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…
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Community Organizations Help Families Build More Stable Financial Futures
Since 2001, Family Independence Initiative (FII) has been in the business of direct cash transfers—depositing money right into the bank accounts of families living in…
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Our Great Rivers Reimagines Chicago River System as Vital Lifeforce
What if Chicago’s rivers were seen not just as waterways, but as treasured cultural and economic assets, similar to Lake Michigan? In 2016, the Metropolitan…
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Fast-Growing Food Enterprise Run by Entrepreneurs of Color Secures New Home
The founders of ChiFresh Kitchen never expected their worker-owned, commercial kitchen cooperative would launch early due to a pandemic-fueled demand for quality meals for people…
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Bridges to Brighter Futures Helps Black, Latinx, and Low-Income Students Secure Good Jobs & Financial Outlook
Over the last decade, the Trust and Kinship Foundation have elevated the concept of collaboration to exciting new heights by co-creating and investing in major…
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Dick Lang Cultivates Deep Roots
A partner at McDermott Will & Emery, Dick Lang provides trusted legal counsel to a number of the wealthiest individuals and families in the nation…
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Southeast Side Residents Advocate for Positive Community Development
When people hold the power to shape their collective destiny, anything is possible. This year, as part of the Trust’s strategy to close the racial…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast - Episode 3: Catalyzing Neighborhood Investment
In this episode of the Trust Talks podcast, Michael Davidson, senior director of community impact leading the Trust’s Catalyzing Neighborhood Investment portfolio, sits down with Lennox Jackson;…
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2021 Q1 Grants Support Resilience, Equity, Recovery
In year two of its 10-year strategy to close metropolitan Chicago’s racial and ethnic wealth gap, the Trust is starting to see the fruits of…
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Two-Part COVID Recovery Strategy: Vaccine + Equity
As COVID-19 vaccines continue to roll out across the country with increasing speed, there is reason to hope we may soon be rounding a corner…
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Young Leaders Fund Capacity-Building Grants Focus on Digital Divide and Wealth Gap
Last year, The Chicago Community Trust asked the Young Leaders Fund (YLF), one of the Trust’s affinity funds, to identify and support 10 past grant recipients that…
