An Unrestricted Gift for Chicago’s Future
For more than 100 years, many donors who want their love for Chicago to be reflected in their legacy have chosen to make…
Creating a Legacy
Gifts from wills, trusts, and other assets can accomplish your philanthropic goals, support specific charities, or enable the Trust to continue meeting the region's most pressing needs.
Photo Credit: Erik Unger
These gifts are often a collaboration between you, your advisors, and Trust philanthropic experts—one that ensures your values will live on through thoughtful giving and expert stewardship.
Some of the ways donors have created their legacies at the Trust include:
- Making an Unrestricted Gift to the Trust’s endowment to address the most pressing needs of the Chicago region and its people long into the future
- Supporting specific issue areas, such as health care, human needs, or education, while leveraging the Trust’s expertise and knowledge of nonprofit organizations through a Field of Interest Fund
- Providing ongoing support to specific charities in perpetuity or for a set period of time through a Designated Fund
- Making a gift to an existing Donor Advised Fund at the Trust
Our experts will partner with you and your advisors to meet your charitable giving goals.
Contact our Gift Planning team.
The 1915 Society
Named for the year the Trust was established, the 1915 Society honors our donors who have included The Chicago Community Trust in their estate and aspire to secure a strong future for our region through thoughtful philanthropy. 1915 Society members are invited to exclusive events and seminars.
To learn more, contact Adele Nandan, director of donor engagement, at anandan@cct.org.
Legacy Stories & Giving Insights
For more than 100 years, our donors’ generosity has made a lasting mark on the Chicago region. Here are some of their stories.
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In Memoriam: Charlotte Lindon
When Charlotte Lindon gave money to charities, there were strings attached. The strings were her heartstrings—her insistence on being involved in good works,…
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NatureConnections: The Legacy of Ellen Thorne and Hermon Dunlap Smith
In the late 1980s, the Chicago Public Library collaborated with a network of zoos, museums, and science centers throughout Chicago to design a…
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A Passion for Art and Philanthropy Brings Joy to Generations
For more than a decade, The Art Institute of Chicago has been decking the tiny halls of its Thorne Miniature Rooms for the holidays.…
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A Legacy Focused on the Region’s Future
The Trust’s ability to pivot and address the evolving needs of the community is due to donors whose generosity lives on through the…
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A Legacy Grows at the Chicago Botanic Garden
The city of Chicago was incorporated in 1837 as “Urbs in Horto”: a city in a garden. In 1972, with the assistance of…
