What's in store through the CCF Fellowship?

Get ready for IRL opportunities that foster community building and support. In addition to in-network opportunities, we are thrilled to deploy a total of $80,000 in grants to fund up to eight exceptional local leaders and social enterprises. Our core mission is to invest in the growth of our fellows and leverage our network to amplify their impact.

Do you have an innovative initiative, a unique community program, or an existing project that needs support? Seeking a vibrant community of like-minded changemakers to connect, collaborate, and build with? If this resonates with you, please apply to the Chicago Community Fund Fellowship.

P.S. Wondering what we mean by 'social enterprise'? We define it as a business or organization (non-profit, for-profit, cooperative, etc.), committed to creating a positive impact on society and contributing to the greater good.

We are thrilled to launch the second year of the expanded CCF program, in partnership with Chicago-based cultural agency, Gertie.

Deadline

Deadline

DOWNLOAD THE CCFF APPLICATION WORKSHEET HERE.

Applications open on Monday, August 14th, 12:00 PM CST and close on Monday, September 25th, 11:59 PM CST. 

Applicants will be notified by Monday, October 9th (UPDATED) if admitted into the Chicago Community Fund Fellowship.

Unfortunately, we are unable to discuss individual applications with applicants, but we will be hosting a post-application de-brief for specific Q & A about the process.

We look forward to reading your application and learning about you and your work.

D'Composed

Pictured: 2022 CCF Recipient Program, d-composed.

The Breakout Foundation

WHO WE ARE & WHAT WE DO

Breakout Foundation is the supporting 501c3 grant-making foundation to its social purpose agency, Breakout LLC. At the core of our effort is a drive to do things differently. We’re committed to supporting leaders affecting change in their communities through amplifying local efforts and building meaningful relationships on local and national levels.

Since 2014, our unwavering commitment has been to pave new paths. Our approach revolves around empowering a diverse range of mission-driven leaders and small businesses, often in their early stages of funding. Our passion lies in cultivating vibrant and creative cultural ecosystems that foster meaningful connections between changemakers, innovators, and funders.

As we work towards continuing to cut red tape, we look to you all for feedback and insights as we strive to improve and rethink our funding process.

OUR BOARD

We're not your typical grantmakers. As a volunteer-run foundation, we're composed of industry-agnostic community builders with diverse backgrounds from across the country.

Our foundation board is composed of Breakout community members that have come together to push the mission forward.

Learn more about who are board is here!

Gertie

HOW WILL WE SUPPORT FELLOWS?

Gertie is a Chicago-based cultural agency responsible for building bridges between the creative and business communities in Chicago. Gertie convenes and builds trust among partners, bridges community stakeholders, and amplifies the amazing work being done by Chicago’s creators.

Through our various, multi-sector partnerships we are able to serve as a platform and resource for artists and creatives to be more successful. Creativity, connections, and consulting are the three pillars that we combine to offer unique, individualized support to CCF Fellows.

Learn more about Gertie here!

Am I Eligible To Apply?

To be eligible for the 2023 Chicago Community Fund Fellowship, applicants must:

  • Be over the age of 18 at the time of application.

  • Either apply as an individual or on behalf of a social enterprise.

    *We define a social enterprise as a business or organization (501 c3 non-profit, for-profit, co-operative, etc.), committed to creating a positive impact on society (specifically Chicago in our case) and contributing to the greater good.

    While we are interested to re-explore in the future, if you are a 501c4, 501c5, or 501c6, you are not eligible for this years CCFF.

  • Reside in Chicago, Illinois; organizations must be incorporated and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

    *Chicago proper only.

  • Be committed to actively participating in in-network community-building activities.

    *Including attendance at the CCFF 2023 Fellowship Convening on October 20th & 21st (Friday night and Saturday day), and engaging in content creation services offered during those days. If you are unable to attend the convening you must have a representative participate in your place.

  • Align with Breakout Foundation’s mission to champion change and believe in the power of everyday people to be catalysts for a more equitable future.

  • Be prepared to utilize the funding to create a positive impact in the city of Chicago through a new or existing initiative, project, program, business, campaign, or solution that uplifts the local community.

  • The Breakout Foundation cannot fund political candidates and or politically affiliated organizations, programs and/or initiatives.

Guiding Principles and RFP Development

At the 2023 Chicago Community Fund Fellowship, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive application process that recognizes and respects the diverse identities and experiences of all applicants. Our Request for Proposals (RFP) was crafted with careful consideration and in alignment with our guiding principles, which were derived from various essential sources:

  • We conducted extensive research to understand best practices and identify areas for improvement, ensuring that our RFP is equitable and effective.

  • We sought guidance from Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) professionals (Frontier), who provided valuable insights and expertise to shape our RFP's evaluation and impact measurement criteria.

  • Our team's deep knowledge and experience in community engagement and social impact initiatives play a crucial role in developing an RFP that fosters meaningful change and support for local leaders.

  • We actively collected feedback from past grantees and applicants to understand their experiences and perspectives, incorporating their valuable insights into our RFP to enhance its accessibility and relevance.

  • Our RFP was designed using community-centered design principles, ensuring that it reflects the needs, aspirations, and values of the communities we serve.