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
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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
Chicago Women in Trades
Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT) requests a Middle Skills Grant of $150,000 from the Bridges to Brighter Futures Fund to support advancing women in the construction trades. Founded in 1981 and a provider of pre-apprenticeship training since 1987, CWIT has placed thousands of women, particularly women of color, in the construction trades. Our most successful stories include women who first enter CWIT training either unemployed or earning wages at or below poverty level and, having graduated and earned a paid trade apprenticeship, move to $20/hour for their first year in apprenticeship toward $40 after four years in apprenticeship. Once journey level is reached in the trades, women earn $50/hour, providing economic security to their families. Our proven ability to secure placement and retention into these living wage jobs (defined by Bridges to Brighter Futures as $25/hour or above) for an average of 80% of CWIT pre-apprenticeship program and welding trainees, not to mention returning alumnae, is the strength of this proposed project. Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT) offers three different workforce development programs at no cost to participants. Two focus on bridging women to construction apprenticeship programs, including the 12-week/180-hour Technical Opportunities Program (offered during after-work evening hours since 1987) and the 10-week/280-hour Women Build Illinois Program (offered during daytime with stipends since 2022), both certified by North American Building Trades Unions (NABTU). The 10-week/280-hour Women in Welding Program (established in 2014), which includes daytime beginning classes and evening advanced skills open shops, builds skills in all welding processes (MIG, Stick, and TIG) and metal working processes (cutting, bending, and finishing), which leads to American Welding Society Certification that is in demand across many sectors of the economy. Our training provides the math and workplace readiness instruction, strength training, and the hands-on exposure needed to become an electrician, plumber, sprinkler fitter, bricklayer, laborer, pipefitter, sheet metal worker, painter, drywall finisher, millwright, and welder. Job placement and retention at a living wage that advances to building wealth is our goal. Efforts to reach this goal include but are not limited to: 1. Job Placement, Re-Placement, and Supportive Services – In CY2022, CWIT placed over 115 women pre-apprenticeship graduates and out-of-work tradeswomen. 2. Barrier Reduction – In addition to childcare, transportation, and equipment/tool support, women who enter unpaid pre-job apprenticeships with some unions (e.g., 9-week indentured carpenters) need the support of stipends. 3. Mentorship & Leadership Development – Finding support among fellow tradeswomen and learning skills to retain employment and advance is key. Workshops such as Stepping Up to Foreman, Public Speaking, and Conflict Resolution, led by successful peers provide confidence. 4. Additional Skills & Certifications – Tradeswomen are more marketable when they have skills such as Appraising, Estimating, Foreman, ProGrid/ProCore (software) E Board, Delegates, Union Reps, CDL, business development, etc. and certifications such as aerial lift, OSHA-30, CDL permit, welding inspector, flagger. 5. Incentive-based Programs that Encourage Contractors to Hire Women – Workforce development partnerships around major projects such as the Obama Presidential Center, Bally’s Casino, Clayco, etc. Funding from the Bridges to Brighter Futures Fund will be used to implement CWIT’s placement and retention plan that will allow CWIT to increase tradeswomen’s placement and retention success short-term to at least 150 in 2024 and, in the long-term, to an anticipated 200-250 in subsequent years. This increased capacity will be successful, as long as current economic conditions persist, by effectively replicating our nationally recognized model with expanded retention staff, additional student barrier reduction funds, and increased opportunities to attain certifications and leadership development.
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Grant Recipient
This Old Farm
This Old Farm, Inc (TOFI) is seeking funds to continue a network of small meat processors and industry stakeholders originally started in 2022. The network consists of several small to mid sized meat processors looking to expand collaboration through continuing education and networking with the goal of collectively developing strategies to increase local processing capacity while developing markets for co-packing of value-added meat products. Supporting processing business sustainability ultimately will reduce barriers to growth of small to medium-sized farmers and meat processors serving the Chicago foodshed.
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Grant Recipient
NeighborSpace
The project, a partnership between NeighborSpace (NBSP) and Chicago Food Policy Action Council (CFPAC), will provide support to implement actionable land access strategies for growing local food on underutilized land in Chicago and Cook County using a community-based framework rooted in values of equity, sustainability, and collaboration.
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Grant Recipient
Basils Harvest
Basil’s Harvest, BH, seeks a renewal grant to expand the RAH initiative in partnership with the National Guard by establishing a farm-to-institution value chain with the National Guard units in Illinois and Minnesota.
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Grant Recipient
Grow Greater Englewood
Support for the continuation of Englewood Village Farms. Looking at how to support and standardize land access issues, farm support issues and capital improvements and security for urban farms in Englewood
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Grant Recipient
LIFT
LIFT-Chicago's mission is to break the cycle of poverty by investing in parents. We do this by partnering with parents to achieve economic stability and mobility through our holistic, two-generation coaching model with wraparound supports, including financial capabilities workshops and quarterly cash infusions. With the support of Bridges to Brighter Futures, LIFT-Chicago will: (1) Engage 75 student-parents in LIFT’s coaching program to provide cash assistance and help young parents enroll and persist towards their education goals (2) Expand our capacity to track members’ education outcomes so that data can be leveraged to support policy and advocacy centered on the experiences and needs of student-parents.
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Grant Recipient
Inner-City Computer Stars Foundation
The Inner-City Computer Stars Foundation (i.c.stars) is requesting $150,000 from Bridges to Brighter Futures to fund our Chicago programming with a focus on supporting the following areas: 1) Our hybrid technology job skills training, which results in living wage jobs in technology 2) Career advancement through ongoing support for graduates and 3) Educational partnerships discovery to enhance our curriculum, skills assessments and credentialing. i.c.stars works to activate a technology community of change agents to power social and economic freedom. Working with low-income young adults, i.c.stars runs a four-month project-based training program followed by a 20-month case-management supported residency that prepares them for a career in tech. Further, i.c.stars works to build networks between rising talent and tech professionals through quarterly events and networking activities. By doing so, i.c.stars transforms not only the lives of young adults but also their communities and workspaces.
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Grant Recipient
Metropolis Strategies NFP
Illinois Justice Project is the recipient. Organization profile shows association with other name (Metropolis Strategies NFP)