GoodCity

For 25 years, Goodcity, located on Chicago’s West Side has been providing emerging entrepreneurs and community leaders with the training and knowledge to implement innovative, creative and necessary programs in the city’s underserved neighborhoods. Through Goodcity’s stewardship, the next generation of green entrepreneurs will use environmental sustainability to support neighborhood businesses. New businesses have opened in Englewood. Organizations are helping Chicagoans fight diabetes, support those who have lost loved ones to violence and ex-offenders get a leg up. To provide budding leaders and entrepreneurs with the knowledge and tools they need to be successful, Goodcity identifies and supports local residents who seek to create or enhance neighborhood and faith-based programs that promote self-sufficiency, hope and a sense of purpose in the lives of individuals in under-resourced communities. Goodcity then offers in-depth training, mentoring and milestone-based funding to support emerging leaders and their projects. Goodcity’s service to the community goes beyond helping individuals reach their potential. It has established partnerships and initiatives that touch on all aspects of the community, from education and faith-based programs to financial counseling and construction assistance. Goodcity continues to be a beacon of hope and an invaluable resource to Chicagoans looking to make a difference. For the unique and vital services it provides to individuals and groups in some of Chicago’s most distressed areas, Goodcity is the 2011 recipient of the CNDA Special Recognition Award.