Chicago’s Cultural Treasures is a four-year initiative to support our city’s BIPOC-led and -focused arts and culture organizations as they face unprecedented challenges to their decades of leadership and resiliency.

This is not a standard grantmaking initiative.

Yes, there will be general operating grants — but also capacity-building and technical assistance tailored to meet the needs of Chicago’s diverse arts and culture community.

Yes, we will have deadlines and processes, but we will not have a one-size-fits-all approach. We will work with arts and community leaders to co-create programing designed to meet their needs.

Yes, we believe diversity is important, but our true focus is to achieve greater equity in funding art that reflects the full diversity of American culture. Our goal will be to support organizations whose mission is to enable the creation, preservation, and dissemination of art stemming from BIPOC traditions, leadership, and culture.

We know we have a lot to learn from you. We also know that the current crises are compounding the historic inequities faced by arts organizations primarily led by, featuring, and serving people of color. We’re here to listen, plan, and create responsive programming, together.