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
Hope Chicago Inc
Hope Chicago requests a $200,000 grant from the Chicago Community Trust in support of our work to address growing concerns around the lack of social mobility, economic development, and education access for students and parents on the South and West sides of Chicago. Hope Chicago is uniquely designed to uplift families and the local economy through a two-generation scholarship model, for which we are primarily seeking support. In early 2022, we were able to announce that every student who earned a diploma from our five partner Chicago high schools would receive last-dollar scholarship funds, including financial support for room and board, books, additional fees and stipends to cover necessary expenses, toward their chosen postsecondary pathway. However, we firmly believe that addressing intergenerational inequities requires multigenerational action, which is why we are investing in both the students and their parents. The Parent Scholar Program is an opportunity available to one parent or guardian of a Hope Scholar that has graduated from one of our five partner schools, and that has received their own high school diploma or GED. The Parent Scholar Program allows parents or guardians to choose from the following postsecondary pathways: complete a 2-year or Associate’s Degree, complete a 4-year or Bachelor’s degree, complete a vocational degree or certificate, or complete a workforce or job training program. We are currently establishing many formal partnerships with a variety of colleges, universities, non-profit organizations and corporations in working to creatively and holistically support Parent Scholars. We have already formally partnered with the Chicago Urban League and Instituto del Progreso Latino, two organizations recognized for their work in serving families and communities, to provide direct case management support to Parent Scholars. We refer to these organizations as our community-based anchor partners because they are rooted in the communities we serve. If we were to gain The Trust’s support, we would utilize the resources to bring this work to scale and ensure that household wealth is increasing in the communities that need it the most, through equitable skill and educational attainment for parents and students alike.
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Grant Recipient
The University of Chicago - Office of Civic Engagement
The Chicago Community Trust (CCT) and the University of Chicago Office of Civic Engagement (OCE) have a shared commitment to building a thriving, equitable, and connected Chicago. Aligned to CCT’s Building Collective Power strategy, OCE requests a one-year $25,000 grant renewal to advance the Civic Actor Studio (CAS) in 2023. The Civic Actor Studio (CAS) at the University of Chicago is a leadership retreat for established and emerging civic leaders, led in partnership with The Court Theatre, that connects disparate civic actors — non-profit leaders, educators, funders, media, and UChicago faculty and staff — to examine the various leadership roles they play, engage in civic dialogue, and “practice” the embodiment of civic leadership so that they have increased self-efficacy in their work and build social capital among groups. Participants read dramatic texts and take part in theater-based exercises and discussions, creating scenes onstage designed to help actors access their voice, power, and the wide range of “characters” they embody. Launched in 2018, the Office of Civic Engagement and Court Theatre partnered with the Harry L. Davis,nthe Roger L. and Rachel M. Goetz Distinguished Service Professor of Creative Management at the BoothnSchool of Business, to develop and pilot this new leadership development platform. In 2023, CCT renewal funding will help support the advancement of two CAS cohort, serving 40 civic actors. OCE will work with Court Theatre to lengthen program activities to include additional workshops and convenings. OCE will also plan and implement trainings to expand the bench of CAS facilitators.
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Grant Recipient
WOMEN EMPLOYED
The purpose of this grant is to provide access and ensure success for adult learners, particularly Black and Latinx women, in pursuing occupational training, certifications, and employment in healthcare. WE will pursue this goal in collaboration with community organizations, occupational training providers, and employers with a focus on those serving the south and west sides of Chicago.
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Grant Recipient
NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES OF CHICAGO INC
NHS and the Housing Policy Task Force are seeking operational support for advocacy and communications to advance a proposal to keep Cook County homeowners from being displaced by the annual tax sale. This legislative proposal develops a payment plan to allow monthly payback of overdue taxes and exempts homeowners from the tax sale if they are current on their payment plan.
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Grant Recipient
The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
In partnering with the William Allen Pusey Fund, UIC has been a sustaining partner in advancing the study and practice of dermatology at UIC for the past 30 years. The funds are used to purchase the journals. The journals benefit the world through interlibrary loan as well as the immediate UIC community.
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Grant Recipient
LiftUp Communities
At LiftUp Communities, our mission is to accelerate the stability and mobility of low-wage workers and their friends and family. To address the gaps within the workforce development space, we plan to utilize the symbiotic relationship between LiftUp Communities and Do Right Services Company to launch various programs which support individuals on the path to stability. We plan to launch and expand a Stability Development Training Program, our Language & Literacy Confidence Program, our Barrier Reduction Fund, our Baby Bonds Program, and an initiative to Formalize the Side Hustle. Individuals are supported through 1:1 case management and have the opportunity to take advantage of the various programs we offer. We hope to share the insights we learn within the nonprofit and social impact sector.
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Grant Recipient
Start Early
Every Child Ready Chicago (ECRC) launched in 2020 as a public-private partnership led by the Mayor’s Office in partnership with Start Early. Together with a diverse group of stakeholders, we are working to ensure that all children in Chicago, particularly those who live in historically under-resourced communities, have access to the opportunities they need to enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school and life. This multi-year collective effort works to align the various prenatal-to-5 systems and supports serving Chicago’s children and families under a shared vision of success. Building a strong early childhood systems infrastructure in Chicago will ensure that our youngest residents have the opportunity to reach their full potential, will provide families the resources they need to support their children’s well-being, and will ultimately help close the racial and ethnic wealth gap.
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Grant Recipient
Metropolitan Planning Council
MPC's application supports the overall work of Great Rivers Chicago, with specific emphasis on: - Ensuring that the Task Force can continue beyond 2023 through working with the Department of Planning and Development and Friends of the Chicago River to help it become self-sustaining. - Advancing and strengthening current policies and practices around river development and land use to better align with Task Force principles. - Developing resources to augment the existing guidelines and documents that currently guide development. - Integrating the Our Great Rivers grantees more formally into the Task Force meeting structure to ensure they are getting the support they need from civic and government stakeholders and partners.