Lisandra Lao, and How She’s Inspiring the Next Generation of Young Philanthropists
For 30 years, The Chicago Community Trust’s Young Leaders Fund (YLF) has empowered young adults to actively participate in philanthropy by interacting with…
Critical Needs
Spotlights on community issues, the people, and the organizations who contribute to effective philanthropy as well as a stronger Chicago region and world.
Recent
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Laying the Groundwork for Lasting Policy Reform
When the Trust decided to integrate policy change into our strategies, we did so recognizing that to achieve our mission of a thriving…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 24: Sustaining Chicago's Cultural Ecosystem
Chicago is one of the most influential cultural cities in the United States, known for its distinctive blend of architecture, visual arts, music,…
“Critical Needs” Critical Needs
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Little Village Emergency Fund Helps Nearly 800 Families Access Emergency Cash During COVID-19
The zip code that contains most of Little Village—a predominantly Latinx neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side—has, as of early 2021, seen more COVID-19 deaths than…
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2021 Q1 Grants Support Resilience, Equity, Recovery
In year two of its 10-year strategy to close metropolitan Chicago’s racial and ethnic wealth gap, the Trust is starting to see the fruits of…
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Two-Part COVID Recovery Strategy: Vaccine + Equity
As COVID-19 vaccines continue to roll out across the country with increasing speed, there is reason to hope we may soon be rounding a corner…
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The Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund: Lessons in Collaboration Amid Crises
This week marks the one-year anniversary of the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund (CCRF). The moment is not lost on us. To date, 5,056 Chicago…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast - Episode 1: Violence Prevention in Chicago
In this inaugural episode of the Trust Talks podcast, we sat down with Anna LauBach, program director at the McCormick Foundation, Deborah Bennett, senior program officer at…
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Beyond Food, Trust-Funded Organizations Working to End Hunger in Our Region
During the holiday season, many people think about those who are going hungry and deliver food to pantries and soup kitchens in their communities. This…
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Advancing Systems and Policy Innovations in Human Services
Every individual plays several different roles to be their full, authentic selves. My identity as an aunt is one I hold in high regard. I…
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2020 Grant Making: The Chicago Community Trust
In Fiscal Year 2020, The Chicago Community Trust made 293 discretionary grants totaling $20,477,287. Following are some highlights of how this year’s grant making embraced…
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Inside the Trust: Addressing Critical Needs
Our Inside the Trust series highlights the vital work of Trust employees across different pillars. Our foundation’s successes would not be possible without the work…
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Building Economic Resilience for Families: A Dialogue on Cash Assistance
In 2019, the Chicago Resilient Cities Task Force released a report laying out a roadmap to increase economic stability for struggling Chicago families—nearly half of…
