Asian Giving Circle Awards $100,000 in its 2025 Grantmaking Cycle
Asian Giving Circle, an initiative of The Chicago Community Trust, is a grassroots philanthropic initiative uniting donor to make a greater collective impact…
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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African American Legacy Awards $615,000 in its 2025 Grantmaking Cycle
African American Legacy (AAL), an initiative of The Chicago Community Trust, unites donors committed to supporting the Black community in the Chicago region.…
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Strengthening Chicago’s Shared Ownership Ecosystem
For generations, Chicago’s neighborhoods have been shaped by the people who call them home. Historically, many communities like Bronzeville, Hyde Park, Little Village,…
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Changemakers Network Building Trust, Muscle—and Power
What does it take for a group of strangers to build trust among one other when they can only gather virtually? How can philanthropy help…
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Why Community Media Matters
Just about 18 years ago, I received a call from Torey Malatia, a man many consider to be a true visionary of public radio. Malatia…
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This Moment in Time
A week ago, a family began mourning George Floyd. Described by friends and family as a “gentle giant,” he was killed in broad daylight by…
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Uniting Funders to Help Businesses of Color Grow and Thrive
When it comes to closing the racial and ethnic wealth gap, small businesses can be a force multiplier, helping people build wealth, creating jobs and…
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Creating a Sustainable Grain Hub
Illinois is known as a major producer of corn and soybeans for the world market. But if more grains like barley, wheat and oats were…
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Kim Kamin Creates Value in Connections
Born and raised in Chicago, Kim Kamin grew up seeing and hearing the Trust’s name all over the city in connection to the programs it…
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Joe Pedott Pays it Forward
Joe Pedott knows firsthand the life-changing difference philanthropy can make in a person’s trajectory. When Pedott found himself living on his own as a teenager,…
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Fighting the Cause and Effect of Hunger
How does an organization feed more than 800,000 people each year and tackle the root causes of hunger? Since 1979, the Greater Chicago Food Depository—a…
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Amplifying Voices to Stop the Spiral of Debt
For Chicagoans with low incomes, a parking ticket can be so much more than an annoyance. It can be a penalty that forces gut wrenching…
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Fueling Economic Growth in the South Suburbs
It takes a lot to revitalize a community. Beyond ambitious development plans and the right lenders and agencies, it requires a central player—the glue binding…
