African American Legacy Awards $615,000 in its 2025 Grantmaking Cycle
African American Legacy (AAL), an initiative of The Chicago Community Trust, unites donors committed to supporting the Black community in the Chicago region.…
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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Strengthening Chicago’s Shared Ownership Ecosystem
For generations, Chicago’s neighborhoods have been shaped by the people who call them home. Historically, many communities like Bronzeville, Hyde Park, Little Village,…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 22: Reimagining Development Through Shared Ownership
As Chicago neighborhoods continue to expand with newly built businesses and homes, new opportunities emerge for residents to shape their communities. Yet, traditional…
All Stories
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Listen to a Day in the Life of an Undocumented Immigrant
“I became a Vocalo Storyteller to express impactful stories that have affected my life and give a voice to the ignored nationwide issues the United…
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The Map Collector Who Shaped Chicago's Charitable Landscape
Hermon Dunlap Smith led both Marsh & McLennan, Inc., and The Chicago Community Trust. A brilliant philanthropic leader and businessman, Hermon “Dutch” Dunlap Smith served…
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Philanthropy as Small as a Box of Pens—And as Big as Asia
Homework help and tutoring in Chinatown. Health services for Laotian refugees in Elgin. Research-based public policy initiatives to benefit South Asian Americans. These valuable services…
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Young Storytellers Capture Unsung Heroes with Vocalo Radio
Maple tree tapping at Northwestern University; scholarships for undocumented college hopefuls; a theatre company that promotes healing through performance; and an LGBT safe haven at…
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5,000 Strong, Chicagoans Love Giving Back
On Saturday, June 27, 2015, Chicago Cares held its 22nd annual Serve-a-thon, the city’s largest, single-day community service project. Nearly 5,000 volunteers in approximately 300 teams, representing more…
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Surviving Against the Odds, She Finds Her Destiny in Service
The baby girl born July 4, 1998 was 3 1/2 months premature and weighed only 1 pound, 5 ounces. The doctor who attended the birth…
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Studio and Safe Space: CHIRP Radio at the Urban Art Retreat
Nestled between the Metra and the CTA’s Pink Line, a few blocks from Douglas Park, is a typical Chicago three-flat, which is home to the…
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No Human Interaction Is Just One-Way': Brian Brady
Happy 4th of July! Today, we remember what it means to be Americans and celebrate all that entails—including the right to represent ourselves in the…
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Think Good, It's Friday! 7.3.15
As John F. Kennedy famously stated, “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” Outside of the…
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The U.S. Vice President with a Nobel Prize—and a #1 Hit Single
Charles Gates Dawes was a Chicago banker and politician who rose to the highest levels of society. General Dawes, as he was commonly known, had served…
