SocialWorks

Last updated
SocialWorks
Formation2016
Founders
TypeNon-Profit
PurposeHumanitarian
Website socialworkschi.org
Chancelor Bennet: Founder of SocialWorks Chance the Rapper 2017.jpg
Chancelor Bennet: Founder of SocialWorks

SocialWorks is a non-profit organization founded in Chicago in August 2016 by artist Chancelor Bennett (also known as Chance the Rapper), Justin Cunningham, and Essence Smith. [1] [2] SocialWorks was founded in support of Chicago Public Schools (CPS). SocialWorks raises money for social issues that affect Chicago's youth, such as education, homelessness, mental health support, as well as to create spaces and bring visibility to Chicago's artistic community. [3] Bennett founded SocialWorks with the intention of “giving back to his community.” [4]

Contents

History

SocialWorks became a registered public charity in August, 2016. The non-profit charity was announced September 24, 2016, at Bennett's music festival, Magnificent Coloring Day, on the South Side of Chicago. [5] The inception of this non-profit began in 2015 with OpenMike, an event which is hosted monthly and offers a creative space for Chicago's youth to perform and to be exposed to art. [2] In January 2015, Chance teamed up with the program Get Schooled, Get Connected in order to raise $100,000 for technological equipment for CPS. This was a precedent for SocialWorks’ Support CPS Initiative. [1] As a result of this fundraising, SocialWorks came into formation, under the partnership of Bennett, Cunningham and their friend Essence Smith. [2] The initial funding for the charity came from Bennett, who donated $1 million. [1]

SocialWorks initiated the Support CPS and the New Chance: Arts and Literature Fund campaigns, which raise money for education, technological equipment, and arts programs in schools in under served areas which have experienced budget cuts. [6]

In 2017 Google partnered with SocialWorks and awarded the program a grant of 1 million, and an additional $500,000 directly donated to CPS. [7] [8] Chance discussed the funding on Twitter, stating that it would fund “coding classes for 20 schools on the South and West side.” [4]

In 2017, at an assembly at Michele Clark High School, Jewel Osco donated 1 million to the charity. [9] The money was designated for the New Chance: Arts and Literature Fund.

Initiatives

The organization operates five campaigns: Support CPS, which raises money for Chicago Public Schools, My State of Mind, which raises funds to increase accessibility to mental health services, The Warmest Winter, which operates clothing drives for the homeless, OpenMike, which supports young artists in Chicago, and Kids of the Kingdom, which provides funding for educational summer programs. [10] [11] [12] [13]

Support CPS

SocialWorks Grants Funds to Schools through their New Chance Fund SocialWorks Grants Funds to School Through their New Chance Fund.jpg
SocialWorks Grants Funds to Schools through their New Chance Fund
New Chance Fund SocialWorks' New Chance Fund.jpg
New Chance Fund

The Support CPS fund was launched in 2017 by Bennett and SocialWorks after budget discussions with Governor Bruce Rauner over funding for CPS reached an impasse. [14] Bennett donated $1 million to the fund and awareness was raised for Support CPS through the hashtag #SupportCPS on social media. [14] [1] Following his donation individuals, businesses, and organizations such as Jewel Osco, the Chicago Bulls, Google, and STATE Bags also made donations. [1] During that same year SocialWorks partnered with CPS and Ingenuity, an arts advocacy organization, to create the New Chance Literature and Arts Fund in order to raise money for arts programs in schools experiencing severe budget cuts. [6]

In 2018 SocialWorks announced that $2.2 million had been raised through the New Chance Fund and that twenty CPS would be receiving donations of $100,000 to help fund their arts and literature programs. [15] The organization also partnered with shared riding service Lyft to raise money for new arts and literature programs for CPS. Donations would be gathered by riders opting in to round up their fares and since its launch, the initiative has raised over $100,000. [16] SocialWorks has also raised funding for CPS by partnering with UNITY to host the #SupportCPS fashion show, which featured student created designs to raise money for CPS and support local artists. [17]

