Our History

For more than 111 years, the Trust has united generous donors, committed nonprofits, and caring residents to effect lasting change.

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

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1932

1964

1976

1978

1983

1984

1988

1990

2008

2014

2015

2020

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2023

2024

2026

1915

The Chicago Community Trust is Founded

American banker Norman Wait Harris provided, along with his eldest son Albert W. Harris, the inspiration and financial backing that established The Chicago Community Trust. In 1914, Harris urged his son Albert to bring a copy of the Cleveland Foundation’s Resolution and Declaration of Trust – which outlined the first kind of community trust in the United States – to officers of the Harris Trust and Savings Bank. Thanks to his urgings and Albert’s enthusiasm, the bank’s Board of Directors adopted the Resolution and Declaration of Trust that created The Chicago Community Trust on May 12, 1915. The Harris family provided $200,000 to establish the Trust and initiate its administrative operations in the first two years of its existence, and another $400,000 as a memorial fund when Harris passed away in 1916.

1916

First Grant Made to United Charities of Chicago

The Trust’s first grant of $5000 was made in 1916 to United Charities of Chicago, one of the city’s most visible charitable organizations at the time and a direct descendant of Chicago’s first citywide charity association. During the Great Depression, United Charities of Chicago became an important partner with many levels of government and other service agencies, providing direction and expertise to the social service effort throughout the city.

1920

Seven Social Surveys Published

When the Trust was still in its early days, it didn’t have a lot of money for grantmaking. So it commissioned seven surveys to understand how Chicago’s people were changing and what the emerging needs were. Among those populations surveyed were prisoners, ex-service men, immigrants, and single women.

1932

Joint Emergency Relief Fund of Cook County is Created

During the Great Depression, neither the city nor private charities were fully equipped to meet Chicagoan’s need for financial aid and human services. Frank Loomis, the Trust’s executive director at the time, and Executive Committee member Edward Ryerson spearheaded relief campaigns that raised millions for Chicagoans devastated by the Depression. One such campaign was the Joint Emergency Relief Fund of Cook County. The Fund raised $10 million during its first drive, which was distributed to private agencies serving communities in need.

1964

John G. Searle Establishes His First Fund at the Trust

The single largest gift in the Trust’s history was from John Gideon Searle, who headed G.D. Searle & Company, a major pharmaceutical enterprise. The company pioneered the motion sickness medicine Dramamine and exclusively marketed the world’s first oral contraceptive. The Searle Funds reflected Searle’s dedication to medicine, biological science, health, and education. Today, there are five Searle Funds housed at the Trust. One such fund, the Searle Scholars Fund, has supported exceptional young professionals in the biomedical sciences and chemistry since 1980.

1976

Gautreaux Assisted Housing Program is Created

In the 1960s, the Chicago Housing Authority was the subject of a series of class-action lawsuits for racial discrimination and segregation. One part of the settlement in 1976 created the Gautreaux Assisted Housing Program, the nation’s first “housing mobility program” which helped place families from poor, segregated neighborhoods into racially and economically diverse communities. The Trust made a series of grants that totalled $3 million to oversee the program. The program ended in 1988 after placing more than 7,000 families.

1978

Chinese American Service League is Established

In 1978, the Trust made a grant of $16,000 to establish the Chinese American Service League (CASL), the largest social service agency in the Midwest serving Asian Americans. The organization began as a project by founder and president the late Bernie Wong to start an immigration service. Today, CASL provides thousands of people with essential services and opportunities to connect with their communities.

1983

Leadership Greater Chicago is Established

Leadership Greater Chicago was founded in 1983 to identify emerging community leaders and equip them with a broader understanding of the Chicago community. Since its inception, over 900 fellows have entered the fray, working to assume leadership throughout Chicago and its leading institutions, and the national and international stages.

1984

Basic Human Needs Program is Established

The Trust’s Basic Human Needs Program augments the overall capacity of Chicago’s voluntary service agencies to respond to the needs of homeless, hungry, and low-income Chicagoans. It was created as a field of interest fund when former Trust executive director Bruce Newman suggested to Kathleen Busse, a suburban mother and teacher, that she honor her late husband by using $50,000 to fund basic human needs.

