Chicago Beyond is a philanthropic organization that focuses on investments that “address systemic inequity” and has established initiatives in philanthropy, justice, and health, mainly in the Chicago area. ¹ Since starting up in 2016 it has given out over $65 million in grants to over 200 organizations and individuals. ²

It has partnered with several left-of-center organizations including Lever for Change, the NBA Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Chicago Public Schools, JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA), Birth Center Equity, and the Office of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D). ³

Background

Chicago Beyond was founded in 2016 by Liz Dozier, a former high school principal with financial support from liberal philanthropist Mark Walter, primary owner and chairman of the Los Angeles Dodgers. It is a social impact philanthropy organization and started by granting $3.2 million to four organizations. ²

In 2017, Chicago Beyond partnered with the Inner-City Muslim Action Network and gun control activist group Chicago CRED to open a safe house for young men. In 2019, Chicago Beyond published “Why Am I Always Being Researched?”, a guide to help make philanthropy, grantmaking, and social impact investing “more racially equitable and inclusive.” ^{2 4} In 2022, Chicago Beyond developed its Holistic Safety Framework for correctional institutions and published it in “Do I Have the Right to Feel Safe? ^{5 6}

Since its inception, Chicago Beyond has made over $65 million in grants to over 200 organizations and individuals to “address systemic inequity.” ²

Partnerships

Chicago Beyond has developed collaborations with the NBA Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Chicago Public Schools, JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA), Birth Center Equity, and the Office of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D). ³

Chicago Beyond is partnering with state prison systems in Arizona, Hawaii, and Vermont to “address systemic inequity” and make changes to “promote the wellness” of both inmates and prison employees by implementing Chicago Beyond’s Holistic Safety practices. ^{7 8} As of 2025, it was also working with the Vermont prisons to improve children’s visitations to their incarcerated fathers. ⁹

In 2023, Chicago Beyond was identified as a strategic partner to grantmaking organization Lever for Change which focuses on left-of-center issues including climate and refugee support. It is an affiliate of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and has received funding from the Gates Foundation and billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. ^{10 11}

Funding and Grants

The 2023 tax return for Chicago Beyond reported $500,000 in revenue and $15,911,491 in expenses. However, it had over $30 million in excess distribution carryovers. ^{12 13}

In its first two years of operation, Chicago Beyond granted $30 million to 13 local Chicago groups that support at-risk youth. ¹⁴

In 2021, Chicago Beyond announced that its Holistic Healing Fund would donate $10 million to community leaders and organizations that work to address “systemic racism, disinvestment, gun violence and trauma.” ¹⁵

Its Rapid Response Fund was established in 2021 to provide grants to local organizations. It has given $9.4 million in grants to 190 organizations and individuals to address issues including the environment, re-entry support, and LGBT safe spaces. ¹⁶

Chicago Beyond was a founding donor of the Black Researchers Collective, along with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. The Black Researchers Collective also receives $700,000 per year in grants from the state of Illinois. It conducts interviews with Black Chicagoans and compiles the results into reports that support left-of-center policies such as reparations, free housing, healthcare, and college for Black Chicagoans, and the mass release of Black violent criminals from state jails. ¹⁷

JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA) is a multi-year recipient of a Chicago Beyond grant. JLUSA supports decarcerating the United States and argues that the criminal legal system disproportionately oppresses Black, brown, and poor communities through systemic oppression and historical racism. ^{18 19}

In 2024, Chicago Beyond granted over $10 million to organizations focused on “advancing midwifery care, expanding reproductive care, addressing wrongful convictions, supporting reentry programs, and empowering young people and women impacted by the justice system.” ²⁰

In November 2024, Chicago Beyond partnered with the NBA Foundation and National Basketball League team Chicago Bulls to grant $1 million to six small, Black-led nonprofit organizations supporting Black youth in Chicago. ²¹

Leadership

Liz Dozier is the founder and CEO of Chicago Beyond. She is a former principal of Christian Fenger Academy High Schoolwhere she instituted restorative justice, mental health and wellness strategies, and anger group therapy sessions for students. ¹⁴ Her work was highlighted in the docuseries entitled “Chicagoland” produced by CNN. ³ In 2014, Dozier hosted the inaugural Obama Foundation Summit and has spoken at many conferences and events. ²² In February 2025, Dozier became a board member for the National Center for Family Philanthropy, a network for families engaged in left-of-center philanthropy. ^{23 24}

Mark Walter is the CEO of the investment firm Guggenheim Partners and a liberal philanthropist who donates to left-of-center social advocacy causes. Walter and his wife Kimbra provided the initial investment for Chicago Beyond and are directors of the organization. The Walters also invest in environmentalist organizations to protect endangered species. He is a trustee of the Solomon Guggenheim Foundation, Northwestern University, and the Field Museum of Natural History. Walter is the primary owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers Major League Baseball team, and he leads the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. ^{25 26 27}

