| Time-Sensitive Announcements |
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| Let Our Elected Officials Hear From You |
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Hey, guys!
Thank you for all the support you have shown IAAFER and Nonprofit Utopia as we advocate for "The Fairest Map Of Them All". We are are on the brink of going where the Chicago Board of Education has never gone before. We need you to act between now and Tuesday, October 24th!
Please contact your state senators and state representatives, and ask them to support IAAFFER's comprehensive mapping proposal for the Chicago Elected Representative School Board and the creation for a Black Student Achievement Committee.
In addition to your own state senators and representatives, please call:
- Senator Robert Martwick-Sponsor, Chicago Elected Representative School Board legislation (217) 782-1035
- Senator Kimberly Lightford-Co-Sponsor, Chicago Elected Representative School Board legislation (217) 782-8505
- Representative Ann Williams-Head of House task force for the Chicago Elected Representative School Board (I don't know the exact title) (217) 782-2458
- Representative Carol Ammons- Joint Chair of Illinois Legislative Black Caucus (217) 558-1009
- Senator Don Harmon-Senate President (217) 782-8176
- Representative Chris Welch-Speaker of the House (217) 782-5350
- If you can't call everyone, please contact Senators Martwick and Lightford.
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| Best regards, |
| Founder, Nonprofit Utopia, LLC |
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| "Teamwork Makes the Dream Work" |
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Thank each and every one of you for the roles you are playing in helping us to gain momentum for our advocacy for equitable implementation of the Chicago Elected Representative School Board. Perhaps you took the time to read our newsletters and emails and forwarded them in your networks. Or, you had an encouraging word to say to give us a second or a third wind. Or you attended an event, signed onto a letter, participated in a radio call-in show, watched a broadcast, put us in touch with public interest law firms, wrote a letter of support, encouraged others to support this work, etcetera. Whatever you did, we thank you.
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Download a copy of this flyer here and post on social media.
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| Thank You To Senator Mattie Hunter and Representative Kam Buckner |
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We thank Senator Mattie Hunter and State Representative Kam Buckner for agreeing to sponsor a trailer bill to create the Black Student Achievement Committee Of the Chicago Board of Education. Please call them and thank them. Senator Hunter's phone number is (217) 782-5966. Representative Buckner's phone number is (217) 782-2023,
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| Thank You To Alderman Jason Ervin, Alderwoman Emma Mitts, Alderman Walter Burnett, Alderman Chris Taliaferro and Alderman David Moore |
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We thank Alderman Jason Ervin, Alderwoman Emma Mitts, Alderman Walter Burnet, Alderman Chris Taliaferro and Alderman David Moore for supporting the IAAFER mapping proposal and the Black Student Achievement committee. As a group, they have provided public testimony in support of our map, shared their own platforms with us, participated in our press conference, introduced a City Council resolution for the City Council Education Committee to host a hearing on the Elected School Board; encouraged their colleagues to support our proposal; provided letters of support to the Legislature, and the list goes on.
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| Thank You To The Westside Black Elected Officials |
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Photo: Alderwoman Emma Mitts. Westside Black Elected Officials Education Summit, May 17, 2018.
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We thank the Westside Black Elected Officials for taking the time to meet with us this morning; for allowing us to participate in their press conference on emergency aid for Westside residents impacted by flooding; prioritizing the elected school board issues as part of their agenda and for lending their wholehearted support for the Illinois African Americans For Equitable Redistricting proposal. The 2-part proposal includes a 10-district map comprised of 5 wards and the creation of a Black Student Achievement Committee to close the Black Achievement Gap for Chicago Public Schools.
Elected officials present for the meeting include Alderwoman Emma Mitts, President (37th Ward); Congressman Danny K. Davis, (7th Congressional District) Secretary; Alderwoman Monique Scott (24th Ward) Alderman Jason Ervin (28th Ward), Alderman Walter Burnett (27th); State Representative Camille Lilly (78th District); State Representative LaShawn K. Ford (8th District); Melissa Conyears Ervin, City Treasurer; Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deer (2nd District)
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| Thank You To Our Elected Officials For Engaging With Us |
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We have engaged with a number of elected officials to share our proposal, through meetings and/or panel discussions. Here is a list, in formation, and it will grow.
