented to:

• Reduce crime on CPS property by continuous evaluation and the strategic development of security personnel.
• Ensure compliance with reporting and investigation requirements.
• Maintain Uniform Discipline Code data that establishes CPS compliance with the zero tolerance policy for ensuring a safe school environment.

Information was provided on the documented offenses of youth in the Austin Community Schools. A review of the Austin Community Police Reports revealed offense classification and the number of offenses. Community Panels for Youth, a community-based alternative to juvenile court has been implemented in the Austin Community.

A principal for a community school shared his beliefs illustrating why he believes the community school model offers a better opportunity for cohesive learning. This school model highlights the school as the center of the community with increased school operating hours from 7a.m. to 7p.m. Students are offered the opportunity to gain work and service learning experience and to become a mentor to youth in younger grades. The discussion emphasized high teacher, parent and community involvement.

The program attendees heard from a Cook County Circuit Cook Judge on infractions frequently brought to juvenile court. The comments rebutted allegations identified by the Advancement Project as minor infractions. Additional comments highlighted how additional resources could offer high school administration a viable alternative in dealing with the zero tolerance issues.

Youth are frustrated by what they see in their schools. Students are punished for reasons that are sometimes beyond their control. Examples of police harassment and discipline policies were shared with program attendees. Over-crowdedness in schools can make it hard for students to make it to class on time. Consequences include having to miss class and sit in study hall. Some youth join organizations, such as Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, for an opportunity to express their opinions and let their voices be heard. Youth welcome the opportunity to take part in the decisions that affect them.

After the panel presentation, the program attendees discussed the issues in small break out sessions. Each group reported back with questions that were raised during their discussion. Questions include:

• Is there a need for a citywide initiative on zero tolerance?
• How can schools get to the root causes of these violent crimes?
• Should punishment remove students from the learning process?
• Can focus be on positive models for correction, similar to peer-to-peer juries?
• Are we talking about racism in schools?
• Could CPS be more transparent with its data on youth?

Trends include the overall increase in public police presence and the juxtaposition of feeling safe in schools with heightened security.

Articles distributed included:

• Discipline and Punishment by Annette Fuentes

Community Building Task Force Planning Meeting
January 15, 2004 - Deborah Bennett announced that Kirk Noden has stepped down as co-chair. Alex Poeter will continue in his place as co-chair in FY04. This position will become vacant at the summer retreat.

The group heard the Donors Forum 30th anniversary celebration plans. Committees have been formed to organize:

1. The Annual Luncheon (June 25, 2004) and a December celebration to thank Members and Forum Partners.
2. Media interest in the work of members and forum partners
3. A project with the Chicago Tribune focusing on philanthropy, volunteerism and donor giving. A folio-sized supplement will be created and distributed to public and parochial school teachers in August 2004 to be implemented into their school year curriculum.
   The group decided to discuss its 30th anniversary programming at the group retreat in July.

The group reviewed its previous goals to present 3-4 more intense programs, to engage new funders in CBTF programs, and to involve a mixed group of grantseekers and grantmakers. The fall program, Ex-Offender Policy: Creating Safety by Stabilizing Communities was discussed. The program was well received, met the goal of attracting new funders, and was well attended by both funders and nonprofit organizations.

Ex-Offender Policy: Creating Safety By Stabilizing Communities
October 30, 2003 - Deborah Bennett, Polk Bros. Foundation, welcomed the panelists. Panelists included: Walter Boyd, program manager for Ex-Offender Employment Service Network, North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN); Brenda Palms-Barber, executive director, North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN); Patricia Van-Pelt Watkins, executive director, Target Area Development Corporation; and State Representative Connie Howard. Spruiell White, senior program officer, John D. and Catherine A. MacArthur Foundation, moderated the program.

Key topics discussed in this session included the issues ex-offenders face with community re-entry, the statistics of ex-offenders returning to Chicago neighborhoods and legislation that inhibits or supports ex-offenders' ability to transition into communities after incarceration.

• Communities are alarmed at the actual number of ex-offenders returning with little or no resources. Eighty-five percent of those returning to Chicago communities are African-American males. Fifty percent of ex-offenders will commit an average of ten crimes before re-incarceration. Seventy-five percent of victims in crimes committed by ex-offenders are ex-offenders themselves.
• When ex-offenders return to their communities, they do not see themselves as empowered individuals. Ex-offenders experience an inability to make choices or decisions and see others as authority figures whether or not they are.
• North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN) was created to address the workforce needs of North Lawndale. NLEN has a 50 percent placement rate of ex-offenders. The average age of an ex-offender in North Lawndale is 38 years old and has an average of 2.5 felonies. Twenty-four percent of ex-offenders in North Lawndale are female.
• NLEN recognized a need to begin working with a family six months prior to an individual's reentry to the community. Strong family support has shown to play a role in successful ex-offender re-entry.
• State Representative Howard discussed her involvement in legislation involving Class 4 felonies, lesser serious offenses and juvenile expungement. As of January 1, 2004, a juvenile convicted of a non-violent crime can have their record sealed. Other legislation affecting ex-offenders mentioned included the ex-offender self-sufficiency act and creating a tax credit for renovated housing made available to ex-offenders.
• Other issues discussed in the small breakout groups included: lack of transportation to prisons for families' visits; the range of support ex-offenders can provide for each other when returning home to their community; barriers to ex-offender employment and suggested changes to the employment application form; growing number of women ex-offenders and intergenerational needs; the need for more intense, comprehensive and individualized wrap-around services that last longer for continuous support; and addressing the differences between new and repeat offenders.

