Health, Housing and Human Services Grants – February 2019

At its February 2019 meeting, the Trust’s Executive Committee approved 13 competitive grants to local nonprofit organizations for projects in health, housing and human services, totaling $1,070,000.

Health Grants: $90,000

• Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, for the It’s A WIN program, enabling families from low-income communities and military veterans in Lake and Northern Cook counties to experience the health benefits of nature and the arts. $65,000
• University of Illinois at Chicago Library of Health Sciences, for the acquisition of books and journals in the field of dermatology. $25,000

Affordable Housing Grants: $150,000

• Community Investment Corporation, for the Preservation Compact: a collaborative of for-profit and nonprofit developers, tenant advocacy groups, civic groups, lenders and government agencies working together to address the loss of affordable rental housing in the Chicago metro area. (R) $75,000
• Trust for Public Land, to create a new model for equitable development at the west end of The 606 by combining the creation of a public park with the development of affordable housing. $75,000

Improving Immigration Services & Policies Grants: $400,000

• Forefront, for work to increase the number of households completing the 2020 Census, resulting in Illinois receiving its equitable share of federal money and representation while counting individuals who are historically undercounted. $250,000
• The Chicago Community Foundation / Illinois Immigration Funders Collaborative, for collaborative grant making in legal services, community engagement and education. (R) $150,000

Housing+Education Grants: $430,000

In 2017, the Trust committed to supporting innovative partnerships that center on the impact of quality, accessible and permanent housing. With the launch of the pioneering Housing+ program, the Trust awarded grants to strengthen the connections between permanent housing and better outcomes in criminal justice recidivism reduction, health and educational attainment and performance. This round of funding focused on Housing+Education, supporting efforts to provide access to permanent supportive housing and, through partnerships and advocacy, to create positive educational outcomes for students experiencing housing instability and their families.

• Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, for a pilot program to prevent family homelessness by identifying risk factors; piloting revised eligibility criteria for short-term financial assistance; and studying the impact of prevention services on housing and academic outcomes. $65,000
• City Colleges of Chicago Foundation, to proactively connect community college students experiencing or at risk of homelessness with the coordinated housing efforts of Chicago’s Continuum of Care. $70,000
• The Community Builders, to integrate programs focused on housing stability, early learning opportunities and parenting skills for families living in the Oakwood Shores community. $75,000
• Housing Forward, to employ a full-time Family Support Specialist who will assist families with financial assistance, supportive housing and other community supports to end their housing crisis. $30,000
• La Casa Norte,
  for a combined parenting/child pilot learning program for families in permanent supportive housing. $80,000
• Logan Square Neighborhood Association, to work in partnership with five CPS schools, several nonprofit partners and the 35th Ward to preserve or create 70 family-sized affordable housing units in Hermosa and Logan Square. (R) $65,000
• University of Chicago Urban Labs,
  to partner with homeless sector stakeholders for the first evaluation to study doubled-up as well as homeless families. (R) $45,000

(R): indicates renewal of grant support

The Trust also supported health, housing and human services in the region through its GO Grants. As the GO Grant multi-year pilot program concludes, these longtime partner organizations are receiving exit grants to support their work through the transition.

In addition to health, housing and human services, the Executive Committee also approved grants in education and economic development; civic and cultural vitality; sustainable development; and grants from the Unity Fund—for a total of $12,400,511 in grants awarded in February.

The Trust is currently defining the grant priorities for its next phase of work, which will focus on helping Chicago achieve the goal of closing our racial wealth gap. New opportunities to apply for grants will become available after this planning is complete. If you are a Chicago-area nonprofit, the best way to stay informed is to create an account in GrantCentral, where you can sign up to receive notifications as grant opportunities become available.