IAF

The Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) is a national network of community organizing affiliates based in Chicago, Illinois, that partners with religious congregations, civic organizations, unions, and non-profits to build broad-based organizations. These organizations develop citizen leadership, foster trust across community divides, and take action on local issues like living wages and economic justice. IAF operates 65 affiliates across the US, Canada, UK, Germany, and Australia, working with thousands of institutions in over 65 cities. Its West/Southwest IAF division alone encompasses 29 organizations across 10 US states. Notably, an IAF affiliate in Baltimore passed the first US living wage bill in 1994, influencing policies that have since raised wages for millions. The organization was founded in 1940 by Saul Alinsky, Roman Catholic Bishop Bernard James Sheil, and Marshall Field III.