Working Together to Care for Our Neighbors
The Chicago region has a long and valued tradition of community organizations working alongside government to deliver essential services and enhance residents’ lives.…
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
-
-
Bob Crawford’s Journey from Business Leader to Philanthropic Changemaker
Individual giving remains the driving force behind philanthropy in the United States. Even amid market uncertainty, giving increased by 3.3 percent in 2024…
-
Young Leaders Fund Awards $100,000 in Community-Based Grants
Young Leaders Fund (YLF), an initiative of The Chicago Community Trust, provides young professionals with an innovative way to make a difference in Chicago…
“Partnerships & Initiatives” Stories
-
Advancing Equity Recap: A Three-Part Series Exploring the Homeownership Gap
In May, the Trust completed a three-part series on the homeownership gap as part of Advancing Equity, an ideas exchange that brings together various stakeholders…
-
Supporting Efforts to Expand Worker Ownership Models
The Fund for Equitable Business Growth, a funder collaborative committed to creating a marketplace of services for entrepreneurs of color in the Chicago region to…
-
Connecting Community Through Equitable Transit-Oriented Development
Proximity to reliable transit makes a big difference for the well-being of people and communities — physically, socially, and economically. Good policies and leadership can…
-
Stories of Impact 2022: We Rise Together
In the wake of the pandemic and the inequities it exposed, the philanthropic community has the chance to make transformational investments to strengthen long-disinvested communities…
-
LGBTQ Community Fund Grants Support Community Safety and Employment
The LGBTQ Community Fund (the Fund), an affinity Fund of the Trust, unites donors to support Chicago’s LGBTQ community. Since its founding in 2010, the…
-
Reflecting on Women’s History Month with the Affinity Funds
March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate achievements and milestones made by women throughout history. To commemorate the month, we reached out to…
-
A Nuestro Futuro Grant Enhances Mental Health Support for Former Detainees
Every day, Organized Communities Against Deportations (OCAD) works tirelessly to stop deportation cases across Chicago. Comprised of “undocumented, unapologetic, and unafraid organizers,” OCAD grew out…
-
A Nuestro Futuro Grant Helps Latinx Families Prepare Their Children for Kindergarten
The families Mano a Mano Family Resource Center serves in Lake County have big dreams for their children’s futures, and they understand that education is…
-
Advancing Equity: What is the Homeownership Gap?
Homeownership is one of the most important vehicles for building household wealth, creating a pathway for families to increase their economic security, and passing down…
-
Wealth Building through Worker Cooperatives
As the recognition of the racial and ethnic wealth gap has grown, worker cooperatives have emerged as a promising strategy to close the gap. These…
