Spotlights on community issues, the people, and the organizations who contribute to effective philanthropy as well as a stronger Chicago region and world.
In Chicago, one in five households currently experiences food insecurity, a challenge that is even more prominent in underinvested South and West Side…
Luis Roman didn’t plan to become a changemaker. But what began as a post-college internship focused on LGBTQ+ immigrant integration quickly evolved into…
When I first arrived at The Chicago Community Trust, I was really focused on understanding the place-based factors driving the region’s wealth gap.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Helping people have a positive impact in the world has been my life’s passion—although not through an obvious path. In my college yearbook I mused…
Disinvested neighborhoods. Segregation. Sluggish economic growth. African Americans leaving the Chicago region in droves. All these phenomena are exacerbated when we factor in race, and…
Bruce Springsteen wrote and recorded a song about my hometown, Youngstown, Ohio. When I first heard the track, it was instantly familiar. Springsteen’s raspy voice…
