The Joyce Foundation

We are pleased to share that Julie Morita MD has been appointed the Joyce Foundation's new President & CEO. She was selected following an extensive national search to replace longtime President and CEO Ellen Alberding, who is stepping down after 22 years in the role. Julie will join the Foundation on October 1. Julie was most recently executive vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), overseeing all programming, policy, research and communications activities. She also previously helped lead the Chicago Department of Public Health for nearly two decades, first as a medical director, then as chief medical officer before being appointed commissioner in 2015. “I am thrilled and deeply honored to step into the role of President at the Joyce Foundation. It is a tremendous privilege to lead an organization with such a remarkable legacy of positive impact,” she said. “I take seriously the responsibility of upholding the Foundation's values and am committed to working closely with the Foundation’s staff, partners, and Board to further its mission and vision.” Welcome, Julie! Read more below. #Leadership #Chicago #JoyceFoundation #President https://lnkd.in/gp3Jyk8R

Our #Journalism Program Director Hugh Dellios said it best: “Revitalizing local news will require lots of innovation and entrepreneurship, and the Great Lakes states have been a springboard for some of the best ideas. A big thanks to Lynette Clemetson Wallace House Center for Journalists and the Song Foundation for seeing that so clearly and creating this unique space at the University of Michigan for journalists to pause for a moment, think bigger, and help us chart a path to the more valued and more sustainable local journalism our communities need. The Joyce Foundation is proud to be part of it.”

September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day. More than half of all gun deaths are suicides, with an average of 74 people dying of gun suicide each day in America -- more than firearm murders and unintentional shootings combined. Joyce has invested in studying the effectiveness of Extreme Risk Laws (called "Firearm Restraining Orders" in Illinois) that allow family and household members to request civil orders temporarily preventing someone in crisis from purchasing or possessing firearms. FROs are highly effective, as they allow a person to "hit pause" on a potentially deadly situation and secure the time they need to heal. This incredible PSA from Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Ad Council shows how. We're also linking our study with the Ad Council Research Institute on the effectiveness of Extreme Risk Orders in the comments. We encourage anyone experiencing mental health-related distress, or with loved ones needing crisis support, to contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or text 988. #WorldSuicidePreventionDay #GunViolencePrevention #ExtremeRiskOrders #ERPO #FirearmRestrainingOrder #FRO #PauseToHeal #PublicHealth #PublicSafety #Illinois https://lnkd.in/gPqxUyWs

Fantastic update from 2023 Joyce Awards honoree Marisa Morán Jahn and the HOOPS public art commission with National Public Housing Museum. ? #JoyceAwards #PublicArt #Hoops #Basketball #Chicago

Residents in more than half of U.S. counties have no or very limited access to reliable local news sources. This month's Crain's Chicago Business Forum (linked in the comments) delves into philanthropy's emerging role funding local news organizations nationwide. Our Journalism Program Director Hugh Dellios argues in the op-ed below that philanthropic investment is not the sole solution but is a pivotal bridge across this difficult stretch of time in our history. "The real solution is helping media entrepreneurs restore the public’s appreciation for the value in real journalism — as distinguished from the infotainment and mischief that bombards us every day," Dellios writes. What do you think? #Philanthropy #Journalism #LocalNews #Leadership #PublicAffairs https://lnkd.in/g8ersyzi

There’s a strong correlation in Chicago between the flood of illegal guns and the volume of gun violence in our communities. What can we do to reverse this trend and eradicate this problem? Join us on Wednesday, September 11 for an impactful discussion on this issue with ATF’s Christopher Amon, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly & University of Chicago Crime Lab’s Kimberley Smith, moderated by WTTW/Chicago PBS Brandis Griffith Friedman. “Crime, Guns & Solutions: What Are We Doing to Stop the Flow of Illegal Guns in Illinois?” is the 2nd program in Joyce’s 3-part series on reducing gun violence in Chicago, in partnership with City Club of Chicago and WTTW. Register at the link: https://lnkd.in/g4Dg-DEE #Chicago #PublicSafety #EndGunViolence #GunViolencePrevention

Congratulations to Gun Violence Prevention and Justice Reform Program Director Timothy Daly, who recently received the "Partner of the Year" Award from Safe States Alliance! Joyce has been pleased to fund and partner with Safe States, particularly around its important work to sustain and build out the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). NVDRS, developed with Joyce's support, is the nation's most comprehensive database on violent deaths, and a critical tool in understanding alarming trends, such as disparities in homicide rates. Learn more below. #PublicPolicy #PublicSafety #NVDRS #Philanthropy #Leadership

20th Anniversary Spotlight on Chicago-based actor, writer, and producer Sandra Delgado ? A recipient of the 2015 Joyce Awards with Teatro Vista Productions, her “smash hit immersive documentary theater” experience, “La Havana Madrid,” brings the iconic 1960s nightclub back to life through stories of the city’s Latin American immigrants. “Receiving the Joyce Award changed my life and shaped me into the writer I am today, dedicated to leaving a legacy of work that lifts up and preserves Latine stories, history, and music to bring together multicultural, multi-racial and multi-generational artists and audiences.” — #SandraDelgado This week, “La Havana Madrid” returns to Chicago at Pritzker Pavilion as part of Millennium Park's 20th Anniversary Celebration. Follow along as we celebrate #JoyceAwards20 and our many honorees! ??: Courtesy Teatro Vista, Goodman Theatre, and Sandra Delgado #JoyceAwards #TeatroVista #Chicago #theater

We are pleased to announce that we’ve been named Nonprofit Communications Awards finalists by Ragan Communications and PR Daily for “Best Advocacy or Awareness Campaign” for our monthly Lunch and Learn Gun Violence Prevention Webinar Series! Our Gun Violence Prevention and Justice Reform Program team created #LunchAndLearn in 2020 to highlight emerging gun violence research and best evidence-based practices to advance sensible gun policies. Since then we’ve hosted almost 40 webinars on topics ranging from concealed carry laws to emerging Community Violence Intervention strategies that have become a trusted resource and industry standard. We’ll find out in September if we won our category but having our work and its impact to create safer and more just communities nationwide recognized makes us feel like winners right now! Click the link below to learn more about our Lunch and Learch series, and to see our archive of webinars. #GunViolencePrevention #Philanthropy #PublicSafety #Leadership https://lnkd.in/gshtzxPC

We’ve been busy! Over the last few months we named a new President & CEO, bid a fond farewell to our retiring President & CEO, and hosted convenings, receptions and other high-impact special events that all advanced our mission and strengthened our partnerships throughout the Great Lakes region. We also awarded 84 grants totaling more than $13.2 million in our latest round of funding. Read about all of that and more in our latest newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gBm7BtNS #JoyceFoundation #Philanthropy #Leadership #News