My State Of Mind

The My State of Mind initiative was introduced in September 2018 to increase awareness and visibility for mental health services in Chicago, Illinois. The initiative began with a $1 million donation from Bennett, with the intention to establish a modern resource for obtaining information about mental health services. [18] [19] [20] Essence Smith further commented that a central goal of the initiative is to create a guidebook filled with "a comprehensive collection of mental health resources." [21] The guidebook is designed to include all mental health services, both direct care and referral-based; as well as, educational services within Cook county. [18] Through this initiative the organization plans to donate $100,000 to six mental health providers in the city. [18]

The Warmest Winter

The Warmest Winter Initiative was first announced in December 2015 through a radio appearance Chance made at a local Chicago radio station, WGCI FM 107.5. [22] The initiative was created through a partnership with The Empowerment Plan to help raise $100,000 U.S. dollars for winter coats through donations. [22] These donations would be used to fund the employment of homeless people from Detroit, who would create coats that were capable of being turned into sleeping bags for homeless people in Chicago. [23] Incentives such as tickets to games or shows were used to encourage people to donate and sponsor the cost of a coat for the initiative, which was initially only planned to run until 2016. [24] SocialWorks took over the initiative after their creation in 2016 and has continued Warmest Winter after re-branding it to offer different services, experiences and donations. [25] Efforts by the initiative in its current state include clothing drives and events such as the "Night at the Museum", where families bring in items to build Warmth Kits for the homeless while also participating in exhibits and activities. [26] [11]

OpenMike

Picture from OpenMike event SocialWorks' OpenMike.jpg
Picture from OpenMike event

OpenMike is a series of free monthly events hosted in Chicago, for high school students that could provide their school ID. [27] OpenMike was officially hosted in February 2015 at the Chicago Cultural Center, as an event to honor the passing of poet Mike Hawkins, Brother Mike. [27] [28] It was first started between Chance the Rapper and Malcolm London but was later incorporated into SocialWorks. [28] Because Brother Mike was a poet and mentor with Harold Washington Library's YouMedia Center, OpenMike incorporated coordinates programs that encourages teen artists to perform and connect with other artists in attendance. [29] [27] OpenMike also has celebrity guest performances, like Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar, and they occasionally have different partnerships that take place. [30] In December 2017, the Air Jordan brand teamed up with SocialWorks in a one-time event. Air Jordan donated 300 pairs of unreleased Jordan 11 sneakers to teens attending OpenMike at Cindy Pritzker Auditorium. [7]

Kids of the Kingdom

Kids Of the Kingdom Summer Day Camp SocialWorks Kids of the Kingdom Summer Day Camp.jpg
Kids Of the Kingdom Summer Day Camp

Kids of the Kingdom is a program created in 2017 by Social Works and LANDR Music to provide additional audio mastering classes after school for students in the Chicago metropolitan area. Starting in June 2017, 75 Chicago kids participated in this program through the Kids of the Kingdom Summer Music Academy. [31] The idea behind this initiative is to provide a space for kids to be social, learn, and become civically engaged in their community. LANDR Music donated $1 for every new user of their website and 10% of its profits to SocialWorks between June 6 and June 20, 2017. [31]

Partnerships and Donors

My State of Mind partners with Two Goats, JPA, DHS, and Cook County Public Health. OpenMike partners with Chicago Public Library and the Jordan Brand. Support CPS partners with Ingenuity, Children First Fund, Google, Lyft, Jewel Osco, Conagra Brands, Sky Zone, and Champion. The Warmest Winter partners with the Field Museum, Michael Airhart, and the Museum of Science and Industry.

Events

Black History Month Film Festival

The Black History Month Film Festival was launched in 2018 and runs during the month of February, offering reduced price tickets for youth to attend and familiarize themselves with films created by Black artists. [32] The 2018 festival featured a selection of five films at Chicago's Studio Grill with showings rotating each week. In 2019 the program moved to the Showplace Icon Theater, where fifteen films were shown and patrons could attend panel discussions and Q&A post-screening interviews with film directors and special guests. [33]

Parade To The Polls

In November 2016 SocialWorks teamed up with Chicago Votes for a get out and vote initiative. This was an effort to encourage young Chicagoans to vote. [34] The event started with a free concert in Grant Park and ended when Chance led thousands of fans through the streets of Chicago to The Chicago Board of Elections. [35]

