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…
Community Development
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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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…
“Community Development” Community Development
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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 residents. Other…
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South and West Side Neighborhood Revitalization Starts with its Residents
Community development in neighborhoods that have long faced underinvestment begins with the people who know their communities best. On Chicago’s South and West sides, community-based…
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Neighborhood Capital Fund Fuels South and West Side Corridor Revitalization
Underinvestment has limited economic mobility and contributed to higher rates of poverty across Chicago’s South and West sides. Combined with depopulation, it has left vacant…
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Financial Health Pulse® 2025 Chicago Trends Report
In 2025, The Chicago Community Trust, with support from JPMorganChase, commissioned the Financial Health Network to conduct a survey measuring the financial health of Cook County residents. This report follows and expands upon a baseline 2022 financial health survey released in January 2023.
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As 2025 Winds Down...
A Note from Our CEO As 2025 winds down and we gather for holiday celebrations, I’ve been reflecting with friends and colleagues on the challenges…
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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, Pilsen, and…
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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 development often…
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Neighborhood Development Champions Support a Strong Pipeline of Community-Led Projects
For the Chicago region to thrive, all communities must prosper. Disinvestment in the South and West Sides has limited wealth-building and harmed neighborhood wellbeing. These…
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We’re Stronger Together
Since joining The Chicago Community Trust three years ago, I’ve been thinking about ways to ensure those most affected by our decisions are part of…
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A New Era: Urban Growers Collective Opens National Blueprint for Sustainable Agriculture and Economic Revitalization
In Chicago, one in five households currently experiences food insecurity, a challenge that is even more prominent in underinvested South and West Side communities, many…
