2025 Illinois General Assembly Recap
I came to The Chicago Community Trust in March after spending years as chief of staff to Illinois State Rep. Kelly Cassidy. I…
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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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 19: Confronting Homeownership Barriers
While homeownership is often viewed as a pathway to building wealth, a range of challenges can hinder its effectiveness, particularly for specific groups.…
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Transforming the College Transfer Experience
In the Spring of 2006, my mother and I walked into a meeting with a public state university admissions counselor to discuss my…
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Unlocking the Potential of Chicago’s River System
This week, the Executive Committee of The Chicago Community Trust approved $810,000 for neighborhood-based projects helping to unlock the potential of Chicago’s river system, transforming…
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Nurturing Creativity, Building Accessibility: Meet Chicago Theater’s Biggest Fans
Michael and Mona Heath prefer to sit in the front row. “We like our theater really up close and personal,” says Michael. “Our best theater…
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Hurricane Florence: 10 Community Foundation Relief Funds You Can Support
Days after Hurricane Florence reached land, its effects are continuing across the southeastern United States. Record rainfalls have reached 36 inches in some areas; with…
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The Disability Conversation in Every Conversation
The Disabilities Fund created the Inform and Act factsheet series to initiate dialogue about tackling our region’s greatest challenges. To be successful, the disability community…
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We Can Tell Who’s at Risk of Youth Violence. Can We Reach Them?
Stopping the youth violence that plagues some of our communities can seem like an insurmountable challenge. However, research shows that the number of young people…
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John Massey: Visualizing the Trust
“Be classical or extraordinary; nothing else is acceptable.” – John Massey This August, downtown Chicago will brighten with rows of banners emblazoned with the…
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28 Years Later, the Fight for Disability Rights Continues
For the 21st century generation, it must be hard to imagine how anyone could manage with the restrictions on basic living that preceded the Americans…
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Segregation in Chicago: An Annotated Bibliography
The Chicago Community Trust’s library houses a number of reports, articles and books detailing the complex history and legacy of racial segregation in Chicago from…
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How You Can Support Immigrant and Refugee Families—at the Border, and Beyond
Since the April 2018 enactment of the ‘zero tolerance’ policy for border crossing, it has been reported that more than 2,000 families have been separated…
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Saturday Afternoon Backyard Jazz, Just Like the South Side Used to Do
By seven o’clock in the evening on a muggy Saturday in July, the backyard of Zenja Vaughn’s house at 7343 S. Paxton was filled to…
