African American Legacy
Advancing philanthropy and empowerment in the African American community since 2003.
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$4.5+ Million
Dollars Granted
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250
Grant Recipients
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600+
Active Donors
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500+
Organizations Impacted
Open Call 2024:
Request for Proposals
African American Legacy (AAL) is accepting applications for its 2024 grant cycle beginning on Friday, April 5, 2024.
This is an open call RFP opportunity. Organizations based in the city of Chicago, Cook County, and the five collar counties (Will, Lake, DuPage, McHenry, and Kane) that are Black-led and Black-serving with a focus on Community & Civic Engagement, Mental Health, Wealth Creation, Arts & Sciences Education, or Environmental Justice are invited to apply. See below for details.
Deadline to apply is Monday, May 13, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. CT.
A virtual informational session was held on Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. CT. The session was recorded and can be viewed at the link below.
AAL is also offering Peer Clinics with AAL grants consultant Consuella Brown. These clinics will be an hour long and will take place online. You can register for these sessions by clicking the links in the text below.
- Budget & Financial Information | Monday, May 6 at 10:00 a.m. CT
- Narrative Discussion | Tuesday, April 23 at 12:00 p.m. CT
- Open Dialogue Sessions | Thursday, April 25 at 11:00 a.m. CT and 2:00 p.m. CT.
AAL’s 20th Anniversary:
Reaching Back, Giving Forward
African American Legacy, an initiative of The Chicago Community Trust, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary honoring the vision and legacy of AAL’s founding members and supporters, two decades of impact, and hope for AAL’s future. Learn more.
Grantmaking in Chicago
Since its founding in 2003 as an initiative of The Chicago Community Trust, African American Legacy (AAL) has granted nearly $4 million to numerous nonprofit organizations with innovative ideas for impact. AAL provides support to nonprofit organizations that work at the grassroots level to educate and engage communities, and to provide neighborhood-based services and solutions addressing community problems.
2023 Grant Recipients
Advisory Board Members
Kimberly A. Casey, Chair | Kafi Moragne-Patterson |
Natashia Holmes, Vice Chair | Claude Robinson |
Inger Burnett-Ziegler | Nicole Robinson |
Janice Evans | Mironda Ross |
Glenn Eden | Steven Shaw |
Tyrone Forman | Alex Sims |
Denitra Griffin | Shawn Smith-Robinson |
Sequane Lawrence | Sarah Ware |
Jawanza Malone |
Life Directors
Brenda Asare | Marguerite Griffin |
Daniel Ash | Suzanne Griffith |
Claudette Baker | Deborah Harrington |
Andreason Brown | Loann Honesty King |
Julian Coleman | Diane Latiker |
Carol Crenshaw | Robert McGhee |
Amina Dickerson | Mary Patillo |
Rebecca Ford-Terry | Shawnelle Richie |
Denise Gardner | Baronica Roberson |
Corliss Garner | Melody Spann-Cooper |
Graham Grady |
Questions?
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Give to AAL
African American Legacy activates an engaged network of community leaders who share the common goal of improving the quality of life of African Americans in Chicago through the power of collective giving, community engagement, and grant making.
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