The Wealth Gap: A Call to Action

Test your assumptions.

• Ask questions, check common narratives that you hear.
• Be an attentive listener when having conversations about this issue.
• Be willing to seek out information and sources that go beyond your comfort zone.

Get educated.

• Listen to Trust Talks, the podcast by The Chicago Community Trust, to learn more about the work we are supporting to reduce the wealth gap.
• Read the “Color of Wealth,” a 2023 report by The New School’s Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy, commissioned by the Trust to examine wealth by race, ethnicity and other key drivers in the Chicago metropolitan area.
• Check out the “Financial Health Pulse® 2022 Chicago Report,” which offers the first comprehensive picture of financial health disparities in Chicago and broader Cook County by examining how individuals spend, save, borrow, and plan.

Get proximal.

• Share what you have learned with your network, including friends, families and people in your community. This could include sharing resources and other educational material you come across.
• Frequent businesses in underinvested communities.
• Welcome all neighbors.
• Write to your elected officials to support policies and legislation that address the racial and ethnic wealth gap and advance economic prosperity for all.

Lend your voice.

• Hear something, say something. Speak up about what you have learned during conversations related to the racial and ethnic wealth gap.
• Advocate for an inclusive work environment.

Give.

• Partner by giving your time or money.
• Give to organizations such as The Chicago Community Trust that are advocating for policies and systems change that will result in greater equity for underserved communities.
• Give to organizations or initiatives that build access to capital and capacity for underinvested communities.