The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) is on the hunt for a few good men and women to serve the community. ICJIA is not looking for officers or detectives, but for volunteers willing to provide a different kind of service: reviewing grant applications. The initiative, aimed to engage community members in the grant application process, hopes to add layers of fairness and diversity to the distribution of funds that impact the very fabric of their neighborhoods.
Delrice Adams, the ICJIA Executive Director, emphasizes the need for an equitable approach to grantmaking. "ICJIA prioritizes equity, fairness, and opportunity in grantmaking," Adams explained. "It is imperative to involve those who are in touch with their communities—and especially those with lived experience—in our mission to ensure funds are distributed in a fair and effective manner," she said in a statement obtained by Illinois.gov.
Volunteers who answer this call to service will be tasked with evaluating the merit of grant applications by organizations throughout Illinois. This includes undergoing training to ethically, effectively, and equitably review the applications, as well as scoring the applications according to set parameters. They’ll not only provide commentary to support their assessments, but their scores will eventually become a vital part of the decision-making process.
Per the initiative, participants won't be left to navigate these waters alone. They will receive tools and knowledge such as training on grant application review, cultural competency, and addressing implicit bias. And, their unique perspectives will be crucial as they engage with material that decides the allocation of both federal and state program funds. To become part of the ICJIA reviewer pool, volunteers are asked to fill out a survey, available through the ICJIA's official announcement.
The ICJIA is responsible for an array of critical functions within the state's criminal justice system, encompassing grants administration, research, policy formation, and information technology. With this initiative, community members have the opportunity to influence which programs and organizations obtain funding and, subsequently, shape the services and resources available in their backyards.
