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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Love With Impact: Philanthropy and the Act of Community Caretaking
Helping people have a positive impact in the world has been my life’s passion—although not through an obvious path. In my college yearbook I mused…
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Taking on the Racial Wealth Gap? Isn’t That Risky?
Disinvested neighborhoods. Segregation. Sluggish economic growth. African Americans leaving the Chicago region in droves. All these phenomena are exacerbated when we factor in race, and…
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Connectedness and Power: Seeing Chicago’s Black and Latinx Communities
Bruce Springsteen wrote and recorded a song about my hometown, Youngstown, Ohio. When I first heard the track, it was instantly familiar. Springsteen’s raspy voice…
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We All Benefit When Everyone Reaches Their Potential
At the young age of 18, my mother left South Korea for Wuppertal, Germany to study nursing. How did a young woman from a rural…
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Twelve Innovative Partnerships to Help Businesses of Color Grow
Small business owners drive economic empowerment, both through their direct economic impact and as anchors and job-creators for the communities they serve. We know that…
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Helping Latinx Families Build Healthy Habits that Sustain Generations
For nearly 150 years, Erie Neighborhood House has been an institution for Chicago’s immigrant families. Originally founded as a settlement house to help Dutch immigrants…
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A Passion for Cooking Becomes a Career Path in East Garfield Park
Between the Garfield Park Conservatory and rows of worn Green Line tracks sits Inspiration Kitchens. Each year more than one hundred people come here to…
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Fund for Safe & Peaceful Communities Makes Neighborhood Impact, Draws National Support
Mass shootings. Deadly violence in neighborhoods. Unfortunately, these headlines too often dominate our daily newsfeeds. It is reasonable to feel overwhelmed and powerless to help…
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Nothing About Us Without Us
There are a handful of people in life that make you stop, listen and act. Marca Bristo is one of those people. A pioneer of…
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Our Brothers’ Keepers: Why Frank Clark Reaches Out and Gives Back
In celebration of Black Philanthropy Month, the Trust is featuring a series of conversations with Black philanthropists making their impact across the Chicago region. This…
