Governor JB Pritzker and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton made a special announcement with lawmakers and activists at the Chicago Youth Boxing Club in Chicago. Now $45 million in Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) grant program funding will be available to support community organizations that serve neighborhoods most impacted by economic disinvestment, violence, and the War on Drugs.
Managed by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA), this second round of grant funding is making $40.5 million available for organizations that provide services within the five priority funding areas: civil legal aid, economic development, re-entry from the criminal justice system, violence prevention, and youth development.
Additionally, $4.5 million is 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.
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.
“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).
“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.”
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. To improve small organizations’ access to state funds, ICJIA offers an online, self-guided technical assistance course that covers the application process for state funds and compliance with the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act. ICJIA will also offer several online webinars to provide guidance about specific components of the application for R3 funds. For more information about technical assistance opportunities, visit R3.illinois.gov.
This grant opportunity 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 service.
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.”
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