Up to $2 Million in Grants to Be Awarded by Newly Formed Public Safety Action Committee

April 22, 2013 /3BL Media/ - The Public Safety Action Committee, recently formed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, announced plans today to award up to $2 million for proven programs that help at-risk youth for Summer 2013. The committee posted a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) with the primary focus on mentoring and enrichment programs on its website www.GetInChicago.org.

The Public Safety Action Committee is raising $50 million from private donors to invest in prevention and intervention programs to reduce violence and make Chicago safer. Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the fund and committee's creation in early February, appointing Allstate CEO Tom Wilson and Loop Capital CEO Jim Reynolds as co-chairs overseeing the fund.

"It's time to 'GET IN' to neighborhoods and help create a safer Chicago," said Wilson. "All of us....businesses, nonprofits, religious leaders and individual citizens must come together and make sure our children have bright futures."

"We are wasting no time in ensuring that these critical dollars get to the outstanding organizations across Chicago that are investing in our children's future," said  Reynolds. "This first investment will ensure that hundreds of at-risk youth will have access to mentoring, job-training and counseling services that help them excel and keep them safe."

The announcement marks the Public Safety Action Committee's first grant cycle, with additional funding earmarked for future grant cycles. Applying organizations must have experience working in neighborhoods that have the highest rates of violence; an annual budget of at least $500,000; the ability to track data about participants using an online data-management system; and willingness to serve all youth assigned to their programs by the Committee.

"I am delighted to see that our public-private partnership to support Chicago's kids is launching, and that we are investing in a brighter future for some of our most vulnerable children," said Mayor Emanuel. "The greatest thing we can do as a city is give our children the support they need to build a successful life, and I will work tirelessly to provide safe alternatives that reduce the risk of our kids getting involved with drugs, gangs, and violence."

The full RFP and complete list of guidelines can be found at www.GetInChicago.org. The deadline for submitting applications is 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time on May 6, 2013, and all applications must be submitted online. Questions about the RFP process can be sent to info@getinchicago.org.