As 2025 Winds Down...
A Note from Our CEO As 2025 winds down and we gather for holiday celebrations, I’ve been reflecting with friends and colleagues on…
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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Turning Houses into Homes: The Impact of 3C’s First Three Years
Launched in April of 2022 as a three-year program, Connecting Capital and Community (3C) Chicago is a collaborative effort between lenders, developers, and…
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Trusted Voices: Addressing Hunger in Chicago
Families throughout Chicago are struggling to put food on their tables. Rising grocery and housing costs continue to strain household budgets, and pending…
“Experts & Opinions” Stories
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Inside the Trust: Addressing Critical Needs
Our Inside the Trust series highlights the vital work of Trust employees across different pillars. Our foundation’s successes would not be possible without the work…
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Building Economic Resilience for Families: A Dialogue on Cash Assistance
In 2019, the Chicago Resilient Cities Task Force released a report laying out a roadmap to increase economic stability for struggling Chicago families—nearly half of…
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Shine Light On Society’s Inequitable Institutional Practices, Public Policies
A young George Floyd was said to have told a friend “I want to touch the world.” Little did he know that 30 years later,…
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Why Community Media Matters
Just about 18 years ago, I received a call from Torey Malatia, a man many consider to be a true visionary of public radio. Malatia…
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This Moment in Time
A week ago, a family began mourning George Floyd. Described by friends and family as a “gentle giant,” he was killed in broad daylight by…
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The 1619 Project and Chicago’s Centuries of Racism by Policy
Exploring everything from our economy to access to healthcare to the origins of American music, The New York Times’ 1619 Project contends the implications of…
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Philanthropy, Mobilized: Behind the Scenes of Grants Management
What does it take to mobilize charitable dollars across the Chicago region? We sat down with the Trust’s grants management team—director of grants management Katie…
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Why We Serve: Reflecting on 104 Years of Commitment to the Region
In the early 1900s, the Chicago region was undergoing a great transformation. The expansion of the railroad system and a boom in manufacturing made the…
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Closing the Wealth Gap: Chicago’s Moonshot
Dear friends, Today the Chicago Community Trust is embarking on a transformational journey that is as formidable—and challenging—as the drive to achieve space travel. Just…
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Collaborating on Community-Driven Investment
A native of Waukegan, I was born into a community grappling with deindustrialization. Just 21 miles north of the border of the country’s second largest…
