Nuestro Futuro Awards $500,000 in 2026 Grantmaking Cycle
Nuestro Futuro, an initiative of The Chicago Community Trust, elevates Latine philanthropy to support Chicago-area organizations and programs aimed at improving the quality…
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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From Foundation to Home: Three Families Begin Their Next Chapter in Austin
“To my first home!” Courtney exclaimed as she jingled the keys to her new residence in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. Last year, Habitat for…
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A Program that Builds Savings Just by Paying Rent on Time
Between rent, utilities, groceries, transportation, and other everyday expenses, many Chicagoans are focused on getting through the month. Nearly half of Chicago renters…
“Grantmaking” Stories
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Q&A: Open Call for Ideas – Advancing Policy
The Trust launched the Open Call for Ideas – Advancing Policy in May 2021 as a vehicle to source and fund new policy and advocacy…
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An Intergenerational Approach to Community Wellbeing
The Chicago Community Trust wants to see Chicago families thrive. While we continue working to close the region’s racial and ethnic wealth gap, we know…
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"Collaborative Fund" is a New Source of Capital for Groups Advancing Neighborhood Investment
In 2020, the Trust’s Catalyzing Neighborhood Investment team launched the Flexible Funding Program. The program supports and builds the capacity of organizations to engage with community partnerships,…
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2021 Q4 Grants Highlight Trust’s Dual Focus on Wealth Gap and Pandemic Recovery
Throughout The Chicago Community Trust’s 2021 fiscal year—October 2020 to September 2021, including 347 discretionary grants totaling $29.1 million—COVID-19 remained a persistent challenge.* The year’s…
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Trust Cohort Identifies Key Barriers and Potential Solutions for Equitable Homeownership
In 2020, the Trust’s Protecting & Advancing Equitable Homeownership grant initiative brought together nine local housing organizations to identify key barriers and potential solutions for…
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2021 Q3 Grants Foster Partnerships for Equity
More than a grant maker, the Chicago Community Trust aims to close the region’s racial and ethnic wealth gap by being a changemaker. Change at…
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The Collaborative: Bringing Together Advocates, Policymakers, and the Voices of the Formerly Incarcerated
There are so many nonprofit organizations and activists engaged in changing the Illinois criminal legal system that it often is challenging to keep track of…
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Promoting Wellbeing by Building an Infrastructure of Care
Each one of us is both in need of care and a caregiver. Sometimes we are both at once, as many have acutely experienced during…
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2021: Coalitions for Equity in Wealth Policy Leverages Efforts to Address Inequity
The Chicago Community Trust launched the Coalitions for Equity in Wealth Policy funding strategy in 2020 just prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.…
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2021: Protecting & Advancing Equitable Homeownership
The Chicago Community Trust is committed to closing the Chicago region’s racial and ethnic wealth gap and increasing the share of economic prosperity for Black…
