Giving Insights: Giving Today for Tomorrow’s Needs
Last year, Americans gave a record $617 billion to U.S. charities, a 3% increase over the previous year, according to the latest Giving…
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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Trusted Voices: Seeing Impact in Action
In May, Trust partners and supporters had a unique opportunity to witness the impact of expanded homeownership on Chicago neighborhoods. We started the…
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Rebuilding Chicago’s Corridors, One Small Business at a Time
Across many parts of Chicago, vibrant commercial corridors are key contributors to neighborhood vitality, providing jobs, essential goods and services, and places where…
All Stories
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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…
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A Coloring Book Helps Kids Support Sexual Assault Survivors
For students at the Village Leadership Academy, understanding consent and sexual violence is a weighty but important topic. Talking with teachers and experts inspired the…
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Five Ways Family Dinners Build Stronger Kids (and Adults)
With ever-busier schedules and demands for our time and attention, the family dinner can feel like an outdated idea that’s better off left to families…
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The Erika Lyn Huie Downs Fund
Erika Lyn Huie Downs was one of those people who always went out of her way for others. Inspired by a passion for service, Erika…
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“Generate New Power Out of Thin Air”: Eric Liu on Organizing, Rehumanizing Politics and Starting a Movement
On Thursday, April 27, Eric Liu, founder and CEO of Citizen University and executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Citizenship and American Identity Program sat…
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Driving Neighborhood Growth by Surveying Local Spending Power
Launched in 2016, Chicago TREND works to strengthen neighborhoods by accelerating retail development in communities whose retail markets have often been overlooked, but where appropriate…
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Making 'Civic Connections' for Leaders with Disabilities
Approximately one in five Americans has a disability of some kind. Like employers, civic organizations are quickly recognizing that disability is an element of diversity…
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For People with Spinal Injuries, Dance Sparks Creativity and Community
In a small studio on the third floor of the Old Town School of Folk Music’s Szold Hall, fourteen people sat in a circle. One…
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Equipping Teens as Critical Digital Consumers and Active Creators
In the U.S., the Internet currently contributes to roughly 6 percent of our GDP, and the demand for the future work force increasingly involves technology.…
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“An Eerie Hidden Disaster”: The Great Chicago Flood
At 6:00 a.m. on Monday, April 13, 1992, the basements of the buildings in the Loop began to fill with water. It began with the…
