In July 2020, the Office of Violence Reduction in partnership with the Chicago Community Trust and Chicago’s philanthropy community launched Let’s Link Chi, a small grants fund designed to engage communities in cultivating safe, accessible places where neighbors can assume ownership and promote positive activities. It is intended to enhance longer-term and larger efforts to address the problem of gun violence. Let’s Link Chi is a key component of the Mayor’s Office focus on supporting the people and communities most impacted by violence. Other components include street outreach, victim services, support for high-risk youth, and trauma-informed training.

The three pillars of the Let’s Link Chi are:

• Activating public spaces changes individual and collective perceptions leading to new social norms.
• Activities that promote physical exercise, mindfulness and social-emotional skills increase resiliency.
• Consistency in activating spaces over time makes them safe, accessible and places where neighbors can assume ownership.

Let’s Link Chi offers rapid-response grant opportunities designed to support activities by nonprofit organizations that subscribe to these pillars, promoting cohesion, safety and peace in neighborhoods. It is a direct response to the many people and grassroots organizations that are taking on-the-ground action in their neighborhoods.

Community areas with Let's Link CHI partners