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.
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Grant Recipient
Greater Chatham Initiative Inc
Our unique FoodLab Chicago model has been successful. FoodLab Chicago is designed for mature stage food businesses that are operated by black restaurateurs that have take-out and dining facilities along the south side corridors. In FoodLab 1.0 and 2.0, all 20 restaurants survived during COVID-19, and were able to pivot to online ordering and delivery. They received in aggregate of $1.7 million in PPP/EIDL Loans, etc. In FoodLab 2.0 they FoodLab Chicago put them into cohort tracks. The restaurateurs received an additional $273,364 in grants/loans, which they used to help them —stay up, scale up, and innovate. Having seen this winning model, Bronzeville and Englewood have inquired if we can serve their mature black restauranteurs go from good, better, to best. The FoodLab Chicago Team is seeking planning support for the expansion and development of FoodLab 4.0 so we can serve 20 more mature food-based businesses that have black owners that have businesses located into two new neighborhoods--Englewood and Bronzeville. FoodLab Chicago would continue our work in Greater Chatham (Chatham, Avalon Park, Auburn Gresham, and Greater Grand Crossing) and South Shore. We envision having roughly 25% of the businesses in each of the 4 areas, that is a total of 20: 5 in Englewood, 5 in Bronzeville, 5 in Greater Chatham, and 5 in South Shore. The planning grant would allow us to develop the scope of work for community-based organizations--Greater Chatham Initiative, which would be the lead, with active support from South Shore Chamber of Commerce, Urban Juncture, and RAGE and/or Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce. Plus, the planning grant would allow us to scope out which restaurateurs would make the best FoodLab Chicago candidates. FoodLab Chicago would retain our back of the house partners—FoodLab Detroit which founded FoodLab and acts as a collaborator and consultant, and AEO which frames, and conducts research and writes the findings.
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Grant Recipient
Field Foundation of Illinois, Inc.
Field Foundation is seeking renewed support of up to $350,000. At Field Foundation, we know that media and storytelling connects communities, helps us understand possible solutions to tackle deep problems like the racial wealth divide and technology deserts. In this moment, when there are uprisings and protests pushing us to examine the patterns of neglect and divestment that have damaged communities of color, at Field we have decided now is the time to deepen our commitment to this precious group of media and storytellers that help us think about and know our city in a unique way. Field is changing how news production and storytelling reflect Chicago and we are helping to create a more equitable, connected and inclusive media ecosystem.
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Grant Recipient
GREATER SOUTHWEST DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Greater Southwest Development Corporation, Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce, and Chicagoland Inventors Organization are seeking to partner together to: 1. Plan a collaborative effort around business education 2. Connect black and brown small business owners to each other, on the south side of Chicago. 3. Leverage each other’s best practices for the benefit of each organization’s clientele. The high-level goal of this partnership is to close the resource gap for Black and Brown Entrepreneurs on the South and Southwest side of Chicago, and to encourage increase in wealth building and the creation of jobs.
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Grant Recipient
The University of Chicago - Office of Civic Engagement
UChicago Office of Civic Engagement (OCE), the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and its current local financial partners including Chicago Community Loan Fund (CCLF) and Seaway, a Division of Self-Help Federal Credit Union, request a $25,000 planning grant from the Fund for Equitable Business Growth. These funds will enable the partnership, in early 2022, supported by learnings gained from the pilot implementation and robust evaluation of the Small Business Financial Fundamentals (SBFF), to re-examine the program’s partnership model, to make refinements to the program design including the core curriculum engaging UChicago Booth School of Business faculty and local banking partners, and to participate in co-learning opportunities between the funders and the BSO cohort. Over this period, the project team will also gather additional data and feedback from SBFF pilot participants and connect them to ongoing supports and resources to inform future enhancements to SBFF. The partnership will integrate shared learnings and prepare to advance a second program cycle of SBFF, which is responsive to the evolving needs of entrepreneurs of color. Through SBFF, UChicago and its local banking partners will continue to support local entrepreneurs to build financial management knowledge and skills, support recovery and resilience as firms rebound from the pandemic, and help prepare these businesses to ultimately apply for and absorb financial capital.
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Grant Recipient
Chicago Community Foundation
In support of the activities of the Fund for Equitable Business Growth (FEBG cost center 314), including the Project Director position ($100,000), consulting support for the BSO Collective Impact Initiative ($118,600), and professional services ($20,000).
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Grant Recipient
Arab American Action Network
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Grant Recipient
Erie Neighborhood House
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Grant Recipient
LATINOS PROGRESANDO