West Side United Invests $500K in West Side Small Businesses: January 2020 Civic Consulting Alliance Newsletter

January 2020

WEST SIDE UNITED INVESTS $500,000 IN

WEST SIDE SMALL BUSINESSES

West Side United’s Small Business Accelerator initiative recently celebrated an exciting milestone: the investment of $500,000 in 29 small businesses on Chicago’s West Side.

The Small Business Accelerator initiative was created in 2018 to support small business owners and entrepreneurs who are creating economic opportunities for West Side residents. Community representatives were engaged in defining grant criteria, reviewing applications, and identifying recipients. In late 2018, in collaboration with Northern Trust and Accion Chicago , more than 100 applications were reviewed and $85,000 was invested in seven West Side businesses.

Over the past year, Civic Consulting Alliance worked with West Side United to expand and enhance the Grant Pool for its second cycle. In this cycle, West Side United, Northern Trust, and JPMorgan Chase’s AdvancingCities provided $500,000 to invest. Together with pro bono partner CIBC , we revised the grant application structure, marketing approach, and outreach strategies based on our experience from 2018. For example, seven hands-on information sessions (instead of two) were offered to support applicants.

The response from West Side business owners was enthusiastic. Nearly 450 applications were submitted, quadruple the number received in 2018. Nearly two-thirds of applicants were minority, low-to-moderate income, and women, and 10% were immigrants.

On January 20 ^th , West Side United announced that 29 small businesses would receive grants of up to $13,000 for start-up businesses and up to $25,000 for established businesses. Recipients included businesses from Austin, North and South Lawndale, East and West Garfield Park, West Town, Humboldt Park, and Belmont Cragin:

6978 Soul Food
A Taste of Nostalgia
AD HOC PROPERTY SERVICES, LLC
All The Details Cleaning
Amazing Edibles
Back of the Yards Coffee LLC Pilsen Coffeehouse
BLK Building Solutions LLC
Chef's on the Go'Go LLC
Colemans barbque 2
DermaPhilia
DLV Printing Service, Inc.
FIIT CITY
It Takes A Village
La Chilangueda
LiveEquipd LLC
Madison Ethos, Inc.
McCanna Videography
Metaphrasis Language and Cultural Solutions, LLC
Rose and Jaad Construction INC
Salsedo Press Inc
Smooth and Social Roots
Strickland Brothers Bbq & Jerk
Terra Bites
The Corner Store Deli
The Lighthouse Cafe LLC
Thomas Mechanical Corporation
Twenty Eleven Construction Inc.
US Veterans Security, LLC
Worthy One Designs

The Small Business Accelerator is just one of West Side United’s 10 priority initiatives , which together aim to reduce the 16-year life expectancy gap between residents of Chicago’s West Side and the Loop. As the Small Business Accelerator initiative demonstrates, by bringing together community members and stakeholders from across the healthcare and corporate communities, West Side United has the potential to catalyze vital economic changes on Chicago’s historically under-invested West Side.

NEW CASE STUDY RELEASED

We recently published a case study about our work with pro bono partner Bain & Company in 2017 to stand up Rush University Medical Center's Anchor Mission initiative. Click below to read the full case study, and visit our case study archive to learn about other past projects.

Rush Anchor Mission Initiative Case Study

SPOTLIGHTS:

CHYNA SANDERS & RONGHZEN ZHOU

Chyna Sanders was with us as a Development and Communications Extern from Carleton College from November to December.

Rongzhen Zhou was with us as an Undergraduate Fellow from Northwestern University from September to December.

What project work were you involved in during your time at Civic Consulting Alliance?

CS: I assisted the Development and Communications team with an audit of their communications materials.

RZ: I worked with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (SAO) to redefine how they handle low-level possession and substance use cases, with the goal of increasing access to treatment and redirecting office resources towards prosecuting violent crime.

What will you take away from your time at Civic Consulting Alliance?

CS: I learned a lot about working in a nonprofit and how nonprofits can help create systemic change. It was fascinating to learn about communications, and I gained practical experience in PowerPoint and Excel.

RZ: I now appreciate the complexity and challenge of public sector work. I admire Civic Consulting Alliance’s ability to collaborate with such a range of government agencies and stakeholders.

What was your most memorable experience during your time at Civic Consulting Alliance?

CS: I enjoyed getting coffee with many members of the staff. This Civic Consulting Alliance tradition felt very welcoming, and gave me the opportunity to learn more about different projects and professional paths.

RZ: I attended an inspiring Addiction Convening hosted by the SAO, where I learned about innovative approaches other jurisdictions have taken to address low-level possession and substance use cases, and about how gaps in the criminal justice system affect people with substance use disorders.

How has your time at Civic Consulting Alliance helped you develop professionally?

CS: I improved my skills in communications, presentation design, and data management, skills that will help me moving forward in my career. I also feel more confident about the kind of work I want to do—work through which I can use my voice and position to support systemic change.

RZ: I have a better understanding of the consulting field, and also learned about the legal field through my work with the SAO—knowledge that will help me consider my career options.

In partnership with Northwestern University, we provide a semester-long Undergraduate Fellowship. We periodically work with other undergraduate institutions on shorter internship opportunities. Please visit our Fellowships page to learn more about our range of fellowship opportunities.

IN OTHER NEWS...

In November, the Southland Development Authority, which aims to promote large-scale investments in Cook County’s South Suburbs, was launched. The Authority—the first of its kind in Illinois—is the result of work done by the South Suburban Economic Growth Initiative (SSEGI), a community-based group that Civic Consulting Alliance has helped coordinate.

On February 28th, Principal Antonio Benecchi will speak at Leading for Good 2020, a gathering for leaders who seek to accelerate impact hosted by Loyola University's Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility. Learn more or register here!

For the fifth year in a row, the Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities' Chicago Fund is offering grants of up to $10,000 to community leaders organizing summer and fall activities to promote safety and peace in Chicago neighborhoods. The deadline to apply is February 14th. Learn more at safeandpeacefulchi.com.

Questions? Comments? Contact Marie Akerman