Trusted Voices: Reimagining How We Meet Critical Needs
Across the region, households are struggling to make ends meet amid rising costs, changes in federal policies and social service programs, and funding…
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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Giving Insights: Caring for Chicago Over Generations
Narcissa Niblack Thorne is best known as the creator of the beloved Thorne Miniature Rooms—68 of which are housed at the Art Institute…
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Chicago’s Housing Future Is in Its Past: Look to the “Missing Middle"
Like the rest of the country, Chicago is facing an affordable housing crisis. Some neighborhoods boast houses that are too pricey for many…
All Stories
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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…
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Anti-Violence Program Connects Police and Teens – Behind Bars
An On the Table discussion at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in May 2014, where young residents shared their hopes and frustrations, led…
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Changing the Future for 'Anybody Else's Father, Anybody Else's Son'
“They would ask me in school, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ I didn’t say a doctor, a teacher, or a…
