MacArthur annual grants go to 9 nonprofits

A union for self-employed women in India, a group that studies sociology in Russia, and a Chicago think-tank that runs a popular car-sharing service are among the winners of this year's MacArthur Foundation grants for nonprofit organizations.

Winners of the "Award for Creative and Effective Institutions," announced Tuesday by the Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, receive a check for up to $650,000 -- a major windfall for the groups that all have annual budgets between $200,000 and $5 million. Recipients don't apply for the funding; instead the foundation asks members of its existing stable of more than 1,000 grantees to submit proposals, then surprises winners.

A grant of $650,000 will go to the Center for Neighborhood Technology, a Chicago nonprofit that researches and launches projects with economic and environmental benefits for urban areas, including I-Go, a car-sharing service with 200 vehicles and 12,000 members.

The 30-year-old company will use the MacArthur funds to increase its outreach, chief executive officer Kathryn Tholin said.

"What we're all about is making cities work for the benefit of people who live in them and health of the planet," she said. "We couldn't be more excited that the MacArthur Foundation has recognized us, but more importantly the award highlights issues we've been working on."

The MacArthur Foundation is a private, independent group that hands out about $260 million in grants each year. It's also known for its so-called "genius grants" of $500,000 given to unsuspecting recipients each year, no strings attached.

This is the fourth year the foundation has awarded the nonprofit grants. Over the past year, MacArthur's endowment has dipped to about $5.2 billion from $7 billion, but the foundation has a commitment to continuing the awards, said president Jonathan Fanton.

"These are organizations that have the courage to push the boundaries of what is possible," he said. "They're all organizations that have determination, fierce energy, good leadership, strong boards and have a record of really getting things done."

A joint $650,000 award to the Washington D.C.-based Center for Housing Policy and National Housing Conference comes at a time when it's sorely needed, said Jeffrey Lubell, executive director at the center. The nonprofit organizations' research and advocacy on issues of affordable housing is especially important now, with communities across the nation impacted by foreclosures, he said.

"This is a time when the need is great but the available resources are low," Lubell said. "So this award could not come at a better time."

The Chicago Community Loan Fund will use its $500,000 grant to expand its sustainable development workshops, said executive director Calvin L. Holmes. In its 18-year history, the fund also has given $36 million in low-cost loans to small developers of sustainable, affordable housing.

"We're determined with our sustainable development program to help our customers go green and stay green," Holmes said. "The money from MacArthur is allowing us to focus in on that a lot more."

Five of the nine winners are from outside the United States, including Access to Justice, a group in Lagos, Nigeria, that fights police torture; the Caribbean Natural Resource Institute in Port of Spain, Trinidad, which helps governments in the Caribbean cope with the environmental and economic effects of climate change; the Centre for Independent Social Research, a group in St. Petersburg, Russia, that studies the country's emerging social structures; and Mahila SEWA Trust, a trade union based in Gujurat, India, that organizes poor women workers.