MEMBERSHIP

Introduction

PACT (Public Action for Change Today) is a cross-race, broad-based citizen organization in the IAF tradition, the first of its kind to be organized and led by young adults (aged 16-35). It was founded by 1083 young Chicago leaders on December 11, 2005, after two years of initial organizing and campaign work. PACT organizes and trains youth and young adults for leadership, unites young people from across race and faith backgrounds, and campaigns for change on the issues that affect our generation.

PACT Victories

• 13,774 New Voters. PACT leaders registered, educated, and mobilized 13,774 new voters.
• 11,000+ Trained. PACT has run more than 300 trainings – in high schools, colleges, churches, etc. – to train young leaders how to meet with public officials, develop issues, register voters, etc.
• $42 Million in college financial aid at the state level, for low- and middle-income students. PACT leaders organized field trips to Springfield and met with the Governor to win his commitment.
• Health coverage for young adults. PACT wrote a health care bill (HB 377) to extend coverage to 50,000+ young adults and negotiated a deal between the Gilead Center and City Colleges to give health referral services to another 120,000 students.
• Legislative victories. PACT leaders united from Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu faiths (alongside Sudanese refugees) to fight and win on Pay Day Loan Reform and divestment from Sudan. PACT leaders were also instrumental in fights around illegal military recruitment in CPS and balanced development.
• Trainings for Police Officers. PACT leaders started youth-police dialogues in 6 Chicago police districts. In the 10th District officers were trained by youth, and the two groups are developing joint projects.

Membership Requirements

• A Leadership Team of 3-5 People – To get the most out of your membership, its best to recruit and assemble a small group to serve as liaisons to the organization.
• Annual Membership Dues – These vary based on the size of your organization, ranging from $500 to $20,000. Dues fund PACT’s operations and keep us accountable to each other.
• A Leadership Development Plan for Your Institution – Prospective membership institutions should create a “Leadership Development Plan” outlining their goals for building leaders and advocating on issues within their institution.

Membership Benefits

• Representation – You will serve on PACT’s Central Organizing Committee and help decide the most prominent young adults agenda in the State of Illinois.
• Unlimited Scholarships to IAF National Leadership Training – All PACT member institutions can send their people to 7-day National Training by the IAF (Industrial Areas Foundation). The IAF counts Barack Obama and Cesar Chavez among its students – along with dozens of other community leaders.
• Social Justice Campaign Materials – Want your congregants, students, or members to learn to take action on Health Care? Immigration? Police Reform? School Funding? PACT provides local trainings that lead people to action and unites folks from your institution with dozens of others across the city.
• Tailored Services to Strengthen Your Institution – PACT can help you get more involved in your own community and across the city by training your people in more than a dozen subjects (i.e relationship-building, public action, voter registration). In addition, your key leaders will receive personal mentorship from experienced PACT organizers. The end goal is that your institution grows by being involved with us.
• Relationships – One of the keys to PACT’s success is the time we take building relationships across differences. Your institution and its members will work hand-in-hand with Christians, Jews, Muslims, Whites, Blacks, Latinos, and Asian Americans – from various stations in life. Evangelical Christians, Jews, and queer youth lead our homelessness team; South Siders, West Siders, and North Siders lead our ex-offender campaign.

To learn more about membership, please schedule a meeting with Stephen Smith (773.425.1946), our lead organizer.