Paving the Path to Homeownership for Housing Choice Voucher Holders
Since the mid-20th century, homeownership has been one of the most important vehicles for building wealth in the United States. According to research from the…
Grants
Featured
Our Grantmaking Strategy
For more than 100 years, The Chicago Community Trust has convened, supported, funded, and accelerated the work of community members and changemakers committed to strengthening the Chicago region. From building up our civic infrastructure to spearheading our response to the Great Recession, the Trust has brought our community together to face pressing challenges and seize our greatest opportunities.
Explore Our Discretionary Grants
Showing 5861–5868 of 4725 results
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Grant Recipient
YWCA Metropolitan Chicago
YWCA Metropolitan Chicago provides comprehensive early child care and education services and programs designed to strengthen the sector and create a thriving ecosystem. Our work is delivered across Cook County, DuPage County, Lake County, Kane County, and parts of Kendall and Grundy counties.
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Grant Recipient
Friends of the Children - Chicago
This grant will provide long-term, trauma-informed professional mentoring for kids who live in Chicago neighborhoods most impacted by poverty and gun violence. Your investment will empower youth, ages 4-14, with weekly 1:1 relationship-based support delivered by full-time, salaried Professional Mentors. Each child receives 12-16 hours of 1:1 mentorship per month on an ongoing, year-round basis, focused on developmentally appropriate areas proven to increase protective factors that empower long-term success. Mentors receive extensive ongoing training as they work alongside youth with complex trauma.
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Grant Recipient
Ageoptions Inc
AgeOptions is grateful for the opportunity to request $40,000 in general operating support to sustain and strengthen our mission of advocating for and supporting diverse communities of older adults and caregivers. Amid increasing political and legislative challenges—including proposed funding cuts to the Older Americans Act and efforts to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives—this support is critical to advancing our work. The requested funds will be strategically invested across three core initiatives that reflect our unwavering commitment to equity, advocacy, and inclusion: 1. Advocacy and Policy Engagement – $20,000: We will dedicate $20,000 to strengthening our advocacy efforts by equipping older adults and community members with the knowledge and tools to speak out against proposed budget cuts that could eliminate vital services funded by the Older Americans Act. Over the next year, we’ll hold a series of educational presentations in partnership with local organizations to reach more than 500 older adults and caregivers. These sessions will break down complex policy issues and show how they directly impact daily life—meals, information and benefits, services for informal caregivers, health promotion and disease prevention, falls prevention, transportation, and Elder Rights services. To turn knowledge into action, we aim to mobilize our community to send at least 3,000 advocacy emails to local, state, and federal lawmakers. Using our tracking platform, Soft Edge, we’ll ensure every voice is counted and that decision-makers hear directly from the people most affected. 2. Caring Together Living Better (CTLB) – $10,000: We will invest $10,000 in our Caring Together Living Better (CTLB) program, a grassroots effort that connects and uplifts low-income Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx caregivers and older adults in the western suburbs. As national efforts to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives continue to grow, programs like CTLB are more important than ever. Rooted in community leadership and cultural connection, CTLB provides critical support, advocacy, and resources to those often left out of traditional aging services. With this funding, we aim to deepen our reach by engaging at least 150 additional Black and Latinx caregivers—building power from the ground up and ensuring those most impacted are seen, heard, and supported. 3. Thrive with Pride – $10,000: We will allocate $10,000 to support Thrive with Pride, our community-driven initiative focused on empowering LGBT+ older adults and caregivers. At a time when anti-LGBTQ+ policies are gaining momentum and threatening access to inclusive care, Thrive with Pride creates safe, affirming spaces where older adults can connect, learn, and advocate for their rights. The program also builds bridges between the LGBT+ community and aging service providers through culturally competent training. With this funding, we aim to train at least 200 professionals to better understand and serve LGBT+ older adults—helping ensure that equity, dignity, and respect are at the center of every interaction. This work strengthens a growing coalition of allies and advocates who are committed to inclusive aging for all. Together, these three initiatives—advocacy and education, Caring Together Living Better, and Thrive with Pride—reflect AgeOptions’ deep commitment to equity, grassroots empowerment, and inclusive aging. Each program amplifies the voices of communities that are too often overlooked in policy decisions and aging services. With this $40,000 in general operating support, we will not only sustain critical programming in the face of mounting political and legislative threats but also expand our reach, deepen community engagement, and ensure that older adults and caregivers—regardless of race, income, identity, or background—have the tools, support, and power they need to thrive. This investment will help protect essential services and strengthen a movement built by and for the people most impacted.
