Affinity Funds: Philanthropy through Shared Identity, Community, and Purpose

The first time I heard of The Chicago Community Trust was in 2015, when the nonprofit I worked for received a grant from the Asian Giving Circle (AGC), one of the six Affinity Funds at the Trust. Affinity Funds are restricted funds that offer donors an opportunity to actively support a specific community’s welfare. The impact of the grant was transformative, providing seed funding for a new youth initiative that later went on to receive a $100,000+ grant from the National Park Service and is still going strong today. I remember the grant award ceremony, where I met AGC members, donors, and other grant recipients, expanding my awareness of the Asian American community in Chicago and illuminating new possibilities for collaboration and support.  

I joined AGC as a grant-making committee member the following year, intrigued by AGC’s model of philanthropy and motivated to give back. My annual dues added to the collective funds AGC had available for grant making, allowing me to maximize my impact beyond my own giving and making me feel like I was contributing to something larger than myself. Working with other AGC members in a collaborative decision-making process and learning more deeply about the work of various organizations through site visits strengthened my sense of kinship and commitment to the Asian American community. 

Seven years later, as the new Affinity Funds Manager at the Trust, I recognize that my experience was not unusual for an Affinity Funds member. Affinity Funds can be an individual’s first introduction to philanthropy and to the Trust, offering an accessible entry point for connection through a sense of shared identity, community, and purpose. By donating to an Affinity Fund or volunteering as a steering committee or board member, Affinity Fund members can build relationships and expand their network, maximize collective impact, and broaden their knowledge and understanding of their community.  

There are six Affinity Funds that currently exist at the Trust: 

• Young Leaders Fund, established in 1994.
• Asian Giving Circle, established in 2002.
• African American Legacy Fund, established in 2003.
• Latino Heritage Endowment Fund (aka Nuestro Futuro), established in 2003.
• Disabilities Fund, (formerly The Persons with Disabilities Fund) established in 2004.
• LGBTQ Community Fund, established in 2010.

Most of the Affinity Funds at the Trust were created to address gaps in giving to specific marginalized communities. While gaps in funding continue to persist across the field of philanthropy, the Trust’s Affinity Funds have led the way in raising visibility and increasing our giving to these communities. With the Trust’s commitment to closing the racial and ethnic wealth gap, the work of the Affinity Funds offers a crucial intersectional approach, countering the ways systems of power and oppression (particularly around gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, and ability status) compound to exacerbate existing disparities. By tapping into the expertise, relationships, and lived experiences of community members, Affinity Funds embody a participatory philanthropy model that is inclusive, trust-based, and effective. 

If you’re looking for a way to connect, joining an Affinity Fund as a committee or board member is a hands-on way to engage in fundraising, grant making, and mutual learning in support of your community. Even if you don’t have the time to volunteer, donating to an Affinity Fund is a great way to maximize your philanthropic dollars, leveraging the expertise of our community volunteers to help direct funds to where they are needed most. Sign up for updates, or contact me or Carrie Goodale, affinity funds coordinator, if you’d like to learn more.