Physical Spaces that are Inspiring Possibility Across Chicago
“When you build beautiful spaces, you encourage people to do beautiful things,” said Caleb Herod, whose work at The Chicago Community Trust focuses…
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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What New Research Reveals About Chicago's Homeownership Gap
Chicago thrives when residents feel they can make a home here, put down roots, and invest in their future and their community. In…
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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…
“Grantmaking” Community Development
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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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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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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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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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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…
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Neighborhood Development Champions: Bolstering the Capacity of Community Development Organizations
A Q&A with Edwin Tobar and Mariah Van Ermen The Trust established the Flexible Funding program in 2020 to fund key community development organizations whose…
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Building a Network of Diverse Developers
City environments are made up of buildings, transit stations, streets, parks, and other man-made structures. Also called the “built environment,” these systems shape our lives…
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Advancing Homeownership as a Tool for Wealth Building
More than a roof over heads, homeownership is a critical tool for helping families increase their financial security, build wealth, and pass it down to…
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An Early Boost Gives Community Developers a Huge Leg Up
How an innovative Trust grant program helps neighborhood visions for growth become reality The Chicago Community Trust believes all Chicago neighborhoods are assets, each one…
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"Collaborative Fund" is a New Source of Capital for Groups Advancing Neighborhood Investment
In 2020, the Trust’s Catalyzing Neighborhood Investment team launched the Flexible Funding Program. The program supports and builds the capacity of organizations to engage with community partnerships,…
