Unity Fund: A Look at Impact in 2025
The Chicago Community Trust’s Unity Fund is a testament to the power of collective giving. Since its founding in 2008 at the height…
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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Financial Health in Cook County: Why it Matters and How Policy Impacts Financial Well-Being
In 2025, The Chicago Community Trust, with support from JPMorganChase, commissioned the Financial Health Network to update the findings of its Financial Health…
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Responding to Chicago’s Urgent Needs in 2025
As the region’s community foundation, The Chicago Community Trust exists to respond to the needs of our region and the people who call…
All Stories
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Giving After the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act: A Charitable Conversation Guide
On December 22, 2017, President Donald Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law. The legislation makes significant changes to corporate and personal…
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The Music School Where West Side Youth Become ‘Global Citizens’
“Many times, our kids don’t see themselves as the wonderful, talented, intelligent individuals they are. They are faced with many unfortunate things that are part…
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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.…
