Feeding Change in Our Region
The Chicago Region Food System Fund is a group of funders and community partners working together to build a more resilient local food…
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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Cultivating a Bright Future in Little Village
Little Village, or La Villita, has a long history of welcoming immigrant communities, starting with the German, Czech and Polish residents who flocked…
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Boosting Impact: The Amplification Fund
The Amplification Fund is an opportunity for donors to participate directly in the Trust’s grantmaking and join a community of philanthropists with similar…
All Stories
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Thousand Mile Journey Toward a United Chicago Continues
The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—his struggle for justice and equity for all—resonates vividly against the backdrop of Chicago’s contemporary challenges. Dr. King’s…
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Chicago Faith and Justice Leaders Confront America's "Original Sin"
“We don’t have racialized communities by accident. We are structured out of relationship to each other.” With these words, Rev. Jim Wallis called on Chicagoans…
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Nonprofits Team Up to Transform Lives in LGBTQ Chicago
When two world-class nonprofit organizations work together, they create new solutions with the power to transform communities. That’s the guiding principle behind three Transformational Grants,…
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To Build a More Unified Community, 'Trust the Tables'
From the beginning, On the Table participants have told us that a key to solving Chicago’s challenges is community engagement and collaboration. Putting the conversation…
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A Neighborhood Bakery Helping Homeless Youth Reach their Dreams
Blue Sky Bakery & Cafe, a charming coffee shop in the North Center neighborhood, has a serious mission tucked in among the tempting scones and…
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8 Lessons for Alternatives to Incarceration through the Arts
From 2010 to 2015, the Arts Infusion Initiative helped build skills for a safer future for Chicago’s at-risk and criminally involved young people. Launched by The Chicago…
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Continuing Her Family Tradition, True to Her Own Voice
Nora “Nancy” Ryerson Ranney grew up with The Chicago Community Trust. Born in 1916, a year after the Trust was founded, she was the daughter…
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A 'Social Toolkit' to Stop Violence and Bridge Generations
Re-connecting with two friends at an On the Table event in 2015 helped community activist Laura Morgan pursue a new strategy in her campaign to…
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The Music Mentor Teaching Steel Drums on the South Side
Julian Champion remembers that when he was around age 7, he had one burning desire—to play a musical instrument. The young boy would accompany his…
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Listening to Someone's Story, Hearing Someone's Soul
“When someone is being listened to in a really serious way, it reminds them that their story matters. And how much their lives matter.” Storytelling…
