REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - Illinois Black Voter Research Project

Project Overview

The Illinois Black Voter Research Project (IBVRP) is a multi-partner initiative designed to build a rigorous, replicable analysis of Black power-building potential across Illinois. The partnership is composed of the AMARA Illinois, the Illinois Community Power Fund, and the Illinois Black Advocacy Initiative. The project centers Black grassroots organizers and aims to inform a progressive, statewide power-building strategy through 2028 and beyond.

AMARA catalyzes racial justice in Illinois by cultivating the voices, power, and aspirations of Black People; and by supporting communities of color for collective liberation. AMARA prioritizes community power-building and shifting Black narratives to dismantle structural barriers to equity and enhance the health, wealth, and joy of all communities, ensuring Black people and communities of color across Illinois can thrive. AMARA funds IBVRP through a grant received by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The Illinois Community Power Fund (ILCPF) operates both as a field building and funder supporting Illinois communities to advance a transformative vision. From Quincy to Bloomington-Normal to East St. Louis to Rockford to Cairo – and beyond – communities are addressing critical issues such as housing, community safety, healthcare access, and more. Together with the community, ILCPF builds the durable power needed to advance a transformative vision for Illinois.

The Illinois Black Advocacy Initiative (IBAI) is dedicated to building and harnessing power to create equitable opportunities and outcomes for Black Illinoisans. Working with the community, IBAI expands the capacity of Black-community focused organizations and advances public policy.

The IBVRP project brings together these three "system weaver" partners and Integrated Voter Engagement (IVE) anchor organizations rooted in Black Population Centers (BPCs) across the state. The project is not starting from scratch—it seeks to cultivate and refine a collective analysis of power-building potential based on existing work, relationships, and data.

IBAI will serve as the lead administrator of the research contract. IBAI leads research, policy advocacy, and coalition-building as a system weaver in the IBVRP ecosystem. ILCPF provides technical assistance, capacity-building, and grantmaking, managing IVE infrastructure support for anchor organizations. AMARA provides grantmaking, convening support, and narrative shift resources. AMARA manages grant cycles for IVE anchor organizations.

The IBVRP Core Team seeks a research partner that can work collaboratively to 1) Identify regional policy/ budget priorities, 2) conduct deep regional power analyses, and 3) provide a SWOT analysis for Black political power regionally and statewide with recommendations to build political power. Examples of a collaborative process include but are not limited to:

• Participation in monthly statewide core partner meetings

• Attend quarterly meetings with core and anchor organizations

• Cultivate and refine research questions in collaboration with partners

• Support design of BPC-level snapshots informed by anchor organizations

• Share data, findings, tools, models, and political education resources

• Document the November 2026 general election results, learnings, and challenges

• Document the March/April 2026 municipal election results, learnings, and challenges

• Groundtruth results and findings with partners

Adam Slade, Director of State Fiscal Policy & Governance and Gianna Baker, Director of Strategy & Partnerships from IBAI will oversee the project and will be the primary contacts. The consultant also may be asked to work with partners from AMARA and ILCPF and its partners to execute the work.

Click here for full RFP