Latinos Progresando & Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation

The Excellerator Fund is a joint venture developed by Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation and Latinos Progresando to reimagine community investment in Chicago’s Black and Mexican neighborhoods. As the Covid-19 pandemic and the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd were underscoring the depth of inequity being experienced by Chicago’s Black and Mexican communities, the Excellerator Fund was born to bring communities together, uplift Black and Mexican nonprofit leaders, and inspire new ways of doing philanthropy. The initiative features direct unrestricted grants to community based organizations; cross-community convenings and networking opportunities; tailored technical assistance and capacity building for nonprofit leaders; and convenings to inform the broader philanthropic community on the “Excellerator Fund” way. As a five-year community driven grantmaking model, the Excellerator Fund has introduced more than $5 million of direct philanthropic investment in Black and Mexican communities, reaching a total 89 Black and Mexican-led nonprofit organizations.