Field, MacArthur foundations create 2 programs to promote diversity

The Field Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation are joining forces to launch two programs aimed at promoting a broader range of voices in local media and leadership.

The Media & Storytelling program will award a total of $1 million every year for the next three years, with the intention to “create a connected, equitable and informed media and storytelling ecosystem in which the stories of all Chicagoans are told accurately, fairly, authoritatively and contextually,” organizers said in a news release.

Organizers are encouraging a range of organizations to apply, including “Chicago nonprofit news, media and storytelling outlets.”

The Leaders for a New Chicago program intends to award $50,000 to 10 to 15 recipients annually, with the goal of building a “more inclusive Chicago by tapping communities outside of the city’s current power structure,” organizers said.

Nominees for the leadership program must be city residents whose organizations have been awarded grants within the past two years by the Field Foundation or MacArthur’s Chicago Commitment or Jack Fuller Legacy Initiative. The selection committee plans to pay particular attention the “African, Latinx, Asian, Arab and Native American communities.”

Details of the selection process, including deadlines, may be found at fieldfoundation.org/how-to-apply/program-grants/