Feeding Change in Our Region
The Chicago Region Food System Fund is a group of funders and community partners working together to build a more resilient local food…
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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Cultivating a Bright Future in Little Village
Little Village, or La Villita, has a long history of welcoming immigrant communities, starting with the German, Czech and Polish residents who flocked…
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Boosting Impact: The Amplification Fund
The Amplification Fund is an opportunity for donors to participate directly in the Trust’s grantmaking and join a community of philanthropists with similar…
All Stories
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The State of Religious Diversity in America
“Judeo-Christian America did us well for the last 75 years. What’s next?” With that provocative question, keynote speaker Dr. Eboo Patel of Interfaith Youth Core…
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In North Lawndale, Health Challenges Begin at Birth
“More of our kids will have difficulties. They’re already behind before they get started.” Located on Chicago’s west side, the North Lawndale neighborhood has a…
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City College ‘Navigators’ Guide High School Seniors Toward Success
Students graduating from high school face a variety of paths to success. Choosing the best fit requires information and guidance—that’s why comprehensive counseling during high…
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At Winter Coat Giveaways, Families Discover their Local Library
Operation Warm is a nonprofit dedicated to providing children with warmth, hope and happiness. The Chicago Public Library system serves all Chicagoans with opportunities to…
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A Wicker Park Housing Co-Op Fights Gentrification
Wicker Park is known for its nightlife, food scene, boutique clothing stores, beer gardens—and limited available affordable housing. Zillow.com currently lists a 2-bedroom apartment in…
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The Pediatricians at the Forefront of Health Equity in Chicago
At a December symposium on equitable transit-oriented development, presenters explored how a collaborative of nonprofit, public and private organizations came together to apply for—and win—funding…
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The Missing Link for Education, Health and Criminal Justice
Across Chicago’s social sector, a range of innovative nonprofits, scholars and leaders pool their expertise to tackle the city’s most urgent and complex challenges—like health,…
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For Lake County, a Reckoning with the Suburbanization of Poverty
“Concentrated poverty, which we think of as an urban problem, is taking root in suburban municipalities across the nation.” On January 23, Dr. Scott W.…
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After the Crisis, Defining the New Critical Needs
In the grip of the Great Recession, Chicago fought back a rising tide of human need: mass layoffs and skyrocketing unemployment, rising homelessness, growing hunger.…
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How Transit-Oriented Development is Building More Equitable Neighborhoods
Chicago has lost more than 100,000 African-American residents in the past ten years. Logan Square alone has lost more than 20,000 Latino residents in the…
