Grantmaking Program Areas
Our Commitment to Equity, Opportunity, and Justice
We believe that the root causes and systems of oppression are structural, interconnected, and compounded by historical and systemic patterns of exclusion, racism, and inequity. Therefore, we apply a racial and intersectional equity and justice lens to our practices and grantmaking. Our grantmaking approach is also data-informed and guided by community input. As part of our 2024-2027 strategic planning process, we conducted a local funding landscape analysis and held more than 200 hours of listening and conversation sessions involving community leaders, grantee partners, philanthropic partners, and practitioners. We uncovered that educational equity and social justice need deeper support. To that end, the Lohengrin Foundation will focus its new grantmaking priorities in the areas outlined below.
Grantee Partners:
The Lohengrin Foundation partners with and invests in organizations that guide transformational programs, advocacy, and policy initiatives to drive social impact and systems change.
Existing grantee partners whose work fits within our updated Educational Equity or Social Justice grantmaking foci will be transitioned to the practices and procedures within the corresponding area. Other existing “legacy” grantee partners outside of these areas will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may be considered for ongoing support.
Geographic Funding Areas:
The Foundation prioritizes organizations and projects in the Chicago and Boston metropolitan areas. We also consider supporting organizations in other regions. Funding provided outside of our prioritized funding geographic areas will be by invitation only.
Timelines:
New grantmaking guidelines will be phased in, beginning in the fall of 2024.
Educational Equity
Arts Education
We partner with organizations that work to ensure all youth have access to quality arts experiences through long-term engagements. We prioritize direct programming and systemic efforts that offer high-quality in-school and out-of-school arts education experiences to young people who have limited or no access to arts education opportunities.
RFP Timeline: Spring 2025
Educational Opportunity
We partner with organizations that help close the access and opportunity gap for Black, Latine, and other historically marginalized communities.
We seek out data-driven educational recovery and civic educational initiatives serving under-resourced communities.
RFP Timeline: Spring 2025
Leadership and Learning
We support principal and teacher leadership initiatives that help prepare, strengthen, and retain the next generation of school leaders. Programs and systemic initiatives that help leaders foster a school culture and learning environment that enhances student learning outcomes, civic engagement, and educational equity in under-resourced communities will be prioritized.
RFP Timeline: Spring 2025
Social Justice
Immigrant, Refugee, and Migrant Justice
We partner with organizations and collaboratives that advance policy and systems change efforts to address the long-term needs of immigrants, refugees, and migrants.
Additional funding consideration is provided to groups working on intersectional and racial solidarity efforts.
RFP Timeline: Fall 2025
Movement Building and Systems Change
We support organizations that engage and are led by those who are most impacted by the racial, social, and economic inequities they seek to address. We seek out organizations that transform systems of power and resource distribution to increase activism to drive policy, systems change, and justice. Additional funding consideration is provided to groups working on intersectional and racial solidarity efforts.
RFP Timeline: Application Period Closed November 1, 2024
Safety and Justice
We believe safe communities are a human right, and we partner with community and systems-level organizations to provide safety and violence interventions and/or comprehensive support services for those who are justice-informed and involved. Our aim is to prevent and reduce encounters that may lead to recidivism or individual and community violence. We prioritize collaborative efforts that measure engagement, impact, and outcomes to reduce gun violence, and advance community safety and well-being.
RFP Timeline: Fall 2025
Strategic Collaborations for Emergent Issues & Systems Change
We believe coalitions, organizational partnerships, and strategic collaboratives are most effective in advancing systemic change, accelerating policy advancements, and addressing emergent issues. Yet, these efforts are often underfunded and lack sufficient resources to support the complexities associated with collaboration and resource sharing.
The Foundation seeks out and accepts inquiries from coalitions, collaboratives, and organizations working to address emergent issues and key policy opportunities that may present themselves on an ongoing basis. Priority is given to areas of work that are aligned with the Foundation’s mission and current program areas of focus.
RFP Timeline: Spring 2025 and Ongoing Thereafter