Lisandra Lao, and How She’s Inspiring the Next Generation of Young Philanthropists
For 30 years, The Chicago Community Trust’s Young Leaders Fund (YLF) has empowered young adults to actively participate in philanthropy by interacting with…
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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Laying the Groundwork for Lasting Policy Reform
When the Trust decided to integrate policy change into our strategies, we did so recognizing that to achieve our mission of a thriving…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 24: Sustaining Chicago's Cultural Ecosystem
Chicago is one of the most influential cultural cities in the United States, known for its distinctive blend of architecture, visual arts, music,…
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Through Collaboration and Community, a New Model of Leadership
Reflecting the recent passing of the 26th anniversary of the ADA I had those words in mind: “Let the shameful walls of exclusion finally come…
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Giving a Voice to Children in Foster Care
Almost 18,000 children are in foster care in Illinois. Many of these youth face a challenging and disrupted childhood, as they are placed in a…
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Fifty Years Later, Chicago Pastor Continues MLK's Local Legacy
On August 5, 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and a diverse group of 700 civil rights activists, religious leaders and courageous community members marched…
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Setting Tables Across America for Community Conversation
Since On the Table debuted in 2014, thousands of people from across the Chicago region have gathered to forge new relationships and foster fresh discussions about making…
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Remembering a Son, and a Community of Compassion
In the early 1980s, Tom Graziano and his wife adopted a baby boy named John. John was constantly sick, but his doctors were never able…
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Fighting Homelessness for a New LGBTQ Generation
Hundreds of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer young people in Chicago have no place to stay tonight. Longtime activist Richard Turner is helping to…
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Remixing the Art of Protest
“How can we conduct ourselves in this space in a way that is counter to all of what is oppressive outside of this space?” [pullquote]At…
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My High School: Diverse, Enriching, Unpredictable
I was definitely not planning on attending Roosevelt when I was an eighth grader at Palmer Elementary. As a kid on the north side of…
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My High School: Creative, Inclusive, Challenging
I grew up in Stone Mountain, Georgia and went to Stone Mountain Middle School. Once I started sixth grade, I immediately joined the band and…
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Evidence-Based Parenting Classes Reach Families Who Can Benefit Most
“My mom is different, and now we do more things together.” Across Chicago, parents of high-risk youth are building their parenting skills—and words like these…