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Grant Recipient
Green City Market
Green City Market (GCM) respectfully seeks $75,000 to expand and bolster our Farmer Support Program. The focus of this expansion is to advance our work to help our network of farmers build and develop skills to increase their revenue and market skills and become more viable businesses. This project will focus primarily on our mid-stage producers and equip our sustainable local farmers with the technical skills, market strategies, and peer learning opportunities they need to thrive and diversify their business. We will offer training-oriented programming such as topic panels and workshops led by peers and industry experts, and provide resources to build a roadmap for obtaining essential credentials and validations like third-party certifications.
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Grant Recipient
Illinois Collaboration On Youth
The Illinois Collaboration on Youth champions the safety, wellbeing, and success of all Illinois' children, youth, and families by connecting and strengthening the community organizations that serve them and by being a collective voice for policy and practice. Over the next 12 months, we will work to respond to the rapidly changing Federal funding and regulatory environment while remaining true to our mission, values, and guiding principles. We will also work to address the liability insurance crisis that is affecting community-based services to children and youth, and continue our support community organizations to identify and respond to racial disparities in their own work.
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Grant Recipient
Chicago Latines in Philanthropy
Chicago Latines in Philanthropy (CLIP) is dedicated to enhancing the effectiveness of local philanthropy today and for future generations by investing in Latine talent, facilitating philanthropic partnerships, and fostering fellowship among its members. CLIP seeks funding to deepen our impact in building collective power within Chicago's Latine communities, aligning with the Chicago Community Trust’s focus on addressing inequities and fostering equity and connectivity.
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Grant Recipient
Heart Women & Girls Project
HEART is requesting $28,000 of general operating funds to support its reproductive justice and gender-based violence prevention programming.
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Grant Recipient
ALL CHICAGO MAKING HOMELESSNESS HISTORY
All Chicago seeks $150,000 in General Operating Funds to best perform its role as convener and accelerator of the homeless service system by dynamically responding to emerging and long-term, individual, and community needs. All Chicago meets the needs of its neighbors through targeted emergency assistance, community partnerships across the city that help diverse populations and data infrastructure and capacity building that ensure these partners have the information and preparation needed to meet old and new challenges. All Chicago uses its unique convening and coordinating position to fill gaps and equip the homeless response system to work more efficiently and effectively. All Chicago provides supports like the Chicago Rents housing dashboard for case workers and landlords and Accelerated Moving Events that coordinate services into one location for a less burdensome and more efficient rehousing experience. All Chicago’s Emergency Fund empowers agencies to provide payments for things like rent, utilities and public transportation that ensure individuals retain and obtain stable housing when other funding presents barriers. Of the more than 1,100 households served through Emergency Financial Assistance by All Chicago, 352 were only possible because of the private, flexible Emergency Fund. More than seven out of ten households surveyed in 2024 remained stably housed 90 days after receiving assistance. All Chicago serves critical roles in Chicago’s homeless response system made up of 66 collaborating organizations, the Continuum of Care, CoC. All Chicago leads the CoC’s joint application for $100,000,000+ of federal support; provides the Homeless Management Information System, HMIS, database containing data on Chicagoans experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness; and oversees the Coordinated Entry system, Chicago’s central access point to services for those in need and monitoring the status of that service.