African American Legacy
Advancing philanthropy and empowerment in the African American community since 2003.
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2003
Year Founded
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$5.5+ Million
Dollars Granted
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$8+ Million
Dollars Raised
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160+
Organizations Funded
2026 Request for Proposals
African American Legacy (AAL) is pleased to announce its 2026 Request for Proposals in now open. This year, AAL has two funding programs: (1) Community Wealth Building, and (2) Community Care & Mobilization. Please see the linked RFP below for more details and to determine which funding program is eligible for your organization.
The RFP opens on Monday, March 23, 2026 and closes on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CDT. Incomplete and/or late applications will not be considered for review.
An information session will be held on Wednesday, April 2, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. CDT. Please click here to register.
To assist grant applicants with the process, AAL Grants Consultant Consuella Brown will be hosting a series of peer clinics to provide tips on completing specific parts of the application. The schedule and topics for the sessions are below. Please email aal@cct.org or save this link if you are interested in joining these sessions.
Because of the intended participatory nature of these sessions, these info sessions will not be recorded.
- 4/7/26 at 10:00 a.m. CDT: Budget & Financials
- 4/15/26 at 12:00 p.m. CDT: Community Wealth Building
- 4/23/26 at 2:00 p.m. CDT: Program Narrative
- 4/27/26 at 12:00 p.m. CDT: Open Hours
Grantmaking in Chicago
Since its founding in 2003 as an initiative of The Chicago Community Trust, African American Legacy (AAL) has granted nearly $4 million to numerous nonprofit organizations with innovative ideas for impact. AAL provides support to nonprofit organizations that work at the grassroots level to educate and engage communities, and to provide neighborhood-based services and solutions addressing community problems.
Advisory Board Members
| Natashia Holmes, Chair | Keith Lewis |
| Steven Shaw, Vice Chair | Jawanza Malone |
| Kim Casey, Immediate Past Chair | Renee Marongwe |
| Elisa Davis | Kafi Moragne-Patterson |
| Janice Evans | Britney Robbins |
| Glenn Eden | Claude Robinson |
| Patrick Hendricks | Mironda Ross |
| Joel Johnson | Shawn Smith-Robinson |
| Dennis Lacewell | Sarah Ware |
| Channing Lenert |
Life Directors
| Brenda Asare | Graham Grady |
| Daniel Ash | Marguerite Griffin |
| Claudette Baker | Suzanne Griffith |
| Troy Boyd, Jr. | Deborah Harrington |
| Andreason Brown | Loann Honesty King |
| Kim Casey | Diane Latiker |
| Julian Coleman | Sequane Lawrence |
| Carol Crenshaw | Robert McGhee |
| Amina Dickerson | Mary Patillo |
| Rebecca Ford-Terry | Shawnelle Richie |
| Denise Gardner | Baronica Roberson |
| Corliss Garner | Melody Spann-Cooper |
Learn More
The Trust is a community foundation that is dedicated to ensuring opportunity and prosperity are within reach for everyone in our region. As a charitable community, we know that many of our communities have been historically under-resourced, including by philanthropy. The African American Legacy Fund is a group of donors who seek opportunities to address those historic gaps, which will help strengthen the entire Chicago region. When our neighbors do better, we all do better.
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Give to AAL
African American Legacy activates an engaged network of community leaders who share the common goal of improving the quality of life of African Americans in Chicago through the power of collective giving, community engagement, and grant making.
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