2025 Illinois General Assembly Recap
I came to The Chicago Community Trust in March after spending years as chief of staff to Illinois State Rep. Kelly Cassidy. I…
Stories
Spotlights on community issues, the people, and the organizations who contribute to effective philanthropy as well as a stronger Chicago region and world.
Recent Stories
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 19: Confronting Homeownership Barriers
While homeownership is often viewed as a pathway to building wealth, a range of challenges can hinder its effectiveness, particularly for specific groups.…
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Transforming the College Transfer Experience
In the Spring of 2006, my mother and I walked into a meeting with a public state university admissions counselor to discuss my…
“Trust Talks Podcast” Stories
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 19: Confronting Homeownership Barriers
While homeownership is often viewed as a pathway to building wealth, a range of challenges can hinder its effectiveness, particularly for specific groups. These include…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 18: Supporting Our Immigrant Communities
The truth about immigration in the United States is that unless you are Native American, we all came from somewhere else. Yet, in 2025, the…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 17: Leveraging the Power of Data
The Chicago Community Trust’s strategic focus on addressing the racial and ethnic wealth gap was informed by data on the stark differences in health, education…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 16: Working Collaboratively to Address Community Safety
In this episode of Trust Talks, Jai Jones, Program Specialist for the Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities, is joined by Esther Franco-Payne (Executive Director,…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 15: We Rise Together: For An Equitable & Just Recovery
In this episode of Trust Talks, we discuss We Rise Together’s impact and what’s next, including how the initiative—and donors—can continue to fuel the visions communities…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 14: Building a Robust Local Media Landscape
In this episode of Trust Talks, we explore the current state of the media, how to reverse the decline in local news outlets, and the…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast - Episode 13: Planning for Equitable Neighborhood Development
In this episode of the Trust Talks podcast, we explore the role of planning in neighborhood development, current efforts to increase investment in Chicago neighborhoods,…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast - Episode 12: Closing the Homeownership Gap
In this episode of the Trust Talks podcast, we explore the work of 3C, how community-centered collaboration can help close the homeownership gap, and what…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast - Episode 11: Accessing Federal Funds for an Equitable Recovery
In this episode of the Trust Talks podcast, we explore the barriers nonprofits face in accessing government funds, as well as opportunities to overcome them.…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast - Episode 10: Creating a Lasting Legacy for the Chicago Region
In this episode of the Trust Talks podcast, we explore how the Trust’s endowment and bequests made decades ago continue to address the most pressing issues…