Unity Fund: A Look at Impact in 2025
The Chicago Community Trust’s Unity Fund is a testament to the power of collective giving. Since its founding in 2008 at the height…
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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Financial Health in Cook County: Why it Matters and How Policy Impacts Financial Well-Being
In 2025, The Chicago Community Trust, with support from JPMorganChase, commissioned the Financial Health Network to update the findings of its Financial Health…
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Responding to Chicago’s Urgent Needs in 2025
As the region’s community foundation, The Chicago Community Trust exists to respond to the needs of our region and the people who call…
All Stories
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"That Was My Rescuing Point": StoryCorps
When Lawrence Thomas graduated at the top of his class from Ball State University, he was still in prison. [pullquote]Lawrence Thomas tells @StoryCorps about foster…
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At West Side Housing Complex, Inventing a Place to Call Home
Four years ago, the Oakley Square apartments were no place to live. The rundown complex at the corner of Jackson Boulevard and Western Avenue was…
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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…
