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.
Explore Our Discretionary Grants
Showing 5811–5818 of 4663 results
-
Grant Recipient
Forefront
Established in 1974 Forefront began as a membership organization to connect funders with nonprofits. Over the past 50 years, Forefront has grown and built a rich history rooted in supporting the nonprofit sector in Illinois and advancing social impact. Over the past 10 years, Forefront has grown and built out its advocacy and policy efforts, which has led to organizations across Illinois to look to us for guidance on policies affecting the sector. With the advent of the current administration, now more than ever, it has become clear that nonprofits in Illinois are once again looking to Forefront for that vital guidance, and collective action to address the current instability to federal policies and laws in the United States. The need for a social impact triage Hub in Chicago has never been more urgent as Illinois nonprofits are navigating a rapidly shifting landscape of government policies that directly impact their ability to address systemic inequities. Recent attempts to change federal policy surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have created additional challenges for organizations that have long worked to advance racial and social justice. These changes undermine the very missions of nonprofits dedicated to dismantling systemic inequities in communities across Illinois. As these organizations face uncertainty about funding, compliance, and organizational priorities, a centralized, responsive Hub is critical to providing them with the immediate support they need. Forefront is launching the Mission Support & Sustainability Hub (MSSH), a collaborative initiative designed to address the critical needs of Illinois nonprofits facing unprecedented challenges. Building upon Forefront's Mission Sustainability Initiative (MSI), the MSSH will enhance, expand, and deepen the existing services we provide to nonprofit organizations across the state. The Hub will be a partnership between five expert organizations, each dedicated to strengthening the capacity and resilience of nonprofits. The partners include Forefront, which serves as the statewide association for nonprofit and grantmaker resources; BDO, with expertise in nonprofit financial management; The Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF), a leader in providing pro bono legal services to nonprofits; the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights (CLC), advocates for racial equity and nonprofit legal support; and IFF, a Community Development Financial Institution with expertise in nonprofit finance and development. Forefront is seeking a generous contribution of $1,050,000 over three years ($350,000 each year) to establish and scale the core identity of the Mission Support & Sustainability Hub, ensuring that Illinois nonprofits have the necessary resources, expertise, and support to navigate the complex and rapidly evolving challenges they face. A portion of these funds will be allocated to cover the Trust’s membership dues. The design of the MSSH integrates Forefront's public policy and advocacy team into every aspect of the initiative, enabling them to build knowledge among stakeholders and advocate for nonprofits at both the state and federal levels. Forefront is committed to creating a sector where leaders are equipped, informed, connected, and empowered to advocate for their missions and communities. We recognize the critical need for advocacy at the local, state, and federal, and to support Illinois nonprofits, grantmakers, and their allies. The policy landscape remains essential for driving change and advancing key priorities. Forefront’s mission to build a vibrant social impact sector for all Illinois residents can only be achieved if policies at all levels of government support and advance the work of social impact organizations. In Illinois, the social impact sector: • Employs 11.4 percent of private employees via nonprofits • Generates $133 billion in revenue via nonprofits • Encompasses 6,281 grants made by grantmakers/foundations • Supports 50,780 operating nonprofits Currently, no other entities lead advocacy for the entire nonprofit sector in Illinois on critical issues such as charitable tax policy, sector regulation, and government contracting. This gap positions Forefront’s policy and advocacy work as essential to the success of the MSSH. The MSSH will provide targeted services, including legal guidance, grant assistance, and strategic support, to help nonprofits navigate these policy shifts while continuing to serve their communities effectively. With over a century of combined experience in nonprofit support, legal counsel, financial management, and organizational restructuring, the partner organizations bring a wealth of expertise. However, to fully implement and scale this initiative, additional staffing is needed to support both the Hub’s operations and Forefront’s advocacy efforts within it. These new positions will include: Director Level: This position will provide strategic leadership and guidance, enabling flexibility in shaping and advancing the Hub and policy work as needs evolve. Manager Level: This position will support the director in executing all Hub-related efforts and policy initiatives as required.
-
Grant Recipient
Scholarship America, Inc.