1988

Human Relations Task Force Established to Examine Tensions in Chicago

The Trust established a Human Relations Task Force in 1989 to examine racial, religious, and ethnic tensions in Chicago and to identify opportunities for diffusing these tensions. The Task Force was co-chaired by former Executive Committee Members Rev. Dr. Kenneth B. Smith and Franklin A. Cole. Vice chairmen of the Task Force were former Executive Committee Members Arthur R. Velasquez and James Brice.

1990

"Chicago Matters" Series is Created

Chicago Matters was a public affairs series created by the Trust that covered a variety of topics, such as racism, violence, immigration, labor and employment, education, children, environment, housing, and health. It ran annually, except for 2003, from 1990 to 2009. WTTW/Channel 11 produced television documentaries and town meetings around topics of public interest. WBEZ public radio, the Chicago Public Library, and The Chicago Reporter joined across the years.

2008

Unity Fund is Created

In 2008, the Trust created the Unity Fund in response to the worst recession in Chicago since the Great Depression. The Unity Fund pools contributions from donors and distributes funds to area nonprofit organizations providing human services to vulnerable and under-resourced families. One year later, the Unity Challenge was established as a matching fund to raise money for the Unity Fund. Since its creation, donors have helped the Unity Fund award over $16 million to benefit over 200 nonprofits providing critical services across Chicago.

2014

On the Table is Established

The Trust launched On The Table, an event that brought together thousands of Chicago residents to break bread and discuss innovative ideas that will make the region prosperous and safe while fueling a greater spirit of philanthropy. Since its inception, tens of thousands of people across metropolitan Chicago participated annually in On The Table and more than 30 communities across the country held their own On The Table events.

2015

The Trust Celebrates Its Centennial

The Trust celebrated a century of impact in 2015. Over the course of its 100 years, the organization awarded over $2 billion in grantmaking to more than 11,000 local nonprofit organizations from 1915-2015.

2020

The Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund Launches

In March 2020, the Trust and United Way of Metropolitan Chicago established the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund in March 2020 in partnership with the City of Chicago and Chicago philanthropists, business leaders, and donors. The fund rapidly deployed resources to local nonprofit organizations across metropolitan Chicago that supply essential resources to individuals and households most impacted by the pandemic.

2021

We Rise Together: For an Equitable & Just Recovery Launches

We Rise Together launches as an accelerator uniting partners from philanthropy, business, government, nonprofits, and communities in the economic recovery to help ensure communities hit hardest by the COVID-19 crisis are not left behind, supporting a stronger region for all. In August 2025, the initiative sunsetted and transitioned into the Neighborhood Capital Fund established to continue the economic momentum We Rise Together helped support by advancing community plans through sustained, coordinated investments that, over time, build on one another and lead to transformative change.

2022

The Financial Health Pulse® Chicago 2022 Report Releases

A new report by Financial Health Network offered the first comprehensive picture of financial health disparities in Chicago and broader Cook County by examining how individuals spend, save, borrow, and plan. The report would later be updated in a new version in 2025.

2023

Press Forward Chicago Launches

Press Forward Chicago launches as a pooled fund for journalism based at The Chicago Community Trust seeking to create healthier communities through the support of strong and sustainable news and information ecosystems. It is a local affiliate of the national Press Forward movement.

2024

The "Color of Wealth" Report is Released

The Chicago Community Trust commissioned the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy at The New School to survey Chicago region residents to examine how wealth intersects with race, ethnicity and other key drivers. The report revealed dramatic divides and explores the relationship of wealth to homeownership, access to financial tools and services, incarceration, debt, the COVID-19 pandemic, and more.

2026

The Resilient Chicago Fund Launches

Resilient Chicago Fund launches as a collaborative philanthropic initiative created to support innovation for basic human needs. Co-chaired by The Chicago Community Trust and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the fund is guided by a Steering Committee comprised of multiple philanthropic partners.

From the Archives: 1976 — George E. Johnson, Sr.

“From the Archives” explores highlights from The Chicago Community Trust’s archives showcasing unique moments and milestones from its 100+ year history in the Chicago region. Stay tuned throughout the year for more stories.