Mahalia Jackson Elementary School: New Auditorium

At the end of March 2019, Bennett announced, via Instagram, Mahalia Jackson Elementary School as a new beneficiary of SocialWorks, New Chance Arts and Literature fund. [36] The South side school was deemed needy after a prolonged lack of funding for the art programs. The grant allowed the school to finish construction of a new performing arts auditorium. [36]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Foundation</span> Charitable organization

The United Nations Foundation is a charitable organization headquartered in Washington, DC, that supports the United Nations and its activities. It was established in 1998 with a $1 billion gift to the United Nations by philanthropist Ted Turner, who believed the UN was crucial for addressing the world's problems. Originally primarily a grantmaker, the UN Foundation has evolved into a strategic partner to the UN, mobilizing support to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and help the UN address issues such as climate change, global health, gender equality, human rights, data and technology, peace, and humanitarian responses. The UN Foundation's main work occurs through building public-private partnerships, communities, initiatives, campaigns, and alliances to broaden support for the UN and solve global problems. The UN Foundation has helped build awareness and advocate for action on, among others, antimicrobial resistance, regional action on climate change, local implementation of the SDGs, as well as global campaigns such as Nothing But Nets against malaria, the Measles & Rubella Initiative, the Clean Cooking Alliance, Girl Up, Shot@Life, and the Digital Impact Alliance, among others. In March 2020, the UN Foundation was also a key founder of the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund on behalf of the World Health Organization (WHO), helping to raise over $200 million USD within the first six weeks to support the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Infosys Foundation is a non-profit organisation based in Karnataka, India, established in 1996 by Infosys to support the underprivileged sections of society. It supports programs in the areas of education, rural development, healthcare, arts and culture, and destitute care in remote regions of India. The foundation is solely funded by Infosys, and no external donations are accepted. The foundation is headed by Sudha Murty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Public Schools</span> Public school system of the municipal government of Chicago, Illinois

Chicago Public Schools (CPS), officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, in Chicago, Illinois, is the fourth-largest school district in the United States, after New York, Los Angeles, and Miami-Dade County. For the 2020–21 school year, CPS reported overseeing 638 schools, including 476 elementary schools and 162 high schools; of which 513 were district-run, 115 were charter schools, 9 were contract schools and 1 was a SAFE school. The district serves 340,658 students. Chicago Public School students attend a particular school based on their area of residence, except for charter, magnet, and selective enrollment schools.

The Northwestern University Dance Marathon, commonly known as NUDM, is a philanthropic dance marathon held every March at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1975, NUDM is one of the nation's most established and largest entirely student-run philanthropies. NUDM is one of the only annual Dance Marathons in the country to continually change its primary beneficiary. NUDM has raised over $1 million for its beneficiaries each year since 2011, and involves over 1,000 students participating as dancers and committee members. Since 1997, the Evanston Community Foundation has been NUDM's secondary beneficiary.

Howard Brown Health is a nonprofit LGBTQ healthcare and social services provider that was founded in 1974. It is based in Chicago and was named after Howard Junior Brown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Chicago Food Depository</span> American nonprofit organization

The Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD) is a nonprofit organization that fights hunger throughout Cook County, Illinois. The GCFD distributes donated and purchased food through a network of 700 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and community programs, serving more than 800,000 adults and children every year. In fiscal year 2016, the GCFD distributed more than 70 million pounds of nonperishable food, produce, dairy products, and meat - the equivalent of more than 160,000 meals every day. Of the $96,883,955 spent in 2016, over 90% went to direct food distribution programs.

Mary Jane "Kip" Tiernan was a social activist.

Cradles to Crayons (C2C) is a non-profit organization that provides resources such as school supplies and clothing to homeless and low-income children. Cradles To Crayons began in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 2002. Cradles to Crayons has since expanded to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 2006 and Chicago, Illinois, in 2016, with its program the Giving Factory. Cradles to Crayons has partnerships in its headquartered cities Boston, Massachusetts, Philadelphia, and Chicago with various news outlets, sports teams, and other organizations.

