More Than a Paycheck: What It Takes to Get Ahead
Two days before my brother’s 10th birthday, my family was on the brink of bankruptcy. My parents’ small business hadn’t hit its growth…
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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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 27: Fueling Small Business Growth in Chicago
Small businesses are essential to stabilizing neighborhood economies. They create jobs, activate commercial corridors, and provide the goods and services that help communities…
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“Can I Invest in Community to Do Good?” Samuel Muñeton Jr. Shows Us How.
For Samuel Muñeton Jr., his philanthropy has come full circle. In his youth, Sam benefited directly from mentors and others in his community…
“Community Development” Community Development
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Chicago’s Next Chapter in Equitable Transit-Oriented Development
Five years ago this June, the City of Chicago adopted a bold vision and framework for equitable transit-oriented development (ETOD). The Chicago Plan Commission unanimously…
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Rebuilding Chicago’s Corridors, One Small Business at a Time
Across many parts of Chicago, vibrant commercial corridors are key contributors to neighborhood vitality, providing jobs, essential goods and services, and places where communities gather.…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 26: Building Opportunity, Block by Block
From 2021 to 2025, We Rise Together: For an Equitable & Just Recovery (We Rise Together), a funder collaborative led by The Chicago Community Trust,…
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Committed to Community: The Resurrection Project
Born in Pilsen more than 35 years ago, The Resurrection Project (TRP) grew from a community’s vision for restored peace, safety and prosperity in the…
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Power in Persistence: Austin Coming Together
Since 2010, Austin Coming Together (ACT) has been at the heart of Austin’s revitalization, driving change through collaboration, persistence, and a shared vision for a…
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Community Visions Brought to Life
In October 2025, we celebrated the culmination of We Rise Together: For an Equitable & Just Recovery, a five-year initiative supporting resilience and revitalization in…
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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.
