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
FREE STREET PROGRAMS INC
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Grant Recipient
Albany Park Theater Project
For 24 years, APTP has been deeply committed to empowering BIPOC, low income, immigrant and first-generation Albany Park teens to transform their own lived experience and the stories of their community into groundbreaking theater witnessed by 50,000+ audience members. We do this by interlacing artmaking and youth development programming that includes deep, multi-year mentoring, college counseling and future planning, and by compensating teens for their work. APTP seeks support to fuel our current capacity-building work which will triple the number of youth artists to whom we can offer the APTP high school ensemble experience annually, and enable us to train a new generation of APTP teaching artists, creating a far-reaching ripple effect.
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Grant Recipient
Black Ensemble Theater
Black Ensemble Theater is seeking pre-development cost related to building the Free To BE Affordable Housing for Artists to be located on the property across from the theater and is a part of the Free To BE cultural village.
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Grant Recipient
Inspiration Corporation
Inspiration Corporation respectfully requests $60,000 over two years in renewed funding to provide support for general operations, including programming in supportive housing, meals, direct support, and homeless outreach services. Funding from the Chicago Community Trust would help ensure that Chicagoans affected by homelessness and poverty receive services they need to lead healthier, more self-sufficient lives. Funding will also support the process of establishing a new program site in Chicago’s Central Business District in partnership with Italian NGO, Food For Soul, to provide services to individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty in the Loop.
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Grant Recipient
Southwest Organizing Project
The Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) is seeking support to continue its efforts to get as many people as possible vaccinated in Southwest Chicago while also addressing the ravages of the pandemic. SWOP will use community navigators, known as our Covid Response Corps (CRC), to engage with individuals and families, talk with them about getting the vaccine, move them to an appointment when they are ready, and follow up to ensure they make their appointments. At the same time, CRC members will help families access the supports and services they need because they have been impacted by Covid-19. This includes financial support and services for families in need.
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Grant Recipient
Center for Enriched Living
The Center for Enriched Living currently provides enriching, inclusive opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to be socially connected and positioned to thrive. CEL seeks to grow its Employment Opportunities Program for individuals with disabilities, as well as to expand its outreach to new and under-served communities. For more than 50 years, CEL has provided enrichment, connection, and opportunities to lead a meaningful life for youth and adults across the Chicagoland area. CEL plans to build on its existing legacy by creating more inclusive, person-centered communities.
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Grant Recipient
Free Spirit Media NFP
Free Spirit Media requests support to aid vaccine outreach while creating journalism opportunities for youth reporters within our program, The Real Chi. With additional funding, The Real Chi will create more compensated positions with increased working hours to expand FSM’S COVID Response Hub. This will allow the activation and promotion of vaccine events in and around North Lawndale, an area experiencing disproportionate economic and public health effects due to the pandemic, while capturing stories of neighbors’ experiences during quarantine and ongoing social movements. This serves our community by empowering youth to design, implement, and evaluate their project, promoting vaccine access, and bolstering unity with community partners.
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Grant Recipient
CLARETIAN ASSOCIATES INC
Since 1991, Claretian Associates has remained dedicated in its mission of responding to the needs of South Chicago and surrounding communities by providing affordable housing and vital services that benefit the safety and wellbeing of residents and families. With the arrival of COVID-19 followed shortly by racial unrest, South Chicago, a community already heavy with critical needs became inundated with people needing housing, rental assistance, and food security. In response, Claretian Associates did what it does best; organized, fundraised, and met the needs of the community through a trauma-informed lens. This grant request will assist in improving the well-being of the over 5000 residents who receive services from Claretian annually.