This grant application is for the administration of the William J Cook Scholarship Program. For the 2025-2026 academic year the program will be for renewal students only. No new students will be selected. Scholarship America provides full scholarship services including design of online renewal form, evaluation, notification and payment for the renewal students previously selected for awards. for the program. This academic year the program is projected process renewal awards to approximately 136 students.
-
Grant Recipient
Latino Policy Forum
In part through support from the previous Nuestro Futuro grant, the Latino Policy Forum created and led a coalition (Welcome to Illinois) with more than 100 members that addressed the issues of asylum seekers who had been sent to Chicago from other states. Now, as the new federal administration increases attacks on our communities and enacts changes that threaten the livelihood of our most vulnerable community members and the nonprofit organizations that serve them, that coalition has been expanded and repurposed to rapidly provide information about new and emerging federal policies and practices and coordinate action and advocacy to address those policies and practices. In addition to the more than 100 existing Welcome to Illinois coalition members, the expanded coalition engages new members from among the approximately 100 organizations that make up the Forum’s advisory groups or Acuerdos; from among the 34 community leaders who constitute Illinois Latino Agenda, which was also formed and convened by the Forum and is the largest coalition of Latine nonprofit leaders in the Chicago region; and representatives from other Latine-serving organizations. Funding is requested to support the Forum’s activities related to the expanded coalition, which include planning, convening, and leading regular meetings; providing information between meetings through email, text, and other means; and leading, coordinating, and/or participating in advocacy activities at local, state, and federal levels. In addition, funding is requested to support two other crucial aspects of the Forum’s work: (1) serving as the primary organizer and coordinator of Latino Unity Day, which brings together more than 400 advocates, civic leaders, students, and others in Springfield to exchange ideas and information about issues impacting Latinos and other immigrants, and engage with state officials to advance Latine equity; and (2) providing guidance and support to other organizations to strengthen those organizations’ advocacy activities.
-
Grant Recipient
Partners for Our Communities (POC)
POC respectfully requests your support to provide services to immigrant individuals and families. As you will see in POC’s Organizational Profile, we receive State funding to provide most immigration services. However, the State doesn’t support youth development, family engagement activities, or all the costs involved in POC’s legal services. 90% of clients are Hispanic/Latine, low-income, marginalized community members. Without resources and the education of those resources, clients would be in danger of becoming unhoused, ill, food insecure, and deported.
-
Grant Recipient
Brightpoint
Brightpoint (formerly Children’s Home & Aid), is a leading child and family service agency serving approximately 34,000 children and families annually. Since 1883, we have shown up for families in more than 65 counties across Illinois with half our programming in the Chicago Metropolitan area. Brightpoint puts families at the center of every decision. We provide services in the places where it is proven to be the most effective: at home, in the classroom, and in the community. These services fall under two core pillars, including Strong Families (Parent Support, Child Welfare, and Mental Health and Wellness) and Thriving Children (Early Childhood Care and Education and Youth Services). We believe that communities where we all work, play and live together can be strengthened through data-informed, collaborative, and preventative solutions. As a leader in early childhood education in Illinois, Brightpoint has continued to provide quality early childhood care and education to young children from families experiencing poverty-related challenges, while also offering support to families so they have the help they need to overcome financial barriers. We operate five centers in the Chicago Metropolitan region including: The Mitzi Freidheim Child & Family Center in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, The Marletta Darnall Child & Family Center in Schaumburg, The Community Childcare Center of Palatine Township in Palatine, Brightpoint Child & Family Center in Carpentersville, and most recently El Hogar Del Niño in Pilsen. Brightpoint/ El Hogar Aquisition: Due to challenges facing small providers of early childhood programming, El Hogar began the process of exploring a potential merger with a larger organization, ultimately choosing Brightpoint in 2023. Although El Hogar is now a part of the Brightpoint family, it has maintained its own CBO qualities and focus on community-based leadership, but now has the resources of a state-wide agency. For Brightpoint, this partnership expands and enhances our early childhood footprint in Chicago’s Latine community, in direct alignment with the strategic goals of our