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 4731 results
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Grant Recipient
Metropolitan Tenants Organization
The Metropolitan Tenants Organization (MTO) requests a $50,000 general operating grant. A 39-year old grassroots nonprofit in Chicago, MTO is a membership organization made up of tenants, tenant organizations, community members and groups who support the mission of MTO to educate, organize, and empower tenants to have a voice in the decisions that affect the affordability, availability, and sustainability of safe, decent, and accessible housing. MTO works on its mission through three primary programs: a Tenants Rights Hotline serving close to 9,000 people annually, many of whom are facing eviction and most of whom live in Chicago's predominantly African-American communities; an Affordable Housing Preservation Program, engaging and aiding renters to advocate for their rights as tenants; and a Healthy Homes Program that addresses home-based health hazards. MTO’s primary population is low income and minority. Our relationship with tenants and the community drive everything we do. Every interaction with a tenant is an opportunity to empower and build relationships that align with their needs, involve them in broader housing policies, and connect them to campaigns that promote systemic change. MTO is a key partner in citywide coalitions such as the Chicago Housing Initiative (CHI); Chicago Housing Justice League (CHJL), and; Proactive Addressing Substandard Housing (PASH). We offer regular training sessions for community-based groups such as Garfield Park Community Council, Pilsen Alliance, Night Ministry, Enlace, Access Living, Apna Ghar, and Lugenia Burns Hope Center which amplify our work and strengthen community voices to push for policy changes.
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Grant Recipient
The HANA Center
HANA Center (HANA) builds the power of Korean, Asian American, and multiethnic immigrant communities in Chicagoland through social services, education, culture, and community organizing to advance human rights. HANA began in February 2017, as a merger of Korean American Community Services (est. 1972) and Korean American Resource and Cultural Center (est. 1995). HANA means “one” in Korean, symbolizing unity and wholeness. By combining over 75 years of experience, HANA created a one-stop which breaks down barriers for immigrants to access critical resources and builds an informed and engaged community working together to uplift their collective lives. HANA engages 16,000 Korean and multiethnic immigrants annually in Chicago and northwest suburbs. HANA respectfully requests $40,000 from the Trust for general operating support, which will allow the organization to deepen the impact of its services, advance its strategic goals, and meet the urgent and growing needs of immigrant communities across Chicago. Detailed goals and objectives are listed below under Learning and Outcomes.
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Grant Recipient
Ecosystems of Care
Ecosystems of Care works to build stronger and more just systems of food, information, and resources, forge connections across neighbors, and generate community power. Our core project, Market Box, began as an emergency pandemic response in 2020, and takes a full-system approach to food insecurity. Our volunteer-led mutual aid project bulk-buys food from local farms and distributes it for free to Black, low-income neighbors across the South Side of Chicago. In five years, we have made over 24,000 deliveries. We seek to fill gaps left by existing food aid: because state benefits structures are often insufficient, we take a trust-based approach and do not require income verification. Because many in our network struggle with mobility, we deliver food directly. And because many existing pantries are best equipped to offer shelf-stable goods, we deliver fresh produce and protein. With every bag of food, we work toward three goals: to get fresh produce to our neighbors, to support small midwest farms, and to build a proven, replicable model of community-driven, locally sourced food-support.
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Grant Recipient
NeighborSpace
NeighborSpace seeks a three-year grant of $100,000 per year to support hiring an Urban Agriculture Coordinator: $75,000 will cover salary and fringe benefits for the position; $25,000 will support a portion of salaries for the Executive Director and Assistant Director, who will oversee and collaborate with the position. The Urban Agriculture Coordinator will serve a rapidly growing network of new and existing urban agriculture sites, supporting high-yield community gardens and neighborhood farms at all stages of land acquisition and remediation, design/build activities and business development, and ongoing stewardship.
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Grant Recipient
Chicagos Sunshine Enterprises Inc
Next Level Exchange (NLE) is a collaborative initiative that strengthens the capacity of Business Support Organizations (BSOs) and increases equitable access to business mentorship for underrepresented entrepreneurs. Through high-quality, long-term mentoring relationships with experienced business owners and professionals, alongside curated networking and business education, NLE helps entrepreneurs grow their businesses, build assets, and access new forms of capital—financial, social, and knowledge-based. NLE is a partnership of Sunshine Enterprises (SE), the Chicago Urban League (CUL), and the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC), with SE serving as our fiscal sponsor and operational backbone. NLE is currently pursuing independent 501(c)(3) status as part of our collective vision to expand and scale small business mentorship opportunities throughout the Chicago area. Sunshine Enterprises is applying on behalf of NLE for $75,000 to support the program’s continued growth, deepen its integration with BSOs in the Fund for Equitable Business Growth (FEBG) network, and expand its impact on underrepresented entrepreneurs. In early 2024, NLE hired a full-time Program Director who is now fully operational and actively leading efforts to formalize systems and processes and scale the program’s reach and impact. This new capacity has already increased NLE’s ability to grow its cohorts, strengthen BSO partnerships, codify its model through the NLE Playbook, and pursue independent 501(c)(3) status. In 2024, NLE recruited 59 new mentees, added 17 new mentors, and conducted 3 mentoring cohorts and 8 events—including workshops, trainings, networking events, mentor huddles, and graduations. We embarked on and completed several major projects, including implementing a CRM system, upgrading our website, and finalizing the NLE Playbook. Surveys conducted with participants have shown positive feedback across all program areas, reflecting growing confidence and satisfaction. Additionally, we engaged a volunteer from Catchafire to help improve our metrics and measurement systems to better track impact. During this grant period, NLE will run 3 cohorts serving at least 70 entrepreneurs and host 8 events for current and past participants, including our first pitch competition focused exclusively on capital readiness. This year, NLE will broaden recruitment to include more BSOs—particularly within the FEBG network—build our advisory board, develop toolkits, and create a new directory of resources to foster the mentorship ecosystem. We will also deepen our referral capacity to connect mentees to appropriate BSO programming, increase educational efforts, and facilitate targeted introductions to enhance access to social and financial capital.
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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.