Aldermen
- Alderman Walter Burnett
- Alderman Jason Ervin
- Alderwoman Maria Hadden
- Alderwoman Michelle Harris
- Alderwoman Emma Mitts
- Alderman David Moore
- Alderwoman Monique Scott
- Alderman Chris Taliaferro
- Alderman Desmon Yancy
City Treasurer
- Melissa Conyears Ervin, Treasurer, City of Chicago
State Senators
- Senator Lakesia Collins
- Senator Mattie Hunter
- Senator Robert Martwick
- Senator Robert Peters
- Senator Elgie Sims
State Representatives
- Representative Kam Buckner
- Representative LaShawn Ford
- Representative Camille Y. Lilly
- Representative Ryan Spain
- Representative Ann Williams
Cook County Commissioners
Congressmen
- Congressman Danny K. Davis
- Congressman Jonathan Jackson
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| IAAFER Written Testimony To The Illinois Senate Special Committee On Chicago ERSB |
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IAAFER was invited to present our mapping proposal to the Illinois Senate Special Committee On the Chicago Elected Representative School Board October 3rd and October 12th. On October 3rd, we discussed boundaries. On October 12th, we discussed the transition to a fully elected school board. Members of our coalition who presented oral remarks include
- Karl Brinson, President, Chicago Westside NAACP
- Natasha Dunn, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Black Community Collaborative
- Nicole Johnson, Educator, Journalist and Founder of Nicole Johnson.com
- Valerie F. Leonard, Co-Founder, IAAFER
- Dwayne Truss, Former Member of the Chicago Board of Education
You can download our written testimony here.
We were super excited to have 4 members of Educators For Excellence support us as well. This includes
- Corrina Demma, Organizer, Educators for Excellence
- Mark Franklin, Teacher, Chicago Public Schools
- Corinne Lydon, Teacher, Chicago Public Schools
- Devon Pucciarello-Teacher, Chicago Public Schools
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| Next Legislative Steps for the ERSB |
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| Why Not Draw Maps Based On the Number of Children in CPS? |
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There is a growing debate around whether or not to draw Chicago's Elected Representative School Board districts based on the number of schools and children enrolled in Chicago Public Schools. While this is a noble goal, we do not believe that maps drawn around children and schools would stand legal muster. Drawing maps based on who has the most children in Chicago Public schools would give outsized power to some groups and infringe on voting rights of other groups through underrepresentation.
We believe our methodology results in the fairest mapping proposal of the alternatives we have seen, as it provides equal opportunity for all Chicago voters to elect candidates of choice, regardless of their race, or where they live. Our map is also drawn to statistically provide one vote per person.
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| Raise Your Hand Supports Black Student Achievement Committee |
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We thank Raise Your Hand for supporting the Black Student Achievement Committee proposal. Here is a copy of their statement outlining support.
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| Please Share A Letter of Support to Educators for Excellence |
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IAAFER and Nonprofit Utopia are supporting Educators For Excellence's advocacy for amending the law governing Chicago's Elected School Board to include provisions for campaign finance reform and compensation for members of the Chicago Board of Education. These measures will help level the playing field by reducing the influence of moneyed special interest groups on election outcomes and by removing the financial barriers to serving on the Chicago Board of Education for candidates of modest means. Here is the link to download the form letter.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EOvHSmZLdvKrhc562Dtiy45Y1mGDx48X1tqe9FSChNQ/edit?usp=sharing
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I would like to take the time to acknowledge and thank our core leadership team for all that they have done and continue to do.
- Karl Brinson, President, Chicago Westside Branch NAACP
- Natasha Dunn, Founder and Executive Director, Black Community Collaborative
- Lafayette Ford, Retired LSC Specialist, Chicago Public Schools
- Nicole J. Johnson, Educator, Journalist and Founder, Nicole J. Johnson.com
- Gerald Morrow, Former Principal, Dunbar High School
- Dwayne Truss, Former Member, Chicago Board of Education
- Craig Wimberly, President, Coalition of African American Leaders (COAL)
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| Partnering And Supportive Organizations |
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- We also want to thank partnering organizations, including Educators For Excellence and Raise Your Hand, for your unwavering support. You have helped us to expand our reach to a diverse audience of parents, teachers and elected officials. We also thank the Illinois State Conference NAACP for their advocacy, advice and sharing resources with us.
- We thank Kids First Chicago, for maintaining an open dialogue on critical issues concerning the Chicago Elected Representative School Board.
- We thank Westside Health Authority for supporting our press conference, inviting us to speak to their members and their ongoing support of our cause.
- We thank Educational Village Keepers for their support of this work in its formative stages.
