Trusted Voices: Reimagining How We Meet Critical Needs
Across the region, households are struggling to make ends meet amid rising costs, changes in federal policies and social service programs, and funding…
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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Giving Insights: Caring for Chicago Over Generations
Narcissa Niblack Thorne is best known as the creator of the beloved Thorne Miniature Rooms—68 of which are housed at the Art Institute…
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Chicago’s Housing Future Is in Its Past: Look to the “Missing Middle"
Like the rest of the country, Chicago is facing an affordable housing crisis. Some neighborhoods boast houses that are too pricey for many…
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Building Space for Artistic Diversity at EXPO CHICAGO
Every September, Chicago kicks off the international fall art season, hosting one of the world’s leading forums for contemporary art and culture. EXPO CHICAGO brings…
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Converting Collectibles into Charitable Impact
It can be a challenge to encourage donors to think broadly about how to leverage their wealth for philanthropic purposes. Writing a check or transferring…
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Make Your Events Truly Accessible and Inclusive
Over the past several years, The Chicago Community Trust has taken steps to increase inclusion and access at our meetings and events. I have worked…
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From Homeless Families to Aldermen, an Uptown Community Dinner Where Everyone is Welcome
Inside Iyanze, chafing dishes brimmed with baked chicken, roasted vegetables, garlic bread and Nigerian jollof rice and spiced spinach. Outside the restaurant, a magnet for…
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Listening with Courage and Compassion: Lessons from On the Table
Columnist David Brooks frequently talks about the decline in social capital and social trust in our communities. In one column he asks the question, “What…
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Study Links Food Insecurity and Disability in Cook County
Access to healthy food is a serious concern for families across metropolitan Chicago—and the risks are even greater for people with disabilities, who face food…
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Fighting the Most Urgent Need in Chicago's LGBT Community
When Illinois’s Bill of Rights for the Homeless was signed into law, it outlawed discrimination against homeless individuals, guaranteeing the right to remain employed, to…
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The Man Who Made the Chia Pet Gives Back
Joseph Pedott is the advertising legend behind the Chia Pet and the Clapper—two of the most iconic products in American pop culture. But he navigated a rough road…
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The Evolution of ADA 25 Advancing Leadership
Disability is a natural part of the human experience. Using the broad definition of disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), one in five…
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Impact Investments Provide $12M of "Patient Capital" in Chicago Neighborhoods
A year after its launch, the local impact investing initiative Benefit Chicago has announced its first round of loans. Six Chicago-area nonprofits and social enterprises…
