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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Through Depression, a High School Student Finds Her Voice
Elizabeth Einig will say she is “terrified” of putting herself in the spotlight. But this Schaumburg teenager regularly faces down her fears, if she thinks…
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Mourning a Teenage Son, Fighting Back Against Asthma
Christopher Redding had only had one asthma attack before the one that killed him. Christopher died in 2003 while jogging near his home in Lake…
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Chicago Colleges Unite as Citywide Campus, Global Destination
Chicago has long been known as a center of commerce and transportation, and for its world-class public museums and soaring architecture. Now, it’s moving to…
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Barn Dances and Prairie Picnics Build a Publishing Empire
The broadcaster of the prairie, Burridge D. Butler, transformed a farm media empire into a permanent legacy. Born in 1867, Butler was the son of…
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Teen Dance Festival Builds Bridges Across Neighborhoods
On a Saturday morning in August, teens streamed into the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. Instead of sleeping in on a lazy summer morning,…
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Elevating Chicago’s Buoyant Dance Community
In fall 2015, Audience Architects honored Sarah Solotaroff Mirkin with its inaugural Distinguished Service to the Dance Field Award. Under her leadership at The Chicago…
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Arts Teachers, Time & Quality Increase in Chicago Public Schools
More than 30,000 students in Chicago Public Schools now have greater access to arts instruction than in previous school years. That’s according to data from…
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‘Soul Train’ to Stock Exchange: Chicago’s Barrier-Breaking Black Entrepreneur
When he became the first African-American to sit on the Trust’s Executive Committee in 1976, George E. Johnson, Sr. was the most prominent black businessman…
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Why Nonprofits Aren't Merging
With the persistent funding crisis that has faced Illinois nonprofit human service providers since the start of the recession, the question is increasingly asked: Why…
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The Music Coalition Creating Peace Through Jazz
On a blustery Tuesday evening, a small group of musicians are gathered in a three-story greystone at 38th and Michigan, tuning their instruments and warming…
