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| The Resurrection Project | |
|---|---|
| Name | The Resurrection Project |
| Formation | 1990 |
| Type | Community development corporation |
| Headquarters | South Side, Chicago, Illinois |
| Region served | Greater Chicago area |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
The Resurrection Project is a Chicago-based community development organization focused on revitalizing neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago through housing, education, financial services, and community organizing. Founded in 1990, it operates amid the landscape of civic institutions, nonprofit coalitions, philanthropic foundations, and municipal agencies to address neighborhood decline, foreclosure, and disinvestment. The organization partners with churches, schools, universities, financial institutions, and government programs to pursue equitable development and resident-led revitalization.
The organization emerged during a period shaped by urban policy debates involving figures such as Barack Obama, Harold Washington, Richard M. Daley, and agencies including the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and Chicago Housing Authority. Its founding leaders drew on traditions from community development corporations like South Shore Commission, Lawndale Christian Development Corporation, and projects influenced by urban theorists associated with Jane Jacobs and practitioners linked to The MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Rockefeller Foundation. Early collaborations included local congregations from denominations such as the Roman Catholic Church, United Church of Christ, and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and civic partners like Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and neighborhood groups modeled after Community Reinvestment Act advocacy coalitions. Over the decades the organization navigated policy shifts under presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, engaging with initiatives such as the HOME Investment Partnerships Program and Community Development Block Grant programs administered by the City of Chicago.
The organization's stated mission aligns with strategies advanced by urban planners and nonprofits including Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Enterprise Community Partners, and NeighborWorks America. Programmatic emphases mirror efforts seen at institutions like Chicago Public Schools, DePaul University, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and healthcare partners like University of Chicago Medical Center in addressing social determinants of health shaped by decisions from bodies such as the Illinois General Assembly and the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Programs focus on affordable housing development, financial capability training, youth leadership pipelines comparable to models at After School Matters and Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and community organizing reminiscent of groups like ACORN and PICO National Network.
Housing initiatives reflect practices used by developers and nonprofit housing organizations including Habitat for Humanity, National Low Income Housing Coalition, Preservation of Affordable Housing, and Mercy Housing. The organization has pursued homebuyer counseling similar to services offered by NeighborWorks America affiliates, foreclosure prevention akin to campaigns by HomeFree-USA, and mixed-income development strategies paralleling projects like Cabrini-Green redevelopment and Bronzeville revitalization efforts. Partnerships with financial entities such as Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Chase Bank, Bank of America, and community lenders like Chicago Community Loan Fund and LISC have supported real estate transactions, while coordinating with municipal initiatives such as Plan for Transformation and transit-oriented projects related to Metra and Chicago Transit Authority.
Youth and education programs draw from models used by Chicago Public Schools, Charter Network Coalition, UChicago Charter School, and nonprofit educators like Harold Washington College and Youth Guidance. After-school, mentoring, and scholarship programs mirror partnerships practiced by YMCA, Girl Scouts of the USA, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and philanthropic programs from The Joyce Foundation and MacArthur Fellows Program alumni networks. Collaborations with local schools, parishes, and cultural institutions such as DuSable Museum of African American History, Hyde Park Art Center, and Chicago Public Library branches aim to support STEM, arts, and civic engagement comparable to initiatives by Teach For America and AmeriCorps.
Financial capability work includes credit counseling, lending services, and small business support similar to programs run by Accion Chicago, Chicago Urban League, SCORE, and Small Business Development Center networks connected to U.S. Small Business Administration. Economic development efforts align with community wealth-building strategies advocated by scholars tied to Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, and policy organizations like Brookings Institution and Urban Institute. The organization interfaces with investor groups such as Calvert Impact Capital and grantmakers including Chicago Community Trust to source capital for neighborhood enterprises and workforce development projects related to employers like Rush University Medical Center and John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County.
Governance structures follow nonprofit best practices similar to boards at United Way, Chicago Community Trust, and Planned Parenthood of Illinois, with oversight involving legal counsel familiar with Illinois Attorney General filings and compliance under Internal Revenue Service nonprofit rules. Funding streams combine philanthropic grants from entities such as MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, corporate giving from Walgreens, McDonald's Corporation, and government contracts from agencies like Illinois Housing Development Authority and Department of Human Services. Collaborative funding models reflect trends promoted by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations and research from Nonprofit Quarterly.
Impact assessments reference metrics used by evaluators at Urban Institute, Princeton University, University of Chicago Urban Labs, and awards from organizations like Chicago Magazine and Chicago Sun-Times community honors. Recognition has come through partnerships with academic centers such as Mandel Legal Aid and policy forums including Chicago Council on Global Affairs and local civic groups like League of Women Voters of Chicago. The organization's work is frequently cited alongside case studies involving neighborhood revitalization in Bronzeville, Pilsen, Englewood, South Shore, and Avondale in publications by The Atlantic, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and urban scholarship in journals published by Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press.
Category:Nonprofit organizations based in Chicago