CHICAGO, Ill. (WAND)—Governor JB Pritzker and Lt. Governor Julianna Stratton announce $45 million being rewarded to Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) program.
Pritzker and Stratton made the announcement on Wednesday, providing the extra funding to support community organizations that serve neighborhoods most impacted by economic disinvestment, violence, and the war on drugs.
$40.5 million of this latest grant will go towards organizations who provide service within the five priority funding areas: civil legal aid, economic development, re-entry from the criminal justice system, violence prevention, and youth development, with the left over $4.5 million available for capacity-building grants to help small organizations expand.
Organizations interested in applying for funding can review the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) at R3.Illinois.gov.
“As we launch applications for the second round of R3 grants, I know our recipients will keep transforming lives with their work, and in turn transform our cities and state. Because when we reinvest in the potential of our people, we invite the economic activity that creates resiliency,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “When we renew hope in communities historically left out, we inspire the next generation to pursue a brighter future. And in public service, that is our obligation.”
Created by the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act which Governor Pritzker signed into law in 2019, the R3 program is funded using 25% of adult-use cannabis tax revenue.
R3 is a key component of the Pritzker-Stratton administration’s commitment to equity and repairing the severe harms caused by the failed war on drugs, which disproportionately hurt communities of color.
“R3 epitomizes one of the key tenets of restorative justice, that the wisdom is in the room,” said Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton. “Solutions to the challenges that our neighborhoods face can be found in those very communities, and R3 seeks to invest in organizations that have the closest ties to the communities they serve.”
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) identified the areas eligible for funding, using community-level data on gun injury, child poverty, unemployment, and state prison commitments and returns, combined with disproportionately impacted areas.
Of the available funds, 75% will be dedicated to organizations that have been in operation for less than five years or have a budget of less than $2 million.
The ICJIA offers an online, self-guided technical assistance course, to help improve small organizations’ access to state funds.
For more information about technical assistance opportunities, visit R3.illinois.gov.
“As we work to distribute this next round of funding, we continue to prioritize equity-centered grant making and ensure much-needed resources are distributed fairly and efficiently,” said ICJIA Acting Executing Director Delrice Adams. “We also recognize our responsibility to provide technical assistance to build community and organizational capacity within small organizations, not only to apply for and access grant funding, but also to manage those funds successfully in alignment with the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act. Technical assistance is crucial to local programs working to achieve their goals.”
“As one of the first states to legalize cannabis for recreational use through the legislative process, it was imperative that we put equity at the forefront of the law,” said State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin). “The R3 grant programs are an important way that we are addressing the harmful effects of the war on drugs, inequities in incarceration and gun violence.”
The latest grant builds upon previous R3 funding that distributed $35 million to 80 grantees and their partner organizations. All executed first-round grants will be renewed for an additional year to ensure continuity of services as the state continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the organizations funded in the first round, the Chicago Youth Boxing Club, received $40,000 to provide youth development programming in Chicago’s South Lawndale community.
“I would like to thank the R3 grant program and everyone that is involved with making sure that organizations like Chicago Youth Boxing Club are opened for a long time for youth like me,” said 17-year-old Zahid Salgado. “It has made a difference in my life and I am proud it is in my community.”
