We Put Lasting Change First

A fierce advocate for equity and justice, we are a public-interest law and policy center combating racial, economic, and social injustice for and with communities most disadvantaged by systemic inequities.

An Unflinching Catalyst for Equity.

Using all the tools at our disposal, we are amplifiers for transformational change. Whether that’s developing in-depth legal research, litigating cases of discrimination, increasing public awareness of unjust policies, advocating for or fostering innovative solutions that create systemic change, we take on the most pressing issues of injustice throughout Chicago and Illinois.

But we don’t do it alone.

We’re informed by and work in partnership with the people who are actually experiencing that inequity, those who live it every day.

Any System That Dehumanizes One Of Us Dehumanizes All Of Us.

Housing and the criminal legal system work in tandem to create interlocking systems of injustice. How? When someone has unstable housing, they are more likely to end up in the criminal legal system. And when they end up in the criminal legal system, they have a harder time finding stable housing. This revolving door is part of a system that dehumanizes people in our city and all over our state.

We are here to change that.

We work to remove barriers and promote authentic housing choices across the Chicago region and to fight for equitable outcomes for those impacted by the criminal legal system in Illinois.

We learn and grow from everyone we work with.

Partnership drives everything we do.

“Partnerships amplify and guide the work at Impact for Equity. Our relationships with community organizations across the Chicago region inform our priorities, shape our strategies, and determine our successes.”

–  Cara Hendrickson, former Executive Director

Together, we’re making justice a reality in Chicago and beyond.

Resisting and Persisting for 55 Years.

Combating injustice and creating systemic change across institutions often seems impossible. But we take inspiration from Nelson Mandela’s words: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Impact for Equity – formerly known as BPI – has been a committed catalyst for lasting change since our founding in 1969, working shoulder to shoulder with change-makers for laws and public policy that deliver long-lasting racial, social, and economic justice.