Born This Way Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 2012 by American artist and activist Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta. Named after the singer's 2011 album Born This Way, and the song with the same name the foundation is committed to supporting the wellness of young people and working with them to "make the world kinder and braver".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloomberg Philanthropies</span>

Bloomberg Philanthropies is a philanthropic organization that encompasses all of the charitable giving of founder Michael R. Bloomberg. Headquartered in New York City, Bloomberg Philanthropies focuses its resources on five areas: the environment, public health, the arts, government innovation and education. According to the Foundation Center, Bloomberg Philanthropies was the 10th largest foundation in the United States in 2015, the last year for which data was available. Bloomberg has pledged to donate the majority of his wealth, currently estimated at more than $54 billion. Patti Harris is the CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Third Sector Capital Partners, Inc. is a nonprofit advisory firm with offices in Boston, Massachusetts, San Francisco, California, and Washington, DC. Founded in 2011, Third Sector leads governments, nonprofits, and private funders in building evidence-based initiatives and Pay for Success projects. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Third Sector is supported through philanthropic and government sources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chance the Rapper</span> American rapper (born 1993)

Chancelor Johnathan Bennett, known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in Chicago, Bennett released his debut mixtape 10 Day in 2012. He gained mainstream recognition in 2013 following the release of his second mixtape, Acid Rap. His third mixtape, Coloring Book (2016), was released to further critical acclaim and commercial success as it peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200. The mixtape also earned a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, while a song off the album "No Problem" won Best Rap Performance; it became the first streaming-only album to win a Grammy Award. Bennett himself was also awarded Best New Artist the same night. His debut studio album, The Big Day was released in 2019 to continued commercial success and moderate critical reception.

The Empowerment Plan is an American humanitarian organization, located in Milwaukee Junction, Detroit, Michigan. The organization works to address homelessness by providing jobs to homeless women, and by manufacturing a coat that is given to homeless individuals in need.

Bell Let's Talk is a campaign created by the Canadian telecommunications company, Bell Canada, in an effort to raise awareness and combat stigma surrounding mental illness in Canada. It is the largest corporate commitment to mental health in Canada. Originally a five-year, $50 million program to create a stigma-free Canada and drive action in mental health care, research, and the workplace, Bell Let's Talk was renewed in 2015 for five years with a target of committing $100 million, and in 2020, the initiative was renewed for a further five years, and a commitment of $155 million. The most prominent part of the initiative is "Bell Let's Talk Day," an annual one-day advertising campaign where money is donated to mental health funds based on the number of social media and communication interactions that include the branded hashtag, #BellLetsTalk, or its Canadian French equivalent, #BellCause.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Founders Pledge</span> English charitable non-profit

Founders Pledge is a London-based charitable initiative, where entrepreneurs commit to donate a portion of their personal proceeds to charity when they sell their business. Inspired by effective altruism, the mission of Founders Pledge is to "empower entrepreneurs to do immense good".

The Big Issue in Australia is a street newspaper which began in 1996. The Australian edition of the paper is a project of the UK-based The Big Issue. The first magazine was launched in Australia on the steps of Melbourne’s Flinders Street railway station on 16 June 1996.

Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in Parkland, Florida, in 2012 by professional baseball player Anthony Rizzo. The organization raises money for cancer research and provides support to families battling cancer. The headquarters are in Parkland, Florida, and Brooklyn, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Share Your Soles</span> Non-profit organization in Chicago

Share Your Soles is a non-profit organization in Chicago, Illinois, that provides shoes for the homeless and individuals that cannot afford to purchase shoes. The organization supplies shoes to individuals in the United States, as well as third world countries such as Uganda, Mexico, Peru and Guatemala. Share Your Soles sets up various fundraisers and develops partnerships in order to gain funds for their organization.