organization. El Hogar Del Niño was founded in 1972 on the initiative of Pilsen mothers who wanted to create an enriching and uplifting bilingual early childhood school for families in the community to send their children. El Hogar is now an award-winning, NAEYC accredited bilingual early childhood education organization serving nearly 300 students from Chicago’s Pilsen, Little Village, and South Lawndale communities, with 92% of participants identifying as Hispanic/ Latinx. The Center also serves 74 children and families in their Home Visiting Program. The Center has 22 classrooms across a 20,000 square foot facility located in the heart of Pilsen, with deep roots that attract families from several neighboring communities. Over the years, it has become a home for children and families in Pilsen, a vital community hub, and a place where families send their children knowing they will receive compassionate bilingual care and high-quality education. El Hogar staff work tirelessly to ensure that they are providing children with the best care that is available and proudly serve a significantly under-resourced and at-risk population. In addition to early learning, the El Hogar team has always been responsive to the needs of the community, providing mental health support, helping families access public benefits, and providing food assistance. Staff ensure access to all basic services available, and take seriously their role in reducing obstacles and expanding access to quality early learning for Latine students, ultimately helping close the achievement & wealth gap between Latine students and their peers. Brightpoint respectfully requests a grant of $10,000 to bring back El Hogar’s Music & Movement Initiative that was generously funded by a previous Nuestro Futuro grant in 2023. Our goal is to address social-emotional challenges among our 0-5 students with a music program that will allow our students to expend energy, sharpen their focus, develop their gross motor skills, and hone their self-regulation skills. We aim to offer dynamic and fun programming that will engage 204 of our students and supplement the critical mental health support provided by our Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
-
Grant Recipient
El Valor Corp.
El Valor seeks funding for our early childhood programs, which provide vital services to more than 3,000 children ages 0–5 and their families each year. Our bilingual programming, offered in English and Spanish, supports the social, emotional, and cognitive development of young children. Funding will also help us invest in families through workshops and educational opportunities that empower them to become strong advocates for their children's development and overall well-being.
-
Grant Recipient
Immigrant Solidarity Dupage
mmigrant Solidarity DuPage seeks this grant in order to continue our work aggressively defending the rights and well-being of Latin immigrants and others in our area. With the lawless and unconstrained Trump administration wreaking havoc on civil liberties, this work is now more crucial than ever, and we are waging our struggles on several different fronts. Our Casa DuPage Workers’ Center helps thousands of people defend their rights every year. We continue to successfully oppose mass firings and have exposed child labor and other odious practices. We organize communities to stand in solidarity against ICE raids and conduct many “know your rights” trainings. We work with local pantries to distribute food into apartment complexes and other so-called food deserts which are under-served by corporate grocery chains. This grant will allow us to fully fund all of these activities and more. In conclusion, we will use these funds to (1) operate a Rapid Response Network combining food distribution in impoverished areas of DuPage along with “know your rights” information and tabling around immigrant and worker rights; (2) maintain the organizing of Casa DuPage Workers’ Center which at the moment is organizing in seventeen factories, conducting one boycott, and conducting numerous educational activities; (3) defend our community in the face of Trump Administration attacks. We have been at the forefront of community organizing (marches, protests, coalition work, press conference-s, know-your-rights trainings) and we will use these funds to continue this work on the front lines of action in the face of the Trump Administration's attacks against our community’s dignity and decency.
-
Grant Recipient
Onward Neighborhood House
Since its founding in 1893, Onward Neighborhood House has provided wraparound social services, as well as economic and educational opportunities to Chicago’s immigrant communities. In 2020, the organization established an Illinois Welcoming Center to aid new arrivals as they settle in the city. Today, it continues to provide access to comprehensive settlement services, including access to healthcare, education, and translation services, through both its own programs and referrals to external partners. Located in Belmont Cragin, the neighborhood with the largest Latine population in Chicago, as a Latine-led and staffed organization rooted in the Northwest Side, Onward House is well-equipped to deliver culturally fluent resources to meet the needs of new arrivals and long-standing residents with migration backgrounds alike.