2025 Illinois General Assembly Recap
I came to The Chicago Community Trust in March after spending years as chief of staff to Illinois State Rep. Kelly Cassidy. I…
Community Wealth
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 19: Confronting Homeownership Barriers
While homeownership is often viewed as a pathway to building wealth, a range of challenges can hinder its effectiveness, particularly for specific groups.…
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Transforming the College Transfer Experience
In the Spring of 2006, my mother and I walked into a meeting with a public state university admissions counselor to discuss my…
“Experts & Opinions” Community Wealth
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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. Recognizing how…
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Listening, Learning and Leaning In
Trust’s refined strategic priorities reflect what we’ve learned and heard from our partners I came to the Trust a little over a year ago with…
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Property Tax Sales Reform: What it Means & What’s Next
Public Act 103-0555, which reforms the Illinois Property Tax Sale system by closing loopholes that prevent blighted properties from redevelopment and allowing local governments to…
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On Community Impact: A Q&A with Marisa Novara
Community Foundation Week (November 12-18) is an annual, national campaign celebrating the role local philanthropy plays in empowering positive social and economic community change. In this Q&A,…
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Flexible Funding Program: Strengthening Communities and People
When I was a kid, my parents made it a priority to expose my brother and me to as much of our cultural heritage as…
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Community Development Builds Framework to Close Racial Wealth Gap
This article was originally published in the Chicago Tribune on May 17, 2022. Chicago’s cycle of neighborhood disinvestment may be at a turning point. As…
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Land is the Truest Asset
A few years ago, I attended a peer city exchange with representatives from Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles. In the spirit of mutual…
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We Will Chicago: An Instrument for Equity
Can a city plan be an instrument for equity? We think it can. That is why we believe that the Lightfoot administration’s We Will Chicago…
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Winter 2021 Webinar Recap: Strategies to Close the Racial & Ethnic Wealth Gap
Over late fall 2020 and early winter 2021, The Chicago Community Trust co-hosted a series of webinars to explore its strategies to close the racial…
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The 1619 Project and Chicago’s Centuries of Racism by Policy
Exploring everything from our economy to access to healthcare to the origins of American music, The New York Times’ 1619 Project contends the implications of…
