Check out the latest insights from our program team and grantees.
Grantees
Ron OJ Parson
Acclaimed director/actor Ron OJ Parson is in a season of radical reflection. In a 50-year career that most creatives dream of, Parson has become one of the nation’s pre-eminent theater directors. Learn more about his work here.

We the People of Detroit
We the People of Detroit is a grantee partner of Joyce’s Environment Program. Learn more about the organization here.

They Got NEXT — Chicago Sinfonietta Celebrates 35 Years
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chicago Sinfonietta, like so many organizations, was forced to reimagine itself, pivoting programming and performances to a fully virtual space.
Grantee
Chicago Sinfonietta

Congo Square Play Promotes Healing, Catharsis in Chicago
Congo Square Theatre is an ensemble dedicated to producing transformative work rooted in the African Diaspora. For 20 years it has committed to telling stories by and for Black people.
Grantee
Congo Square Theatre Company

Building collective power through research
Black Researchers Collective was founded in 2019 with a mission to train and equip communities with the research tools necessary to be more civically engaged and policy informed.
Grantee
Black Researchers Collective

The nation’s first Black arts museum
South Side Community Art Center is the nation’s first Black arts museum that develops and showcases some of the nation’s most influential Black artists.
Grantee
South Side Community Art Center
All Insights
-
Content Type
-
Programs
Investing in Governance and Management Can Make Violence Reduction Efforts Successful
An action research and practice agenda to clarify the challenges and opportunities inherent to implementing, managing and governing community violence intervention (CVI) work in cities.
Debt Collection Disproportionately Impacts, Creates Greater Inequity for MI Residents
This week, the Justice for All Commission (JFAC) released a comprehensive report on debt collection lawsuits across Michigan.
Toward a Fair and Just Response to Gun Violence: Recommendations to Advance Policy, Practice and Research
Report with recommendations to advance policy, practice and research by a group of experts convened by the Joyce Foundation beginning in 2019 under the banner “Toward a Fair and Just Response to Gun Violence.”

Examining inequitable water debt in Chicago
Report by grantees Elevate and Metropolitan Planning Council examined millions of residential water bills from 2015-2020. The City of Chicago Water Affordability Analysis found that the lowest income households are the most burdened with high water bills.

Lead in school drinking water
New Joyce-funded report by NASBE and Elevate on how states are dealing with the issue of lead in school drinking water and offers recommendations on how to improve.
$120 million a year would close gun violence research gap
According to a new report, closing the gun violence information gap will require the federal government investing significantly more in resources towards conducting research and collecting comprehensive, transparent data.

Building Bridges to Post-secondary Success in Minnesota
A group of education and workforce leaders in Minnesota released a report with a comprehensive set of recommendations to ensure that more young people earn a post-secondary degree or credential.
100 Critical Questions for Gun Violence Research
The Joyce Foundation released a new report in January 2021 on the next generation of gun violence prevention research, identifying new paths of inquiry into reducing gun deaths and injuries in America.
A Disconnect in Gun Violence Beliefs
A contradiction appears to stand in the way of Minnesota enacting effective gun safety measures: voters overwhelmingly support stronger gun laws, but aren’t convinced they work.

Op-Ed: Prioritize All College Students, Not Just the Wealthy
The economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic makes it imperative that we address the deep racial disparities in American higher education, even as it worsens our divides and complicates the solutions.
Top Public Colleges Losing Ground in Racial Equity
10 steps recommended to improve poor enrollment trends for Black and Latino students
Toxic Threat in Federally Assisted Housing
New study reveals widespread exposure to Superfund sites, decades of environmental racism.
Building Toward a Fair and Just Response to Gun Violence
The Joyce Foundation’s Gun Violence Prevention & Justice Reform Program pursues a mission of building safe and just communities, focused on preventing gun violence before it occurs with a holistic approach.
Public Support for Firearms Licensing Found to be Strong, Widespread
The Joyce Foundation has a long history of funding research to understand what policies are most effective in reducing gun violence in our communities.
25 Years of Gun Violence Prevention Research Grant Making
In 1993, Joyce launched the Gun Violence Program (now known as the Gun Violence Prevention & Justice Reform Program), grounded in our belief that gun violence must be treated as a public health issue, and focused on evidence-informed policies.
Solutions to America's Gun Violence Epidemic - Academic Researchers Weigh In
More than 110,000 Americans are killed or injured by guns every year in community violence, mass shootings, domestic violence, suicides, and accidents.