Young Leaders Fund Awards $105,000 in its 2026 Grantmaking Cycle
Young Leaders Fund (YLF), an initiative of The Chicago Community Trust, has been paving the way for start-up nonprofits and the next generation…
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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Pride, Progress, and Purpose: A Conversation with Jennie Brier & Ray Crossman
Each June, Pride Month offers a time to celebrate the achievements, contributions, and resilience of LGBTQ communities. An important vehicle for that work…
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Protecting the Rights & Dignity of All: National Immigrant Justice Center
Founded in 1984, the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) believes that immigrants’ rights are human rights, and that every individual deserves to be…
All Stories
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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…
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Giving Tuesday Now: Coming Together to Keep Our Nonprofits Alive
Across the region, nonprofit organizations are on the frontlines in this COVID-19 crisis, providing essential support to communities and families most hard hit by the health…
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How We #TakeCareChicago
Every day of every year, the fabric of the Chicago region is made strong by small and large nonprofit organizations lending a hand to neighbors…
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Why We Serve: Continuing a Tradition of Emergency Response in the Region
Spearheading the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund follows The Chicago Community Trust’s century-long legacy of leadership and assistance to the region’s most vulnerable citizens at…
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How Collaboration Sparked the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund
During times of crises, communities’ most entrenched challenges are often amplified. As Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and other public officials issued…