- We thank the National Black Agenda Consortium Chicago (NBAC Chicago) for prioritizing this work and mobilizing the community.
- We thank Operation Neighborhood Safety for their advocacy, mobilization and letters of support.
- We thank the Overton Group Consultants for their policy advocacy and supporting our proposals
- We thank the West Side Chamber of Commerce for giving us an audience with their members during a recent meeting.
- We thank Sankofa Safe Child Initiative for their support and for providing us an audience during a recent meeting.
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Signatories to May 25th Letter to Illinois Legislature
- Tina Augustus, Member, Illinois African Americans for Equitable Redistricting
- Clifton Ballard, Founder, Dreamchasers United, NFP
- Matt Brandon, President, Operation Neighborhood Safety
- Karl Brinson, President, Chicago Westside NAACP
- Apriel Campbell, Founder, The Ivy Group
- Michael Cannon, Founder, C.A.N.D.O.R. Enterprises, NFP
- Rosita Chatonda, Founder, CAUSE
- Bernard Clay, Executive Director, Introspect Youth Services
- Willie Cole, Member, Illinois African Americans for Equitable Redistricting
- Cecile DeMello, Executive Director, Teamwork Englewood
- Michelle Dinneen-White, Founder, Play Smart Literacy
- Audrey Dunford, Founder, Be Aud
- Natasha Dunn, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Black Community Collaborative
- Christyn S. Freemon
- Mary Russell Gardner, President, Urban Technicians, LLC, Resident, Austin Community
- Rev. Walter C. Harris, Pastor, Carey Tercentenary AME Church
- Nicole Jeanine Johnson, The Lotus Lair
- Joyce Lane, Resident, Bronzeville
- Valerie F. Leonard, Co-Founder, Illinois African Americans for Equitable Redistricting
- Essie Leonard, Retired Educator, Chicago Public Schools
- Brian Mullins, Founder, Brian Mullins, Citizens for Civic Education, Co-Founder, Black Community Collaborative
- Nonprofit Utopia, LLC
- Crystal Overton, The Overton Group Consultants
- Dr. Carmen Palmer, PhD, Founder, Educational Village Keepers (EDVK)
- Tanesha Peeples, Executive Director, The Roots Initiative, Co-Founder, Black Community Collaborative
- Mattie J. Phillips, BA, MACM, DD, Senior Pastor, Jesus Word Center Church
- Nachelle Pugh, Co-Founder,John Walt Foundation
- Tumia Romero, Resident, Austin Community
- Queen V. ShaRize, Executive Director, BLACK - Building Leadership And Community Knowledge
- Gloria Smith, Executive Director, the Black Star Project
- Ruby Taylor, Executive Director, Taproots
- Cata Truss, Resident, Austin Community
- Dwayne Truss, Resident, Austin Community
- Karen Cecile Wallace, Kenwood Oakland Community
- Tawana Watts, Founder, BeBe’s Ark
- Kenneth Wesbrooks Founder and Chairman A Work of Faith Ministries, Inc.
- Audrey L. Woodley, Founder, Changing Oasis, Inc.
- Wanda Wright, President South West Area Civic League
Letters of Support, August, 2023
- Black Star Project
- Bright Leadership Institute
- Carey Tercentenary AME Church
- Chicago Alliance of Urban School Educators (CAUSE)
- Chicago LAMP
- Chicago Westside Branch NAACP
- Chicago Westside Chamber of Commerce
- Christian Association of Business (CAB)
- Coalition of African American Leaders (COAL)
- Community Renewal Society (CRS)
- Educators For Excellence (E4E)
- Habilitative Systems, Inc. (HSI)
- Hey Benji Foundation
- Illinois State Conference NAACP
- Lawndale AMACHI Mentoring Program (Chicago LAMP)
- Light Up Lawndale
- The Monroe Foundation
- Alderman David Moore
- NEBC Employment Resources Services (NEBC-ERS)
- Nonprofit Utopia, LLC
- North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN)
- Operation Neighborhood Safety (ONS)
- The Overton Group Consultants
- Pier C. Rogers, PhD
- Root 2 Fruit
- Sankofa Safe Child Initiative
- South Merrill Community Garden/ Genesis Cooperative
- Alderman Christopher Taliaferro
- Taproots, Inc.
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| Media and Public Relations |
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We thank COAL for inviting us to serve on a panel during their recent power breakfast.
