Unity Fund: A Look at Impact in 2025
The Chicago Community Trust’s Unity Fund is a testament to the power of collective giving. Since its founding in 2008 at the height…
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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Financial Health in Cook County: Why it Matters and How Policy Impacts Financial Well-Being
In 2025, The Chicago Community Trust, with support from JPMorganChase, commissioned the Financial Health Network to update the findings of its Financial Health…
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Responding to Chicago’s Urgent Needs in 2025
As the region’s community foundation, The Chicago Community Trust exists to respond to the needs of our region and the people who call…
All Stories
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The 1619 Project and Chicago’s Centuries of Racism by Policy
Exploring everything from our economy to access to healthcare to the origins of American music, The New York Times’ 1619 Project contends the implications of…
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Partnering for Shared Prosperity in an Equitable, Vibrant Chicago
This fall, The Chicago Community Trust publicly released its new strategic plan focused on closing the racial and ethnic wealth gap in the Chicago region.…
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Providing Chicago’s Kids with Clothes, Toys—and Something to Be Proud Of
Bright blue and yellow bins stretch in every direction across the floor of a warehouse on Chicago’s Northwest side. “Boys long pants”; “Girls dresses and…
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IRA Distributions & the Charitable Rollover: A Simple Solution for Impact
As more and more Americans reach the age where they’re required to take distributions from their IRAs, some are seizing the opportunity to support philanthropic…
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Philanthropy, Mobilized: Behind the Scenes of Grants Management
What does it take to mobilize charitable dollars across the Chicago region? We sat down with the Trust’s grants management team—director of grants management Katie…
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2019 End-of-Year Charitable Giving: Important Dates and Deadlines
We at The Chicago Community Trust are committed to making your year-end giving easy and meaningful. Please review these important deadlines to ensure that all…
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Why We Serve: Reflecting on 104 Years of Commitment to the Region
In the early 1900s, the Chicago region was undergoing a great transformation. The expansion of the railroad system and a boom in manufacturing made the…
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National Philanthropy Day: Celebrating Private Action for the Public Good
Philanthropy has been defined as goodwill to members of the human race. I like that classic definition, but one of my favorites is from a…
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Closing the Wealth Gap: Chicago’s Moonshot
Dear friends, Today the Chicago Community Trust is embarking on a transformational journey that is as formidable—and challenging—as the drive to achieve space travel. Just…
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Collaborating on Community-Driven Investment
A native of Waukegan, I was born into a community grappling with deindustrialization. Just 21 miles north of the border of the country’s second largest…
