Our History

For more than 100 years, the Trust has united generous donors, committed nonprofits, and caring residents to effect lasting change.

Bronzeville. Photo Credit: Clayton Hauck

Overview

As one of the nation’s oldest and largest community foundations, The Chicago Community Trust has a long, rich history of cultivating philanthropic support to address our region’s most pressing needs. Explore our beginnings, and learn how we’ve stayed true to our roots while evolving to meet today’s needs in pursuit of a brighter future for all.

1915

1916

1920

1932

1941

1961

1964

1976

1978

1983

1984

1988

1990

1990

2008

2014

2015

2019

2020

2021

Where We Are Now

In 2019, we launched a ten-year strategic plan focused on addressing the region’s racial and ethnic wealth gap. The three-part strategy to close this gap centers around growing household wealth, catalyzing neighborhood investment and building collective power. In addition to this work, the Trust will continue to address the critical needs of the region and maximize the impact of philanthropic giving.

Past Executive Committee Members

Thomas G. Ayers
1973-1983
Clifford W. Barnes
1916-1944
Maria C. Bechily
2004-2014
Prudence R. Beidler
1998-2008
James F. Beré
1979-1992
Carol Lavin Bernick
2017-2020
Heather Bilandic Black
1998-2008
Judith S. Block
1988-1998
Philip D. Block, Jr.
1962-1978
James J. Brice
1988-1993
Carole L. Brown
2013-2016
Eugene J. Buffington
1919-1937
John A. Canning, Jr.
2003-2013
Gloria Castillo
2019
Martin R. Castro
1999-2001, 2011-2016
John H. Catlin
2007-2017
Adela Cepeda
2001-2011
Frank M. Clark
2006-2016
Franklin A. Cole
1983-1993
Paula H. Crown
2006-2011
Charles S. Cutting
1916-1936
William M. Daley
1990-1995
Abel Davis
1916-1936
Milton O. Davis
1994-2001
Gaylord Donnelley
1968-1979
Shawn M. Donnelley
2011-2020
James H. Douglas, Jr.
1950-1953
Bernard A. Eckhart
1916-1930
Judy Erwin
2003-2013
Michael W. Ferro, Jr.
2008-2018
Marshall V. Field
1999-2009
Barbara A. Foote
1970-1985
Denise B. Gardner
2008-2018
Sue L. Gin
1996-2006
James J. Glasser
1996-2007
Jack M. Greenberg
2003-2013
Mortimer B. Harris
1953-1971
J. Ira Harris
1975-1990
King W. Harris
2005-2015
Margaret D. Hartigan
1989-1999
David G. Herro
2011-2012
Edgar D. Jannotta
1988-1995
George E. Johnson
1976-1979
Christopher G. Kennedy
2010-2015
Martin J. Koldyke
1998-2005
Mercedes A. Laing
1997-2007
Homer J. Livingston, Jr.
1996-2003
Charles E. Lomax
1979-1986
Margaret P. MacKimm
1985-1995
Lewis Manilow
1995-2000
Robert A. Mariano
2016-2017
Charles H. Markham
1916-1919
Brooks McCormick
1978-1988
Edward D. McDougal, Jr.
1955-1968
George B. McKibbin
1939-1941
Florence Lowden Miller
1959-1970
Cynthia E. Mitchell
2000-2002
Richard M. Morrow
1991-1996
John D. Nichols
1997-2004
James J. O’Connor, Jr.
2017-2019
William R. Odell
1953-1969
Virginia F. Ojeda
1993-2002
Audrey R. Peeples
2007-2017
Donald S. Perkins
1970-1977
Quintin E. Primo III
2001-2011
Nora (Nancy) Ryerson Ranney
1978-1983
Cordell Reed
1989-1999
Michael A. Reinsdorf
2015-2017
Robert W. Reneker
1969-1981
John W. Rowe
2014-2017
Jesse H. Ruiz
2009-2016
Shirley W. Ryan
1988-1998
Edward L. Ryerson
1931-1958
Cari B. Sacks
2018
Hermon Dunlap Smith
1939-1972
Eunice Smith
1983-1994
Kenneth B. Smith
1983-1997
William H. Strong
2017-2018
R. Douglas Stuart
1936-1950
Frank L. Sulzberger
1944-1953
Harold H. Swift
1936-1955
Michael Tang
2009-2017
Henry Favill Tenney
1953-1962
Eugene A. Tracy
1992-1997
Merle J. Trees
1938-1953
Arthur Velasquez, Jr.
1986-1990
Ormand J. Wade
1993-1998
Edward K. Welles
1941-1970
Emory Williams
1971-1983
Blaine J. Yarrington
1981-1989
Leslie Bluhm
2013-2022
Mary Richardson-Lowry
2013-2022
Linda Wolf
2013-2022

The Wealth Gap

The work to close the racial and ethnic wealth gap will not happen overnight, but in partnership with donors, nonprofits, community members, business leaders, and local government, it can be done. We hope you will join us on this journey.

Learn More

Our Strategic Plan

The Trust brings together generous donors, committed organizations, and caring residents to effect lasting change that makes our region better for all. We’ve made a 10-year commitment to closing Chicago’s racial and ethnic wealth gap.

Our Work