Funding a Safer Chicago
June 5, 2003 - The Community Building Task Force sponsored an informal follow-up session to the "Homicide: The Chicago Solution" program (May 14) for funders to discuss opportunities to affect a change in the rates of homicide in the city. The decision to form the Ad Hoc Committee for Safer Chicago came out of this meeting. For more information in participating in this group, please contact Jeff Pinzino at Woods Fund of Chicago (jpinzino@woodsfund.org).

Homicide: The Chicago Solution
May 14, 2003 - The Community Building Task Force co-sponsored a workshop with the Health Program Affinity Group and the Youth Development Task Force to examine opportunities for collaboration between the funding and service provider communities. Moderated by Jeff Pinzino of the Woods Fund of Chicago, panelists included John McCormick, deputy editor of the Chicago Tribune; Matthew Crowl, deputy chief of staff of the Mayor's Office; and Gary Slutkin, M.D. executive director of the Chicago Project for Violence Prevention. Following the panel presentations, the audience broke into small groups for a discussion period where they responded to a set of pre-written questions. Ada Mary Gugenheim moderated while the groups reported back on their findings about what is currently happening in the foundation community around violence prevention, what's missing in the dialogue, and what needs to happen to push this issue forward on the agendas of regional foundations.

Conversation with Eric Klinenberg
February 6, 2003 - The Community Building Task Force, along with the Poverty Task Force and the Health Program Affinity Group co-sponsored a conversation with Eric Klinenberg, author of "Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago," a study of the heat wave that killed 739 Chicagoans in 1995. Mr. Klinenberg spoke to the audience of funders about the process that led to his research behind the events of the heat wave. He also provided insight into some of his key findings; specifically he spoke of the social consequences of seniors living alone in different neighborhoods throughout the city. As a direct result of the heat wave deaths, the city was forced to reorganize its emergency services efforts, and subsequently has a system in place that checks on seniors living alone during extremely hot periods of the summer.

Globalization: The Big "G"
November 20, 2002 - Mary Zerkel from the American Friends Service Committee gave the audience a general overview of globalized economic policy (known as "Neo-Liberalism"), which began with the creation of the IMF and World Bank to help countries recover from the economic devastation of WWII; she also provided a brief history of the global justice movement in response to policies of deregulation, privatization and currency devaluation. Dan Swinney of the Center for Labor and Community Research provided an overview of a local example where organizers worked with labor to block neo-liberal practices with Brach Candy in Chicago. Sarita Gupta of Chicago Jobs with Justice buttressed his presentation with more examples of localizing the global justice movement, including worker exchange programs where workers from closed plants travel to Mexico to spend time with workers at the plant's new location and vice versa.

Effective Evaluation of Community Organizations
October 16, 2002 - This program offered an opportunity for a dialogue between funders and selected nonprofits to review the challenges inherent in determining evaluative methods for qualitative-based services. Sara Jane Knoy, the executive director of the Organization of the NorthEast, presented the audience with experiences of a community building organization and examples of the unpredictable outcomes they've experienced. These cases are, by their very nature, unforeseeable and have not been included in the initial proposal for funding even though they may reflect the true necessity of the organization. Ricardo Millet, the president of the Woods Fund, responded to these concerns with a thorough presentation on paradigms of evaluation and a logic model development guide for both non-profits and funders.

Recent Census Numbers
September 20, 2002 - Community Building Task Force in collaboration with Education Funders Group, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, Poverty Task Force and Youth Development Task Force co-sponsored this program, which took a closer look at what the recent census numbers mean to funders and practioners. Rob Paral, an independent researcher, presented statistics from the 2000 Census and correlated findings with trends in population change throughout the city of Chicago. The new census data reflects what many funders and practitioners already know; that the construction of condominiums and other development means an influx of middle- and upper-class populations and displacement of poor families. The discussion following Mr. Paral's presentation centered around the implications of this displacement and the new neighborhoods of concentrated poverty within the city.

Racism and the Daley Legacy
June 12, 2002 - Knowing a city's history is part of the process of understanding it. Chicago has long been known as "hyper-segregated," and there are many historical factors that have influenced the national and local views of race and the city. Representatives from the DuSable Museum and the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities participated in this discussion of race and politics in the 60's and 70's. Panelists revisited the 1968 Democratic convention, riots on the west side following Martin Luther King's assassination, and the continued segregation of the city during this tumultuous era.

Retention of Organizing Staff
May 8, 2002 - Retention of organizing staff is an obvious and crucial issue for community organizations. Once an organization is able to hire a good organizer, how can it keep him or her?