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,…
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
-
-
Claude and Britney, Two Donald Stewart Fellows, Reflect on How Their Commitment to Community Led Them to the African American Legacy Fund
Claude Robinson and Britney Robbins joined African American Legacy (AAL) from different paths—Claude as a staunch advocate for uplifting African American communities; Britney…
-
LGBTQ Community Fund Awards $619,000 in its 2025 Grantmaking Cycle
The LGBTQ Community Fund, an initiative of The Chicago Community Trust, unites donors to support nonprofit organizations that serve the Chicago region’s LGBTQ…
All Stories
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
A Former Gang Member Finds New Power in Politics
Berto Aguayo is days away from graduating Dominican University summa cum laude. Aguayo sounds confident, certain. Happiness and hope resound in his voice; possibility and…
-
When Neighbors "Act Up," Communities Are Transformed
Each year following On the Table, the Trust hears from community members who are eager to share insights and ideas to better their community—all stemming…