We also thank the following persons and organizations for giving us an audience and getting the word out
- Trey Arline, Reporter, Block Club Chicago
- Atiba Buchanan, Creator/Co-Host of The Buchanan & Darlene Hill Show, WVON Radio
- Brad Cummings, Editor, The Austin Voice
- Chicago Defender
- Brandis Freidman, Host, Chicago Tonight
- Hurley Green III, Publisher, Chicago Independent Bulletin
- Sarah Karp, Education Reporter, WBEZ
- Isaac Lewis, Publisher, North Lawndale Community News
- Suzanne McBride, Editor, AustinTalks
- Blair Paddock, Reporter, Chicago Tonight
- Vicky Vevea, Bureau Chief, Chalkbeat, Chicago
- Nicole Johnson, Founder, Nicole Johnson.com
- Igor Studenkov, Staff Reporter, Austin Weekly News
- Cassandra West, Assistant Managing Editor, Crain's Chicago Business
- Rufus Williams, Host, The WVON Morning Show With Rufus Williams
- Rev. Dr. Janette Wilson, Esq. National Director of Education PUSH Excel
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| IAAFER Chicago Elected School Board Town Hall Meeting Video |
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| Chicago Tonight, October 10, 2023 |
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Chicago Tonight held a panel discussion on the Chicago Elected Representative School Board. Here is a link to the October 10th episode. You will see the segment on the elected school board around 4:20 into the video.
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| On Track With Nonprofit Utopia |
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Starting this month, we will be offering our content based on membership tracks, rather than solely focusing on a single content area per month. We have three tracks:
1. Starting A New Organization
2. Managing An Organization
3. Fundraising and Resource Development
Depending on the track you choose, we will take you on guided journey to help you meet specific goals and objectives. If you are a Nonprofit Utopia member, please check into the community to check out our offerings for the week.
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Nonprofit Utopia is the ideal community for emerging nonprofit leaders who want to start, manage and scale their organizations. We have created a safe environment in which our members can innovate, speak candidly about the issues and concerns they face on a daily basis, and share ideas and resources.
In preparation for the inevitable transfer of leadership from Baby Boomers to Millennials , we are being intentional about creating an environment within which more experienced leaders and emerging leaders can share knowledge and lessons learned that will elevate the discourse in the nonprofit sector in general, while helping you to strengthen your organization in particular.
Every month, we focus on a specific topic of interest with learning objectives and content that will help our members meet the learning objectives. We have developed a content calendar with specific activities and assignments, assessment tools, videos, discussions and other resources. Members who are able to document the fact that they have completed all assignments and participated in the activities will receive a certificate of completion from Nonprofit Utopia.
You can learn more about us at https://nonprofitutopia.mn.co and www.nonprofitutopia.com.
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Hi, I’m Valerie Leonard. I am the founder of Nonprofit Utopia, LLC, where I facilitate an online community, provide leadership coaching and consulting services. I am the host and producer of the Nonprofit Utopia Podcast, inviting nonprofit thought leaders to share lessons learned and the latest developments in the nonprofit sector.
I have been working with nonprofit organizations for over 20 years, in some form or fashion. In one life, I was a financial analyst, helping the CFO of a major hospital system arrange nearly $120 million in bond financings to cover major expansion projects. In another life I was the founding executive director of a small neighborhood grantmaking organization, using small grants to help residents develop the leadership skills they needed to take control of their economic environment. I was also instrumental in bringing the first comprehensive community planning process to the North Lawndale community on Chicago's West Side, recruiting the leadership team and developing critical infrastructure. I have leveraged those experiences and lessons learned to launch my own consulting practice, where I help nonprofit leaders to improve their own skills while guiding their organizations to sustainability.
I help nonprofit leaders move the needle on some of their most pressing problems. I help them find the answers to questions like, “How do I start a new organization and stay out of trouble?” “Where can I find good board members who will buy into the organization’s mission and help raise money?” “ How can we put together a collaborative of other organizations so that we can do more for the community while building our own organizations?” “How can we raise more money?” Over the years, I have helped over 950 people meet their professional goals, and raise over $100 million through grant writing and technical assistance.
I also teach courses in nonprofit management and social enterprise at local universities, giving students the tools they need to immediately apply their learning to their own situations. I’ve been a pretty engaged citizen, working on several social justice issues surrounding education and school improvement; equitable community development and the importance of the Census and how it impacts our everyday lives.
Enough about me. I would love the opportunity to speak with you further and explore the possibilities of working together. Email me at valeriefleonard@nonprofitutopia.com to get started.
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