"You shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in." (Isaiah 58:12)

Gamaliel Foundation

ISAIAH is one of 60 similar organizations in 21 states and five provinces in South Africa affiliated with the Gamaliel Foundation in Chicago. It represents over a million multi-faith, multi-racial church-going people who work on social justice campaigns.

The Gamaliel Foundation was originally established in 1968 to support the Contract Buyers League, an African American organization fighting to protect homeowners on Chicago’s Westside who had been discriminated against by banks and saving and loan institutions. In l986, the Foundation was reorganized as an organizing institute providing resources to community leaders in the efforts to build and maintain powerful organizations in low income communities.

Gamaliel, as initially conceived, had as its goal the creation, maintenance and expansion of independent local organizations.  This goal remains at the very core of the mission of the Gamaliel Foundation.   

  To this end Gamaliel:

1. works with leaders in communities to create new and powerful faith based organizations,
2. provides an array of leadership training programs and consultations, and
3. provides research and analysis on issues.