1. Chicago Beyond homepage. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://chicagobeyond.org/
2. “Our Story.” Chicago Beyond. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://chicagobeyond.org/about/our-story/
3. “Liz Dozier.” Chicago Beyond. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://chicagobeyond.org/about/team/liz-dozier/
4. Jason Hartman. “Liz Dozier of Chicago Beyond: 5 Steps That Each Of Us Can Take To Proactively Help Heal Our Country.” Authority Magazine. August 4, 2020. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://medium.com/authority-magazine/liz-dozier-of-chicago-beyond-5-steps-that-each-of-us-can-take-to-proactively-help-heal-our-country-e05bd3a614c0
5. ^[1] “Our Story.” Chicago Beyond. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://chicagobeyond.org/about/our-story/
6. “Inspiring Change in the American Justice System.” Chicago Beyond. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://chicagobeyond.org/initiatives/justice/
7. Dom Amato. “New effort to transform correctional practices in Vermont.” WCAX3 Vermont. September 24, 2024. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://www.wcax.com/2024/09/24/new-effort-transform-correctional-practices-vermont/
8. “Chicago Beyond Partners with State Prison Systems in Arizona, Hawaii, and Vermont in National Effort to Transform Correctional Practices.” PRNewswire. September 19, 2024. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chicago-beyond-partners-with-state-prison-systems-in-arizona-hawaii-and-vermont-in-national-effort-to-transform-correctional-practices-302253108.html
9. Peter Hirschfeld. “Vermont prisons work to improve visitation experiences for children of incarcerated fathers.” Vermont Public. October 7, 2024. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2024-10-07/vermont-prisons-work-improve-visitation-experiences-children-incarcerated-fathers
10. “Chicago Beyond.” Lever for Change. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://leverforchange.org/partners/chicago-beyond/
11. “FAQs.” Lever for Change. FAQs Archive page 3. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://leverforchange.org/faqs/page/3/#results
12. Chicagobeyond Inc. Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990PF – Part I, Part II). 2023.
13. Chicagobeyond Inc. Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990PF – Part XII). 2023.
14. “Chicago Beyond.” Chicago Magazine. October 23, 2018. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/november-2018/the-new-do-gooders/chicago-beyond/
15. Manny Ramos. “Philanthropic group to invest $10 million into Black and Brown community leaders, groups.” Chicago Sun Times. June 24, 2021. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2021/6/24/22547729/chicago-beyond-philanthropy-10-million-investments-black-and-brown-community-leaders-organizations
16. “Funding to Those Closest to the Issues.” Chicago Beyond. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://chicagobeyond.org/investments/rapid-response-fund/
17. LGIS News Service. “Illinois DOGE Profile: $700K per year to the Black Researchers Collective.” Chicago City Wire. March 23, 2025. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://chicagocitywire.com/stories/670629169-illinois-doge-profile-700k-per-year-to-the-black-researchers-collective
18. ^[1] “About Us.” JLUSA. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://jlusa.org/about/
19. “Chicago Beyond Announces Partnership with JustLeadershipUSA to Launch Pilot Program for People Formerly Incarcerated to Enact Change Within Criminal Justice System.” JLUSA. October 11, 2023. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://jlusa.org/media-release/chicago-beyond-announces-partnership-with-justleadershipusa-to-launch-pilot-program-for-people-formerly-incarcerated-to-enact-change-within-criminal-justice-system/
20. “Chicago Beyond Announces Over $10M in Investments for Transformative Justice and Maternal Health Organizations Across the Country in 2024.” Chicago Beyond. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://chicagobeyond.org/news-events/chicago-beyond-announces-over-10m-across-country-2024/
21. “NBA Foundation, Chicago Beyond, and Chicago Bulls Announce Grant Recipients for Initiative Supporting Nonprofits Driving Economic Opportunity for Black Youth and Communities.” Black PRWire. November 16, 2024. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://www.blackprwire.com/press-releases/bprw-nba-foundation-chicago-beyond-and-chicago-bulls-announce-grant-recipients-for-initiative-supporting-nonprofits-driving-economic-opportunity-for-black-youth-and-communities
22. LinkedIn – Liz Dozier. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-dozier/
23. LinkedIn – Chicago Beyond. Posted February, 2025. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/company/chicago-beyond/posts/?feedView=all
24. National Center for Family Philanthropy homepage. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://www.ncfp.org/
25. “Mark Walter.” Forbes profile. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://www.forbes.com/profile/mark-walter/
26. “Mark Walter.” Dodgers Front Office Directory. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/team/front-office/mark-walter?msockid=2c1b0ec5e84b6fea37c81bc6e94c6e5f
27. Chicagobeyond Inc. Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990PF – Part VII). 2023.