Giving Insights: Giving Today for Tomorrow’s Needs
Last year, Americans gave a record $617 billion to U.S. charities, a 3% increase over the previous year, according to the latest Giving…
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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Trusted Voices: Seeing Impact in Action
In May, Trust partners and supporters had a unique opportunity to witness the impact of expanded homeownership on Chicago neighborhoods. We started the…
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Rebuilding Chicago’s Corridors, One Small Business at a Time
Across many parts of Chicago, vibrant commercial corridors are key contributors to neighborhood vitality, providing jobs, essential goods and services, and places where…
All Stories
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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…
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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…
