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. Today, that means confronting the racial and ethnic wealth gap.
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Grant Recipient
Chicago Community Justice Foundation
This project, located at 3845 W. North Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60647, will allow Chicago Community Justice Foundation (“CCJF”), the Alliance of Local Service Organizations (“ALSO”) and other community-based social service agencies to co-locate under one roof to provide violence prevention, legal, mental health, educational and workforce development services to residents of Humboldt Park and surrounding communities. The co-location model which is envisioned for this project is unique in Humboldt Park and will allow the various agencies to seamlessly refer individuals between providers, allowing those obtaining services to do so under one roof which significantly reduces participant attrition due to issues such as transportation and scheduling conflicts. Further, this model reduces wait times for services and allows the agencies to share back-office support which reduces the costs associated with the provision of services. The services will help community members by reducing barriers to employment and housing, reducing community violence and directly addressing issues faced by the most at-risk youth population. The project will also provide much needed community space for meetings, creative arts, and both indoor and outdoor physical activity.
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Grant Recipient
Borealis Philanthropy
Disability Inclusion Fund: DIF was launched in 2019 by a group of philanthropic leaders seeking to advance inclusion of people with disabilities both internally at their institutions and in their grantmaking. Our priorities are as follows: 1. Strengthen the disability movement by building the power of representative organizations and elevating the voices of people with disabilities within public life 2. Boost the capacity of disability justice groups to fundraise, communicate a more unified narrative, and other priorities as determined by the grantmaking committee and grantee partners 3. Build bridges between disability justice groups to learn from one another, complement and strengthen advocacy and mobilization approaches We meet these objectives through a disability-led strategy including grantmaking, relationship building, peer engagement and support, capacity building, and collaborative learning. The DIF is aligned with the legacy of disability rights and justice movement principles that understands the liberation of disabled people is interconnected with all social justice movement struggles. Disability justice is about justice for all people—it offers a better way forward; one which centers collective care and mutual aid, ensuring equitable access to all we need to experience and live into our joy, freedom, and humanity. To that end, we are continuing to expand grassroots infrastructure, and to strengthen relationships between disability communities and funders to achieve this.
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Grant Recipient
Ignite
Ignite uses housing as a gateway to equity, advancement, and independence. Ignite’s nationally recognized Community Housing Program is like no other. Our team leverages 48 years of expertise in providing youth-centered, trauma informed, evidence-based, and culturally sensitive care to intervene in youth homelessness and prevent chronic, adult homelessness. Current public funding restrictions force youth to exit housing services within 18-21 months after arrival and before the age of 25. Ignite believes this is not a sufficient time to address the trauma associated with homelessness, nor is it long enough for a young person to transition from survival mode to resilience and long-term independence. The short timeline is both unrealistic and not age-appropriate, as it puts youth overcoming homelessness at a distinct disadvantage as compared to peers with adequate support systems, thus perpetuating a generational cycle of homelessness and poverty. Our Community Housing Program was developed to solve this complex problem that faces unaccompanied youth who lack a support system and safety net to successfully access and maintain long-term independent housing. We make this happen by using a blended funding model that leverages public and private supports. Ignite intends to gather data, learning, and outcomes to prove this model leads to a higher rate of stability for youth exiting homelessness.
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Grant Recipient
Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Inc.
General Operating Support
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Grant Recipient
Planned Parenthood of Illinois
PPIL respectfully requests unrestricted operating support to continue delivering gender-affirming, patient-centered sexual and reproductive health care and education to the communities we serve, and to advocate for and increase access to these vital services.
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Grant Recipient
Illinois Partners for Human Service
Illinois Partners for Human Service is applying for a grant to support the Human Service Workforce Initiative as set out in the collaborative fund documentation we created in partnership with the Chicago Workforce Funder Alliance (CWFA). For this initiative we are developing and pursuing strategies to activate philanthropy and aligned sectors to elevate, support, and sustain a thriving human service workforce.
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Grant Recipient
HOWARD BROWN HEALTH CENTER
Howard Brown Health respectfully requests $300,000 over two years from The Chicago Community Trust to support the agency’s critical affirming services. Funds from The Trust will support medical, social, and behavioral health services provided to some of the agency’s most vulnerable populations.
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Grant Recipient
The Chicago Community Trust