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
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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…
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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…
All Stories
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The Lab That's Incubating Entrepreneurship for Chicago Neighborhoods
Chicago’s small business sector provides a supportive environment for growth, with year-over-year increase in nearly all types of financing. But a recent market assessment found significant disparities…
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After Tax Reform, What’s Next for Philanthropy?
It’s clear that the 2017 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act had an impact on many taxpayers. As we approached the end of 2018, many wondered…
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Ending Child Poverty, One Nose at a Time
Keep children safe, healthy and educated. That’s the mission of Red Nose Day, a fundraising campaign by Comic Relief USA that brings people together to…
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The Nose that Keeps On Giving
Have you seen red noses at the register of Walgreens? Have you wondered why they show up in May each year? Red Nose Day is…
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Inclusion Starts at the Top: Rahnee Patrick to Head IL Rehab Services
Rahnee Patrick has spent her entire career fighting for equity and inclusion for individuals with disabilities. Now, Patrick will have the opportunity to apply her…
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Chicago200: Cultivating Tomorrow's Leaders, Today
Boundaries are everywhere: between sectors, geographies, generations, backgrounds and beliefs. Chicago is replete with boundaries that are old, and create fear and uncertainty, even among…
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How Including Leaders with Disabilities Creates Lasting Change
When the Chicago Jobs Council had an open board position to fill in 2017, executive director Carrie Thomas issued a call for qualified candidates who…
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Mapping Money and Equity in Chicago Dance
In 2002, a groundbreaking study analyzed data on the Chicago region’s 258 dance-related organizations and companies. Since that time, the local dance community has grown…
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Civic Engagement, Healing and Justice in the Cultural Arena
The past and current anti-immigrant rhetoric is a constant reminder to integrate civic engagement in the Asian American community’s work of advancing justice and equality…
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Illinois’ Suburban Immigrants Find a Safe Anchor for Success
A drive down Main Street in Round Lake, Illinois, will explode stereotypes of the white-bread Midwest. Taqueria Gonzalez. Salon de Belleza. Yelis Bakery. A chiropractor…
