Civic Exchange Members Respond to COVID-19

Throughout the month of March, the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost every aspect of both personal and professional life. For Civic Exchange Chicago and its member organizations, the effects have created a need to rethink how each organization continues to fulfill its mission, as well as how the scope of the work in many cases now includes assisting individuals and organizations most affected by the crisis.

And although the founders of each Civic Exchange Chicago organization currently are not working from their shared workspace in Chicago’s Loop, they are finding ways to continue connecting, sharing with each other the ways in which their teams have shifted their day-to-day operations, and also how each organization is working to help others in Chicago and across the nation. At a recent virtual Founders Exchange meeting, representatives of each organization provided an update on their efforts.

Block Club Chicago

Block Club Chicago continues its local reporting, providing citywide coronavirus coverage, along with hyperlocal stories about the impacts of the pandemic on specific neighborhoods, local businesses and communities, along with coverage of relief efforts across the city. Block Club Chicago also provides a free newsletter to keep Chicago residents informed and up-to-date on the crisis.

Chalkbeat Chicago

Likewise, Chalkbeat Chicago is providing ongoing coverage of the impact of the coronavirus on Chicago schools, along with a national view of how schools around the country are addressing the ongoing educational needs of millions of students whose schools currently are closed. Chalkbeat Chicago produces a newsletter with Chicago’s most important education news, delivered three times per week.

Hearken

Assisting newsrooms and other organizations seeking to “address the information needs of their audiences related to coronavirus,” Hearken has made available multiple resources, including a video presentation about addressing questions and inviting feedback from audiences, along with four months of access to Hearken’s engagement technology and pro bono consulting for newsrooms and organizations covering COVID-19. They’re currently collaborating with The Center for Tech & Civic Life on providing election-support for newsrooms as well. 

mRelief

To better serve families affected by the current crisis—including those who have lost work or who have students who have lost access to school meals— mRelief provides a web and text messaging platform to determine if families qualify for food stamps (some for the first time), then enroll those who do in the SNAP program. mRelief also is working within communities to promote ideas for reducing foot traffic at local grocery stores. 

BrightHive

Seeing the need for governments and social service agencies to quickly and responsibly make data available—to one another and to the public—to assist them in their efforts to respond to the crisis, BrightHive is assembling a network of partners to form the COVID-19 Data Response Team, providing pro bono resources and consulting to assist in efforts such as helping frontline workers in Texas find emergency childcare and enabling states to better understand where job losses are occurring and how to help workers quickly find new job openings.

DataMade

As a large portion of the U.S. workforce now has shifted to working from home, team members at DataMade are taking their learnings from operating as a hybrid remote office for the past six months, and are now helping other companies and organizations transition to a remote office, providing resources and thought leadership to those navigating this unprecedented situation. DataMade Partner Derek Eder also is spearheading efforts through Chi Hack Night to use data and technology to ensure the availability and accuracy of information about COVID-19, as well as for breakout groups to provide technical support for Chicago Mutual Aid Groups. 

CHANGE Illinois

With so many immediate concerns and changes to day-to-day life, CHANGE Illinois is reminding residents of Illinois to stay civically engaged throughout the crisis by completing the census and continuing to voice support to elected officials for an end to gerrymandering and other democracy reforms. Executive Director Madeleine Doubek wrote a recent piece for Crain’s Chicago Business, urging readers to “not let the pandemic be used as an excuse to ignore the need for ethics improvements.” CHANGE Illinois recently held a digital rally attended by hundreds of residents to train them in civic engagement and encourage them to help end gerrymandering in the state and to be counted in the 2020 census.

Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL)

In order to help election officials adapt to the rapidly changing needs for local elections throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Center for Tech and Civic Life is providing training to help election offices ramp up their vote-by-mail operations, along with ongoing training on election cybersecurity. In addition, six CTCL staff members recently served as election judges in Illinois. CTCL co-founder and Director of Government Services, Whitney May, wrote for electiononline about what it was like to be a poll worker during the pandemic.

Civic Exchange Chicago: An ongoing collaboration

Though currently separated by physical distance, the founders of each Civic Exchange member organization—and their respective teams—continue to collaborate through the exchange of ideas, recent learnings and shared resources. 

“The COVID-19 outbreak has hit everyone hard and fast, but it will hit persons of color, immigrants and those in poverty the worst. Now is the time for Civic Exchange to reaffirm our values of equity and empowerment through information and technology to help those with the greatest need. Each member of Civic Exchange understands that and have already acted quickly to leverage their networks, expertise and platforms in response to this crisis. I couldn’t be prouder to count myself among them,” said Derek Eder, Civic Exchange co-founder and Partner at DataMade.

“In too many ways to count, this community was made for this moment. Every organization has a direct tie to helping people get their needs met, and it’s an absolute privilege to be doing this work alongside one another, and supporting one another, during this most difficult time,” said Jennifer Brandel, Civic Exchange co-founder and CEO of Hearken.