501(c)(3) Community Arm

Southeast Chicago Development Corporation

SECDC is the Chamber's 501(c)(3) charitable community arm, with its own mission, donation-supported work, and partnerships across the South Side.
Culture is power.
Our Mission

Public art is more than placemaking.

Public art builds community. Public art builds pride. Public art creates destinations where people meet, interact, learn, and grow. That work happens through planning, preparation, creation, celebration, and cultivation, always with amazing partners who become family.

The sky is really the limit for SECDC. It is not bound by the geographic limits or financial constraints of the Chamber or the SSA. This is where we make dreams come true in our neighborhoods and partner with groups all across Chicago to promote the South Side, help residents, and do good deeds.

If you want to get involved or partner on an idea, email or call us using the contact info at the bottom of the page. To support upcoming projects, please consider donating. 100% of funds go to the work and $0 go to overhead.

Culture is power.
What We Do

Our Four Pillars

Pillar 01

Culture is Power

Max Sansing put this phrase in his first mural in our area and we know it to be true. We love working with artists to reflect the people and values that we see everyday. Bringing color and joy to the streets of Chicago and preserving what is already there are core focuses of this organization.
Pillar 02

Public Service

Working with other non-profits and community organizations to fill the needs of Chicago residents is a beautiful thing. Whether it's clothing drives, voter registrations, food banking, back-to-school giveaways or just helping someone after a tragedy, SECDC is here for Chicagoans.
Pillar 03

Community Building

It's not just about events and celebrations here in Calumet Heights and Avalon Park. We love to share resources and joy with neighbors in South Shore, Englewood, Roseland, Hyde Park, South Chicago and East Side to create a stronger, unified South Side.
Pillar 04

Investing in People

There are so many brilliant, talented, charismatic people who just need some mentorship. It is our honor to teach career and life skills through project-based work to neighbors from all walks of life. After the project, we work with partner organizations to get people into the workforce, full-time.
Recent Work

What have we been up to lately?

If you thought COVID would have put us into hibernation, nope. This has been a period of growth, partnership, transformation, and relationship-building. We could not be more proud of what we have been up to or who we have worked with.

Project Spotlight

Cloud Nine

Our boldest project yet: Cloud Nine will bring move-in-ready storefronts, purpose-built for small-scale manufacturing, to the 79th Street corridor. Local entrepreneurs will be able to own their spaces, with a co-op model that keeps wealth in the community and builds on the corridor's public art and streetscape momentum.

Rendering of Cloud Nine: studio storefronts and the Cloud Nine sign tower at 1636 E. 79th StreetLearn More About Cloud Nine →

Let’s build a better community—together.

100% of donated funds go directly to the work. $0 goes to overhead.