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. Today, that means confronting the racial and ethnic wealth gap.
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Grant Recipient
The Chicago Community Trust/Community Desk Chicago - Admin
General Operating Support for Community Desk Chicago
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Grant Recipient
Eighteenth Street Development Corporation
To narrow the wealth gap by catalyzing neighborhood investment and providing businesses and individuals with the tools and opportunities they need to build wealth and safeguard their future.
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Grant Recipient
Chicago Community Foundation
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Grant Recipient
CHICAGO COMMUNITY LOAN FUND
The Chicagoland Opportunity Zones Consortium (Consortium) seeks to continue its matchmaking and outreach to Opportunity Zone investors emphasizing a more strategic and focused approach; and its educational, coaching and technical assistance support to business entrepreneurs and community real estate developers focused on early-stage business development and real estate pre-development due diligence. Additionally, the Consortium requests support for continued staffing of the existing Director position. Officially launched in 2020, the Chicagoland Opportunity Zones Consortium facilitates connections through matchmaking, education, and technical support to attract Opportunity Zones investments that create quality jobs, build wealth, and promote equitable development in Chicago and suburban Cook County, Illinois. Comprised of nearly 30 entities, the Consortium represents 135 Opportunity Zones in the city of Chicago, primarily on the south and west sides, and 48 Opportunity Zones in suburban Cook County, primarily in south and west suburbs. All of these Opportunity Zones represent LMI census tracts and predominantly reflect Black and Latinx communities. The Consortium’s mission is to facilitate connections between developers, business owners, small business capital resources, and Opportunity Zones investors through matchmaking, education, and technical support to attract investments that create jobs, build wealth, and promote equitable development in Chicago and suburban Cook County. Its vision is to ensure that existing and emerging community development projects or businesses within these communities that prioritize long-term job and local wealth creation are well-positioned to receive Opportunity Zones investments and share equitably in the long-term impacts. In addition to facilitating connections and providing technical support, the Consortium works with investors and project owners to connect to applicable incentive opportunities, including the City of Chicago’s INVEST South/West Initiative, and prioritized investments in suburban Cook County Opportunity Zones. If additional opportunities for collaboration within the region emerge around OZs, the Consortium may determine if it is appropriate to geographically expand some or all of its efforts.
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Grant Recipient
FAR SOUTH CDC
The purpose of this application is to apply for general operating support to sustain the day-to-day operations and staffing of the Far South Community Development Corporation (Far South CDC). Far South CDC’s mission is to alleviate low-income communities on Chicago's far south side of poverty, blight, and economic distress through effective economic and community development. The organization achieves this through three main pillars: business services, community and housing services, and development+planning. To continue providing critical and vital services to the region, Far South CDC needs continued support in capacity and programmatic funds to further its mission.
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Grant Recipient
Endeleo Institute Inc
Endeleo seeks continued support for general operations as it relates to ongoing economic development efforts across the 95th Street Corridor, specifically in the Washington Heights, Roseland, Chatham, Burnside and Calumet Heights communities, which all intersect 95th street. In lockstep with a 2016 Planning Priorities Report, Endeleo was recently instrumental in securing a 2022 Pilot equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) Planning Grant from the Federal Transit Administration, a highly collaborative process that includes transit and planning agencies, community-based organizations, Chicago State University, local business owners and residents. Led by the City of Chicago's Department of Planning, this community wide comprehensive land use/strategic planning process was one of the many short-term recommendations made by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) in its report and Endeleo is poised to help lead community engagement efforts and foster a spirit of collaboration to ensure prioritized development around the Red Line Station and within its 1/2 mile footprint is largely driven by community input. In addition to other projects in various stages of development, Endeleo was awarded an ETOD Pilot Project from the City of Chicago for a community ownership project aimed to provide access to healthy food. Along with Cafe Du Bois and the Free and Fresh Market (a Greater Food Depository Partnership), Briget's Bodega will serve as the third intervention to address food insecurity and the lack of nutrition across the corridor. General operating support will thus help ensure Endeleo has the capacity to execute on its projects and programs, maintain valuable partnerships and coordinate the all-important community actions that result in highly impactful investments consistent with community priorities.
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Grant Recipient
Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation
Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation (GAGDC) is on a journey with the community to build an equitable connected neighborhood, where everyone of all ages and race are welcome and thrive. GAGDC is a comprehensive community development organization and is leading the effort to redevelop a long vacant, office building on a key commercial corridor in the Auburn Gresham community. The 839 Healthy Lifestyle Hub redevelopment project plan and mission is to bring jobs, access to healthcare, build collective power and sustain strong partnerships with neighborhood network partners while closing the racial wealth equity gap among the residents in Auburn Gresham.
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Grant Recipient
Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council
The Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council is pleased to submit this request for the Catalyzing Neighborhood Investment - Build the Foundation - Flexible Funding opportunity. The fiscal resources to support our ongoing operation, especially recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, is the potential solution to problems so many non-for-profits face. Sustaining our mission and work has been made more difficult after losing our fundraising season. The needs of the community we serve are greater because of this recovery, but our resources are fewer. Our work is ongoing and the support will undoubtedly help us to achieve positive results. We will continue to strive to enhance the welfare of all our residents.