Check out the latest insights from our program team and grantees.
Grantees

Fresh Energy: A Midwest Climate Advocacy Leader
Minnesota-based Fresh Energy has been a leader in climate advocacy for more than 30 years, playing a significant role in what it calls “speeding Minnesota and the Midwest’s transition to a clean energy economy.”
Grantee
Fresh Energy
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
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Programs
Looking Back to Look Ahead: Leveraging Federal Stimulus Investments & Advancing Equitable Recovery
Since 2020, Joyce has invested nearly $8 million across 40 grants in federal economic stimulus-related efforts. Learn more about them 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.
Environmental Advocates Celebrate as Minnesota Pledges to become 100% Carbon-Free
Minnesota becomes the 22nd state nationwide to commit to 100 percent carbon-free electricity—a victory for Great Lakes region environmental and environmental justice organizations that, for many years, advocated for such policy.
Two Great Lakes States Launch Data Dashboards to Report Violent Deaths & Develop Prevention Strategies
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently launched MiDVRS and MNDVRS presenting data collected by the NVDRS, the most comprehensive source of data on violent deaths.
Joyce Mourns Director Emeritus Gov. Tony Earl
The Joyce Foundation mourns the passing of former Wisconsin Governor Tony Earl, a committed environmental steward and proponent of democratic principles in Wisconsin and throughout the Great Lakes region.

A Year at EPA: Lessons Learned
Environment Program Co-Director Elizabeth Cisar recently returned to the Foundation after serving an 18-month stint as a senior advisor in the Office of Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Kayce Ataiyero explains why the road to knowledge is a two-way street
Kayce Ataiyero discusses her leadership style, and the importance of teamwork and authenticity.
Source
Rolling Out
Why Representation and Accessibility Matter: A Conversation with Kayce Ataiyero, hosted by Chanda Smith Baker
Kayce Ataiyero discusses her journalism background and current leadership in philanthropy, and why both sectors must create a better environment for people of color to thrive and ascend.
Source
Minneapolis Foundation
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.

Joyce Democracy Grantees Ramp Up Great Lakes Voter Education, Protection Efforts
Democracy nonpartisan organizations working to get out the vote in Great Lakes region.
Crain's 2022 Notable Black Leaders and Executives
Crain's Chicago Business features Kayce Ataiyero as one of the 2022 Notable Black Leaders and Executives. Kayce Ataiyero is the Chief External Affairs Officer at the Joyce Foundation..
Source
Crain's Chicago Business
How a Philanthropic Bet on Violence Intervention Is Winning Public Dollars
State, local, and city agencies are investing about $150 million this year in a variety of community violence-intervention strategies that philanthropy is road-testing. Read more about how the Joyce Foundation and others are stepping in to fund CVI work.
Source
The Chronicle of Philanthropy

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
University of Michigan Releases National Framework to Measure Energy Equity
The Energy Equity Project (EEP) at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability recently released the first national framework to comprehensively measure and advance energy equity.
Media Impact Funders spotlights The Joyce Foundation
Joyce Foundation’s Kayce Ataiyero (Chief External Affairs Officer) and Hugh Dellios (Journalism Senior Program Officer) discuss the Foundation's strategy behind the Journalism grantmaking portfolio.
Source
Media Impact Funders
Joyce Foundation continues to meet the needs of communities during the pandemic with its Lend a Hand Fund
Highlighting Joyce's Lend a Hand Fund–With an average grant amount of $25,000, the fund has assisted 37 community organizations since its inception in 2020.
Source
Chicago Tribune