The Corporate Coalition wanted to ensure its investment initiatives would improve lives and reduce inequities in historically marginalized neighborhoods.

The Corporate Coalition is an alliance of companies aims to attract venture capital and reduce racial and income inequalities in the south and west side neighborhoods of Chicago. These neighborhoods often house low-income residents from historically marginalized and disenfranchised ethnic and racial groups. They also face high crime, heavy policing, and a chronic lack of business investment. The Coalition wanted advice on their existing initiative ideas and how to clearly link their investment proposals to measurable outcomes of community improvement, including enhanced workforce development, new business enterprises, and new real estate infrastructure. 

The Coalition also sought consultation on how to be as inclusive and equitable as possible throughout the development, implementation, and aftereffects of its initiatives. Specifically, making sure that residents within these neighborhoods are safeguarded against exploitation and that community voices and interests are decisive factors at each stage of the Coalition’s work.

NORC is conducting a systematic review of Corporate Coalition initiatives, including focus groups with community representatives. 

NORC reviewed and analyzed internal Corporate Coalition documents describing the Coalition’s mission, aims, and objectives, and is currently interviewing key members of the Corporate Coalition to understand their perceptions of the Coalition’s capacity to reduce inequalities in the selected neighborhoods. NORC will advise on the Coalition’s initiatives and develop an evaluation and learning plan to begin linking Coalition inputs to measurable outputs. In addition, NORC will interview regional corporate executives and managers to understand their view of the business community’s role in reducing inequality and promoting business development in Chicago’s disadvantaged areas.

NORC will also deploy interviews and focus groups of local community group leaders, frontline workers, residents, and emerging business owners in communities chosen for Corporate Coalition initiatives. This participatory research will provide NORC and the Corporate Coalition with an understanding of the lived experience, context, goals, and needs of these local communities.