Local nonprofit and civic leaders gathered on the University of Chicago campus on May 7 for the South Side Strong Summit, now in its third year. Hosted by the Office of Civic Engagement, the forum provided an opportunity for the leaders to take a break from their day-to-day work and make time for building new connections and knowledge-sharing.
The free, day-long event started in 2022 to reconnect non-profit neighbors with each other and the University after the pandemic. This year’s theme, “Connecting Community. Catalyzing Impact,” and the breakout sessions and panel discussions offered throughout the day, aimed to spark new collaborations and, ultimately, accelerate the positive impact participating organizations have in supporting youth, preventing community violence, and building a stronger, more resilient South Side.
During the day’s final fireside chat, Arne Duncan, managing partner at Chicago CRED, noted that April 2025 was Chicago’s safest April in 60 years. In addition, the past three years have brought a year-over-year decrease in Chicago gun violence.
That success is why the South Side Strong Summit was so important, supporters said. To keep the momentum going, South Side nonprofits and the University of Chicago must work together to build partnerships, share knowledge and resources, and continue driving those results – with or without federal dollars.
“This work does nothing if it doesn't humble you. Any of us who think we can do this by ourselves are part of the problem, not part of the solution,” said Duncan who previously served as U.S. Secretary of Education under former President Barack Obama, and as chief executive officer of Chicago Public Schools. “We have to move from what we call individual transformation to neighborhood violence suppression. The only way we can do that is by having sets of nonprofits start to work together in neighborhoods and try to reach a critical mass of those most acutely at risk of shooting or being shot. By every indication, we are starting to do this the right way.”
“There's power in collaboration,” noted Myetie Hamilton, CEO of Leadership Greater Chicago, during the fireside chat. “It’s not about who had the best idea. Let's get our egos out of the way because the throughline is our love for this city and our love for our communities.”
Selwyn O. Rogers, Jr. MD, MPH, founding director of the University of Chicago Medicine Trauma Center, noted that the solution for gun violence in the City of Chicago lies in the community. He agreed a collaborative approach is critical.
“Think of the kids’ game, tug of war. You’ve got to pull together at the same time. It's simple, but the smaller team sometimes wins because they're better coordinated.”
About 150 local nonprofit and civic leaders attended the event. Many of the nonprofits those leaders serve are aimed at local youth, and directly or indirectly are involved in preventing youth violence. The summit featured breakout sessions and panel discussions led by local nonprofit leaders and professional nonprofit consultants. University faculty and staff from UChicago Medicine, UChicago Crime Lab, the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation, the Booth School of Business, the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, and the Harris School of Public Policy also joined. Sessions covered topics ranging from how to build a data-driven culture to the ways organization structure impacts the capacity for growth, and tips on building an engaged nonprofit board.
Throughout the day, many leaders shared concerns about grants that are sunsetting and others that have been lost, which in some cases totals millions of dollars.
Risa Davis, a consultant with expertise on building relationships and solving problems in both the corporate and nonprofit arenas, told audience members they must quickly get comfortable asking for money, and teaching board members how to do the same.
“You are inviting people to invest in what you do,” Davis said, and shouldn’t be embarrassed about that. She suggested nonprofit leaders identify what skills they need in their organizations and seek out friends and family to volunteer.
Christian Mitchell, vice president of civic engagement at the University of Chicago, encouraged nonprofit leaders to work with complimentary groups and thus boost the results for both.
“Acting together can bring more to the table,” Mitchell said.
At the end of the day, that advice seemed to be playing out.
David Day is board chair of 100 Black Men of Chicago, which supports and mentors young African-American men as they prepare for their future education, careers and healthy lives. This was his third year at the summit.
“I’m sharing some of our expertise and experience with others who are here for the first time,” he said.
Day said he will leave with some potential collaborations, too. For example, he hopes to partner with a group that helps young women for joint sessions on etiquette and other interpersonal life skills, he said. He met the director at the summit.
“Our young men need to know how to be gentlemen,” he said.
Late in the day, the mood was still “high energy, inquisitiveness and full-on engagement,” said Sharon Grant, Executive Director of the Community Programs Accelerator in the Office of Civic Engagement. She called the summit “an opportunity for nonprofit and civic leaders to acquire fresh knowledge and practical resources and also fuel each other to drive greater impact.”
Cosette Nazon-Wilburn, executive director and founder of the Love, Unity & Values Institute, said this was her third South Side Strong Summit and she’s learned something valuable at each one.
This year, it was the “power of collaboration,” Nazon-Wilburn said. Another nonprofit executive inspired a new idea for executing her strategic plan, she said. She met other leaders she hopes to work with in the future.
Overall, “as a convenor, I’m starting to think of myself differently,” Nazon-Wilburn said.