What We Fund

Overview

The Chicago region’s racial and ethnic wealth gap slows the growth of our local economy and prevents us from becoming a region where everyone can access quality education, pursue a meaningful career, buy a home, live in a thriving neighborhood, and have a voice in the policies and decisions that impact their lives. By narrowing the racial and ethnic wealth gap, we can create a safer, more prosperous Chicago region for everyone. 

The Trust awards discretionary grants to nonprofit organizations whose work is consistent with our strategic priority to narrow the wealth gap and advance our program goals to increase Black and Latine income and assets, Black and Latine homeownership and home equity, and economic development in underinvested communities. 

Funding Priorities

The Trust prioritizes grantmaking that:

• Facilitates access to capital for homeownership, small businesses, place-based investments, and shared ownership.
• Helps to create new homeowners and assists long-time owners to stay in place. 
• Creates more equitable and affordable postsecondary education outcomes. 
• Expands wraparound supports for students and workers, such as childcare, transportation, and barrier reduction funds or stipends. 
• Facilitates the creation of quality jobs that go beyond a paycheck to include job security, worker voice, asset-building tools such as retirement accounts, and other supports such as education subsidies, access to paid leave, and caregiving support.  
• Increases community assets through place-based investments, shared ownership strategies, and public ownership models. 

To advance these goals, we engage multiple levers including grantmaking, convening, policy change, community organizing, and civic engagement. 

In addition, the Trust remains committed to responding to community needs and opportunities. Through our Critical Needs strategy, we make grants to local nonprofits meeting the urgent needs of households throughout Cook County.  

We share all open grant opportunities on our funding opportunities page. 

The Trust awards discretionary grants to nonprofit organizations whose work is consistent with our strategic priority to narrow the wealth gap and advance our program goals to increase Black and Latine income and assets, Black and Latine homeownership and home equity, and economic development in underinvested communities. 

Working in Partnership

The Trust strives to provide outstanding service to grant recipients, working in collaboration throughout the duration of their funding and beyond. 

• We have a limited budget dedicated to sponsoring nonprofit fundraisers, conferences and similar programs produced by 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations located in the Chicago region. Find complete details of our sponsorship opportunities and how to apply here. 
• Trust staff are available to help throughout the grant process, from the application to the final report. Please email learning@cct.org for support. 
• Grant recipients are required to complete final reports that document their progress toward the anticipated outcomes of the grant. These reports help us gather valuable feedback and knowledge that can inform our future work. Progress and lessons learned from grant reports will be shared in aggregate over time. However, we will never share information that is specific to your organization without getting your approval first. 
• If you’d like to publicize your grant from the Trust, please contact us for the language to use. If you’d like to include the Trust’s logo, we can provide that too. Once you’ve drafted a communication about the grant, it must be reviewed and approved by the Trust at least five business days before distribution.