Our Members

Communities United (Formerly Albany Park Neighborhood Council or APNC) is a broad based community organization that unites 27 member institutions including faith institutions, ethnic associations, schools, and universities in Albany Park, Belmont Cragin, Irving Park, North Park, and West Ridge. These areas encompass the most diverse communities in the city. As a result of the diversity and large immigrant populations, these neighborhoods face a unique set of issues and problems. CU engages over 15,000 residents yearly through its individual and institutional membership. The organization’s leaders have been relentless in their pursuit of justice for their communities, leading and participating in successful city, state, and national alliances around the issues of housing, health care, immigrant rights, education, and youth rights. www.communitiesunited.org

Enlace Chicago is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of the residents of the Little Village Community by fostering a physically safe and healthy environment in which to live and by championing opportunities for educational advancement and economic development. Their preventative and proactive approach strengthens their families, neighborhood, and thereby, the whole city. Through the four program areas of Education, Violence Prevention, Cultural Enrichment, and Economic Development, Enlace Chicago directly serves more than 5,000 youth and adults. The organization’s impact reaches well beyond this number and benefits our entire community of nearly 100,000 residents by creating opportunities and resources throughout the neighborhood. www.enlacechicago.org

HANA Center Launched in February 2017, HANA Center (HANA) is a strategic merger within the Korean American community of Korean American Community Services (KACS, founded 1972) and Korean American Resource and Cultural Center (KRCC, founded 1995). HANA integrates KACS’ history of responding to the critical needs of the Korean American and local immigrant communities and KRCC’s track record of dynamic, culturally-rooted community organizing and leadership development. HANA means “one” in the Korean language, symbolizing unity and wholeness, forming a critical force to build a strong and active community. HANA Center focuses on developing the leadership of the most vulnerable community members, which includes low-income, limited English proficient, undocumented immigrants, youth, women, seniors, LGBTQ+ people, and adoptees. Led by a strong base and leadership, HANA Center is committed to mobilizing community power to achieve social, economic, and racial justice.

Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) is driven by the spiritual ideals of community service, social justice and human compassion. IMAN fosters a dynamic and vibrant space for Muslims in Urban America by inspiring the larger community towards critical civic engagement exemplifying prophetic compassion in the work for social justice and human dignity beyond the barriers of religion, ethnicity, and nationality. They serve and empower disadvantaged individuals and communities through direct service, organizing and social justice, and arts and culture. www.imancentral.org

Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO): KOCO’s organizing agenda is directly informed by its constituency, the low-income and working families within the North Kenwood, Oakland, and its adjacent communities. KOCO’s organizing approach engages residents in identifying the issues that they want to see addressed, and facilitating the planning, strategizing and training opportunities to aid residents in addressing issues. Through the sustained engagement of low-income and working families, KOCO develops multi-generational leaders who impact decision-making process and public policies, improving the quality of life in our local communities. KOCO is a membership-driven organization. www.kocoonline.org

Lugenia Burns Hope Center was founded in 1994 by the now President Barack Obama and Centers for New Horizon’s CEO, Dr. Sokoni Karanja. It was founded as a leadership development and organizing institute. Our mission is to develop the civic engagement of residents in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, and other communities, through education, leadership development and community organizing. The community development is done by developing the community’s most precious asset, its people. www.lbhopecenter.com

P.A.S.O. – West Suburban Action Project is a community-based social justice organization that works to engage community members to act through their faith and values to address issues that affect them, their families, and neighbors with the mission to build stronger communities where all residents can live dignified lives regardless of their race, socioeconomic or immigration status. P.A.S.O was founded on a core belief that ordinary people, directly affected, have the power to make extraordinary change by acting collectively with others and putting into action their values and faith. P.A.S.O is currently an institution-based organization serving in West County Suburbs in the areas of Melrose Park, Stone Park, Maywood, Bellwood, Northlake and Franklin Park. www.pasoaction.org

TARGET Area Development Corporation is an intergenerational and regional grassroots social justice organization that works in partnership with low-to-moderate income communities to build power and capacity to solve stubborn urban problems. Using research, organizing, mobilization, and education (ROME) strategies, Target Area seeks to fulfill its mission to build the capacity of residents to solve those problems on multiple issues such as public safety, criminal justice reform and education. The strategy to accomplish the work is accomplished through coalition efforts, demonstration projects, public education and advocacy campaigns. By building strong relationships with organizations and individuals across non-traditional lines, including ethnic, religious, income, business, and geographic issue areas Target Area envisions building vibrant thriving communities in which all residents gain access to social and financial equity. Target Area primarily serves the following Southside communities: Auburn Gresham, Englewood, West Englewood, Greater Grand Crossing and also includes some Westside communities like East Garfield Park and others. www.targetarea.org