IMPACT REPORT 2023
Collaboration Leads
to Transformation
We make Chicago a better place to live and work.
Civic Consulting Alliance is a nonprofit organization that provides pro bono consulting services to advance systems-level solutions that untangle the Chicago region’s interconnected issues like economic and educational opportunity gaps, violence, and injustice that affect many residents.
We believe that when government, social impact, and corporate leaders work together, we can achieve our mission to make the Chicago region a great place for everyone to live in and work. The 2023 Impact Report highlights our work toward that goal.
Who we are.
$30M
invested through pro bono consulting services
52
partners engaged in pro bono projects
47
projects completed for the Chicago region
850
people involved in making Chicago a better place to live and work
OUR PLATFORMS
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We invest in building an inclusive and equitable economy that contributes to the long-term vitality of the Chicago region.
● Inclusive regional economic growth
● Equitable investment across communities
● Individual opportunity and prosperity
● Responsive and efficient institutions
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We advance high-quality education and equitable access to opportunity for all Chicago students to prepare them for lifelong success and fulfillment.
● High-quality learning experiences
● Equitable distribution of resources
● Connectivity across the continuum
● Strong strategy and operations
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We facilitate institutional reform and collaborative transformation to address systemic inequities and make the Chicago region a safe and just place for all.
● Police reform and accountability
● Addressing violence as a public health crisis
● Justice system reform
We organize our work into three platforms that are integral to improving quality of life and creating a region that can reach its full potential. Within each platform, our focus areas ensure that we address the root causes that lead to inequities. This helps us invest our and our pro bono partners’ resources where they can have the greatest impact.
We invite you to keep scrolling to learn more about key projects in each of our platform areas.
Welcome to the 2023 Impact Report
I’m thrilled to share our 2023 Impact Report, which reflects another year of close work with government and social impact leaders to design and advance solutions that reshape our region to be a great place for everyone to live in and work.
It can be easy to look at the news and become dismayed by the widespread economic and education opportunity gaps, violence, and injustice in our region – this report looks beyond the headlines and shines a light on transformative work that seeks to address the root causes of these inequities.
The projects highlighted in the Impact Report are promising: the infusion of recovery funding created immense opportunities for leaders to invest in new strategies and programs that continue to revitalize our region. The Build Up Cook program will bolster support for suburban Cook County communities that have suffered from decades of disinvestment. City Colleges of Chicago is strengthening its career services to be an accessible vehicle for socioeconomic mobility and racial equity by continually striving to meet the economic needs of Chicago. The Department of Justice recently praised Chicago’s anti-violence programs and will make investments modeled in part on the City’s community violence intervention strategies. And for the first time in history, Chicago residents chose the candidates for police superintendent in an effort to strengthen accountability, improve policing, increase resident engagement, and build greater trust between police and the public.
These collaborations that we supported in 2023 channel a rich and unique history of civic engagement in Chicago. I hope you will read on to learn more about the incredible work of our staff, pro bono and philanthropic partners, and clients in the past year, and that you will be inspired to join us in addressing the biggest challenges and opportunities in our region.
Sincerely,
Rebekah Scheinfeld
CEO and President
Civic Consulting Alliance
*Fiscal year 2023: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023
2023 Featured Projects
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2023 Mayoral Transition
Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson only had six weeks to set his new administration up to effectively govern 2.7 million Chicagoans. With the help of more than 19 partners and approximately 50 members of our staff and our partners’ staff, we provided $2.8 million in pro bono services to support Mayor-elect Johnson as he prepared to take the helm of the City at a time of great challenges and change.
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![Community Violence Intervention]()
Community Violence Intervention
Community violence intervention (CVI) uses community-centered initiatives to reduce violence. It establishes relationships between individuals and community assets to deliver services that save lives, address trauma, provide opportunity, and improve the physical, social, and economic conditions that drive violence. Since 2017, Civic Consulting Alliance has invested in work with clients that catalyze CVI efforts across sectors.
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Build Up Cook County
An influx of capital and recovery funding provides an opportunity for municipalities to make critical investments in their infrastructures. However, small governments often lack the capacity and capital planning expertise needed to access or invest these funds. Since 2021, Civic Consulting Alliance and our pro bono partners supported Cook County to strategize and implement a new “Build Up Cook” program.
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Supporting asylum seekers
The recent influx has been an “all hands on deck” moment for state and local government, community-based organizations, and other partners to quickly come together to provide holistic care and shelter needs with dignity. As a neutral, external party, Civic Consulting Alliance improved collaboration, facilitated shared learning, and supported strategic decision-making in order to help institutions support asylum seekers.
Together we invested
$30 million in the
Chicago Region.
In 2023, Civic Consulting Alliance celebrated a record-breaking $30 million in pro bono consulting services for the Chicago region. Every dollar invested in our mission was multiplied sixfold by our corporate partners.
Economic Vitality
“I appreciate that Civic Consulting Alliance operates in a unique way, and is a strong partner that is aligned and invested in our mission. Recently Civic Consulting Alliance helped us quickly launch many programs, and the frameworks that we built together continue to guide us in our work.”
Xochitl Flores, Bureau Chief, Cook County Bureau of Economic Development
Inclusive Regional Growth
Equitable investment across communities
Individual opportunity and prosperity
Responsive and efficient institutions
EConomic Vitality Snapshot
20
Projects Executed
$3.9 million
Invested
13
Partners Engaged
269
People Involved
Education
“Civic Consulting Alliance’s partnership gave us strategies that we can utilize in the future to meet the needs of families with school-aged children coming to Chicago.”
Pedro Martinez, CEO, Chicago Public Schools
High quality learning experiences
Equitable distribution
of resources
Strong strategy and operations
Education Snapshot
15
Projects Executed
$1 .3 million
Invested
5
Partners Engaged
50
People Involved
Safety & Justice
“Civic Consulting Alliance’s expertise and support have greatly advanced our violence prevention efforts beyond what any single government entity could have done on its own. We are grateful for your ongoing partnership in helping the City, County, and State align our funding and goals to support violence reduction, particularly in investments in Community Violence Intervention.”
Lanetta Haynes Turner, Chief of Staff, Office of the Cook County Board President
Police reform and accountability
Addressing violence as a public health crisis
Justice system reform
Safety and Justice Snapshot
17
Projects Executed
$19.1 million
Invested
7
Partners Engaged
240
People Involved
Corporate and Foundation Funders
We are grateful to our corporate and foundation partners, whose philanthropic support enables us to maintain our flexible and responsive capacity to get big things done.
