"This Work Is Personal": A Q&A with Luis Roman on Identity, Advocacy and Community
Luis Roman didn’t plan to become a changemaker. But what began as a post-college internship focused on LGBTQ+ immigrant integration quickly evolved into…
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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Pre-Development Fund: Helping Communities Realize Their Visions for Thriving Neighborhoods
When I first arrived at The Chicago Community Trust, I was really focused on understanding the place-based factors driving the region’s wealth gap.…
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Dreaming Beyond the Boundaries: Jennifer Hodges Awarded Sixth Donald Stewart Fellowship
Jennifer Hodges is the co-founder and vice president of KIPP Chicago’s Whole Child Initiative, a program that supports students, teachers and families through…
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Back of the Yards Is A Community of People Who Are Creating Their Own Destiny
The story of Back of the Yards is about so much more than the Union Stockyards. The meatpacking industry in this Southwest Side neighborhood, which…
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North Lawndale Is A Resilient Community Forging Its Own Future
Located on the city’s West Side, North Lawndale is where Dr. King campaigned to end slum housing in 1966. The housing was substandard in part…
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AAPI Heritage Month Spotlight: Trang Truong-Hill
In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, the Trust is spotlighting AAPI leaders and AAPI-serving organizations who are making a difference…
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Q&A with Dara Munson: 2024 Donald Stewart Fellowship Recipient
Dara Munson is President and CEO of Family Focus, an organization that helps families build social capital and achieve upward economic mobility through high-quality programming…
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From the Archives: 1915 – Founding of The Chicago Community Trust
The Chicago Community Trust was established in 1915 and is the third-founded community foundation still in existence in the United States. Founded by American banker…
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Why We Rise Together Is Launching the Together Fund
What we believed when We Rise Together: For an Equitable & Just Recovery launched in October 2020 has proven to be true: The people who…
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Financial Literacy Month Spotlight: Center for Changing Lives
April is Financial Literacy Month, which raises awareness on the importance of financial education and smart money-making decisions. Over the next few weeks, we will…
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Financial Literacy Month Spotlight: Brighton Park Neighborhood Council
April is Financial Literacy Month, which raises awareness on the importance of financial education and smart money-making decisions. Over the next few weeks, we will…
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From the Archives: 1989 – The Urbs in Horto Fund & The Chicago Botanic Garden
Green spaces within an urban environment help cool city temperatures, reduce traffic noise, provide a space for recreation, and have even been shown to increase…
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The Changemakers Network: Four Years of Coalition and Trust-Building
In 2020, The Chicago Community Trust launched the Changemakers Network to bolster grassroots organizations and groups organizing around issues that mattered most in their communities.…
