Neighborhood Development Champions Support a Strong Pipeline of Community-Led Projects
For the Chicago region to thrive, all communities must prosper. Disinvestment in the South and West Sides has limited wealth-building and harmed neighborhood…
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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Joshua Moreno: On Philanthropy & Showing Up for Others
Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the cultures, contributions, and resilience of the Latine communities in Chicago and across the country.…
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Rooted in Care: Community Partners Are Charting Paths to Housing Stability
Housing instability can significantly impact a person’s health and economic outcomes, including physical, mental and behavioral well-being. Stable housing provides a foundation not…
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Our Great Rivers: Chicago’s Next Frontier
On August 17, at the Studio Gang-designed WMS Boathouse in Clark Park, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, The Chicago Community Trust’s president and CEO Terry Mazany…
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Building Empathy from Behind the Camera
“I do want to make films that entertain people—but I also want people to be in the know.” In the last video of this partnership…
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National Funders Boost Culture-Led Neighborhood Development in Chicago
Artists remind us what is most significant about being human: creativity. Creative minds have the power to re-envision our world, imagining equitable futures full of…
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In West Pullman, Art Provides Kids a Voice Against Violence
On the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, the children of West Pullman gathered to stop the violence. In the parking lot of St. Titus…
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Three Ideas to Make Your Social Media More Inclusive
Social media is something that I never really thought of as being exclusive, but it is. Unfortunately, a tweet or post is not experienced in…
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Building Up Chicago's Next Generation of Black Entrepreneurs
“Say it loud! I’m black and I’m proud!” In a small chapel on West 74th Street, across the street from a CTA bus garage, twenty…
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How Fair Funding to Public Schools Can Power Neighborhood Safety
As the first day of school approaches, Chicago Public Schools continues to grapple with large budget cuts to schools and central office, and it expects…
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A Synagogue-Turned-Church Unites Two Communities Against Violence
The civil rights movement has been a nexus for African Americans and Jewish Americans for more than half a century. Now a lovely old building…
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Through Beauty and Laughter, Local Artists Help Connect Communities
We have each had a moment when a performance, or painting, or piece of literature resonates within us deeply enough to leave an indelible mark.…
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Mentoring Teens for Tech Careers—and Peaceful Futures
Curtis Johnson, 15, doesn’t like to talk about his former girlfriend’s suicide. But her story inspired his new website and blog, Human Hands, which aims…
