Our Guiding Principles

Why and how we do our work is as important as what we do. At Polk Bros. Foundation, we are always guided by our beliefs and commitment to:

Purpose

We take seriously our responsibility to Chicago and to all the people who live here. Transformational impact requires our commitment, ingenuity and courage.

Community. We are all in this together. What happens to one of us affects us all. Change begins when we listen to, elevate, and celebrate the experience and work of the individuals and communities most impacted by poverty and inequity.
Equity. Everyone deserves to achieve their potential. However, opportunity can only be fully available when we join with others to directly and intentionally address the effects and causes of structural racism, economic inequity and social disparities.
Urgency. At its core, our work is about helping improve people’s lives. For this reason, we must be driven boldly to action, to push toward the Chicago that everyone deserves. By supporting the provision of critical services that people need now and concurrently investing in efforts to transform the systems that cause inequities, we can make the deepest impact.

Partnership

By working together across neighborhoods and issues and sectors, Chicagoans are helping make our city a place where all people have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Joining and championing the efforts of the organizations and communities with which we partner —using all the tools at our disposal, including grants, assets, communications, collaborations and network-building — is our focus.

Respect and Trust. We are guided by the knowledge that we are privileged to do this work. We have the utmost respect for the wisdom and expertise of our nonprofit partners, and we are energized by the opportunity to learn from them.
Creativity. We are willing to think differently, invest in inspired ideas and approaches and take informed risks.
Integrity and Accountability. We hold ourselves to the highest standards for our work, and support nonprofits who set similar standards for themselves – and for us.
Heart. With a sense of compassion, as well as joy and hope, we can be more effective, become better partners and find purpose in this serious work.

Our Focus

We believe real change happens when the conditions shaping people’s lives change. To shift these conditions, we fund community-rooted approaches across three connected goals: Closing the Life Expectancy Gap; Building Community Wealth, Across Generations; and Fostering Participatory, Multiracial Democracy.

Learn About Our Focus

Our Grantmaking

Our grantmaking is grounded in our guiding principles including respect, trust and accessibility. We know it takes real time and effort to apply for funding, so we try to keep early steps as simple as possible and only ask for a full proposal when there’s a strong likelihood of alignment.

Learn More About Our Grantmaking