MusiCares' COVID-19 relief effort was a charitable initiative aimed at providing financial and other forms of assistance to musicians and music industry professionals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative was established by MusiCares, a non-profit organization that was founded in 1989 by the Recording Academy, the organization behind the GRAMMY Awards.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Chance the philanthropist: His maverick approach". Crain's Chicago Business. 2018-05-31. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  2. 1 2 3 "Finance graduate switches careers, launches Chicago non-profit to benefit youth | News, Sports, Jobs - Observer Today" . Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  3. ↑ "14 Reasons Why Chance The Rapper Is The Best Human of Chicago". Baeble Music. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  4. 1 2 "Google donates $1M to Chance the Rapper's nonprofit, SocialWorks". REVOLT TV. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  5. ↑ Coleman II, C. Vernon. "Chance The Rapper Unveils Nonprofit Organization Called Social Works". XXL Mag. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  6. 1 2 "Chance the Rapper raises over $2 million for 20 CPS Schools". ABC7 Chicago. 2017-09-01. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
  7. 1 2 "Chance The Rapper's Youth Charity Foundation 'SocialWorks' Receives $1 Million Grant From Google". Essence. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  8. ↑ Finley, Taryn (2017-12-06). "Chance The Rapper, Google Team Up To Give $1.5 Million Toward STEM In Chicago Schools". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  9. ↑ "Jewel-Osco gives $1M to Chance the Rapper's SocialWorks charity". ABC7 Chicago. 2017-11-20. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  10. ↑ "Chance the Rapper pledges $1 million to mental health services in Chicago". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
  11. 1 2 "SocialWorks Expands Donation Window For Warmest Winter Clothing Drive". thechicagocitizen.com. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  12. ↑ "For third anniversary, Chance the Rapper brings OpenMike back to Cultural Center". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  13. ↑ "Chance The Rapper's Social Works NonProfit To Help Offer Kids Summer Audio Courses". AllHipHop.com. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  14. 1 2 Schuba, Tom. "Chance the Rapper Announces CPS Schools Receiving Funding". NBC Chicago. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  15. ↑ "Highlights on how Chance the Rapper has given back to CPS". ABC7 Chicago. 2018-10-17. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  16. ↑ Cauguiran, Cate (2018-10-15). "Chance the Rapper drives Lyft undercover to raise money for CPS". ABC7 Chicago. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  17. ↑ Duong, Vy (2018-05-24). "UNITY fashion show partners with Chance the Rapper's SocialWorks charity". The Daily Northwestern. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  18. 1 2 3 Rivera, Mark (2018-10-04). "Chance the Rapper pledges $1 million to mental health services in Chicago". ABC7 Chicago. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  19. ↑ Barsanti, Sam. "Chance The Rapper continues to rain money on the city of Chicago". News. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  20. ↑ "Chance the Rapper lending ideas — not just star power — to Amara Enyia campaign". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  21. ↑ "MY STATE OF MIND INITIATIVE IS BUILDING A MENTAL HEALTH GUIDE BOOK FOR COOK COUNTY". thechicagocitizen.com. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  22. 1 2 Terry, Josh. "Chance the Rapper announces Warmest Winter drive to help Chicago's homeless". RedEye Chicago. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  23. ↑ Brophy, Aaron (January 4, 2016). "Chance The Rapper Part of Winter Coat Empowerment Plan To Help Homeless". www.samaritanmag.com. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  24. ↑ "Chicago's Chance The Rapper Joins With Nonprofit To Give Coats To Homeless". NPR.org. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  25. ↑ "Warmest Winter Chicago | SocialWorks". Social Works. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  26. ↑ Roti, Jessi. "Chance the Rapper's SocialWorks teams up with Field Museum for holiday celebration". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  27. 1 2 3 Briscoe, Tony. "Chance the Rapper hosts open mic night". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  28. 1 2 "The Inspiring Story Behind Chance the Rapper And Malcolm London's Open Mike Nights". The FADER. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  29. ↑ Galil, Leor. "RIP Brother Mike, poet and mentor to Chicago's hip-hop scene". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  30. ↑ Marcin, Tim (2017-12-05). "Chance the Rapper gifted Jordan 11s to kids at an open mic event in Chicago". Newsweek. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  31. 1 2 "Chance the Rapper Announces Summer Music Program for Chicago Kids". 2017-06-09. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  32. ↑ "Chance The Rapper, Social Works Launch Black History Film Festival". Vibe. 2018-02-02. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  33. ↑ "The Mix: Cher, 'Evan Hansen' and more cool things to do in Chicago Feb. 8-14". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  34. ↑ Walden, Tiffany. "Updated: Chance the Rapper's new nonprofit hosts a 'Parade to the Polls' on Monday". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
  35. ↑ Roti, Jessi. "Chance the Rapper performs concert, leads march to polls". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
  36. 1 2 "Chance The Rapper's Charity Granted A Chicago School A New Auditorium". UPROXX. 2019-03-30. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.