WHO WE ARE
"Non-traditional thinkers
looking for transformational ideas
that stimulate change."
Digital Access
Workforce Development
Community Research
Health & Human Services
QUILT is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that pursues transformational change in economically underserved communities across Chicago's South Side. We exist to turn access into opportunity, one neighborhood at a time.
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Our programs span digital connectivity, workforce training, community outreach, and broadband infrastructure. They don't run in silos. Each one is designed to feed the next, building a pathway from disconnection to employment.
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We believe change comes from within. That means hiring from the communities we serve, building relationships before designing programs, and staying accountable to outcomes, not just completion numbers.
10+
Years operating on Chicago's South Side
4
Integrated programs, one unified pathway
800+
Devices distributed to underserved households
14
Chicago communities reached through broadband
OUR MISSION
Enable all residents, particularly those within economically disadvantaged communities, with the opportunity to become self-sufficient and empowered through education, access to critical services, and advocacy. Steer economic development in a manner that yields thriving businesses, training, and career opportunities, delivering a strong workforce and sustainable neighborhoods.
OUR BELIEFS
Five principles that drive everything.
We believe in the power of ground-level organizations to re-imagine and creatively transform their communities, without waiting for top-down solutions.
Grassroots Organizations Can Transform Communities
Our neighbors, local leaders, and community organizations understand what's needed far better than any outside expert. We listen first. Always.
​Community Partners Hold the Wisdom
We take risks with urban social service programs where other foundations might not be willing to go. If no one else is trying it, that's often a sign someone should.
Urban Services Require Bold Risk-Taking
We believe in a model of progression that supports sustainability and continued growth. Programs that depend on a single grant cycle don't change anything permanently.
Sustainability Must Be Built In
​Belief and awareness aren't soft skills — they're structural tools. How a community understands itself shapes what it's willing to build. We work on both.
Awareness Is a Dimension of Change
WHAT WE FOCUS ON
Three areas. One through-line.
Every QUILT program maps back to one of three focus areas, each addressing a structural barrier that keeps communities from thriving.
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Economic & Workforce Development
Thriving businesses and committed workers don't appear by accident, they're built through deliberate investment in training and opportunity. We create pathways from digital literacy to certification to employment, with employer relationships already in place when graduates finish.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Community Engagement & Outreach
Strong, unified community relationships are the precondition for everything else we do. Our outreach is culturally grounded, built around an honest understanding of race, culture, and socioeconomic context, because programs designed without that understanding tend not to work.
Broadband Access for Brighter Futures
OUR STORY
A decade on the ground.
QUILT started with a simple conviction: change in underserved communities doesn't come from outside experts with reports, it comes from people who live there, backed by organizations willing to take real risks and stay for the long term.
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Over ten years, that conviction has become four integrated programs, relationships with city and federal agencies, and thousands of residents connected to broadband, jobs, and training they wouldn't otherwise have reached.
Dwayne Douglas
Founder & CEO, QUILT Corporation | CEO, NODE Networks
Dwayne Douglas is a visionary leader dedicated to expanding digital infrastructure, building workforce pathways, and driving economic opportunity in communities with limited access to technology. He views broadband not simply as a technology issue, but as a critical piece of economic infrastructure that dictates who can participate in the modern world.
Rather than treating infrastructure, training, and community engagement as separate, fragmented efforts , Dwayne designed QUILT to align these forces into a single ecosystem. His mission is to guide residents from basic access to high-paying careers, ensuring that underserved communities are fully equipped to compete, grow, and lead in the future digital economy.
GET INVOLVED
Work with us.
Four ways to plug in, depending on who you are and what you're trying to do.
Partner with Us
Bring QUILT into your city program, housing development, or organization.
Explore Programs
Find out which program fits — for residents, employers, or city partners.
Fund the Work
Every dollar goes into program delivery. We report on outcomes, not activities.
Talk to Us
No long intake forms. Just a conversation about what you're trying to accomplish.
Get Program Updates
New training cohorts, events, and research — sent when it's relevant.
Digital access, workforce training, and community connectivity, South Side Chicago since 2014.
GET INVOLVED
© 2026 QUILT NFP. All rights reserved. | 501(c)(3) Nonprofit