Young Leaders Fund Awards $105,000 in its 2026 Grantmaking Cycle
Young Leaders Fund (YLF), an initiative of The Chicago Community Trust, has been paving the way for start-up nonprofits and the next generation…
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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Pride, Progress, and Purpose: A Conversation with Jennie Brier & Ray Crossman
Each June, Pride Month offers a time to celebrate the achievements, contributions, and resilience of LGBTQ communities. An important vehicle for that work…
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Protecting the Rights & Dignity of All: National Immigrant Justice Center
Founded in 1984, the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) believes that immigrants’ rights are human rights, and that every individual deserves to be…
“Community Development” Community Development
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Selling Distress: How the Tax Foreclosure System Exacerbates Disinvestment in Cook County Communities
Following a comprehensive study of the Scavenger Sale, a national multi-jurisdiction analysis offers communities a roadmap for improvement. Property taxes are the largest source of…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast - Episode 8: Building Neighborhood Wealth w/ Community Investment Vehicles
In this episode of the Trust Talks podcast, learn about what Community Investment Vehicles (CIVs) are and the wealth building opportunities they could create for neighborhoods…
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Brewing Catalytic Growth in a Far South Side Community
When it comes to helping individuals, families, and communities build wealth, neighborhood investment is a force multiplier. Neighborhood development projects create businesses and jobs, bring…
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Searle Funds: A Conversation with Peggy Davis and Angel Gibson
To administer the Searle Collaborative Funds, the Trust works closely with Kinship Foundation—a private operating foundation that advances the institutional philanthropy of the Searle family.…
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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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Christen Wiggins
Christen Wiggins is senior director of Community Development at The Chicago Community Trust. Prior to this role, she oversaw grantmaking and program strategy at the…
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Hector Estrada
Hector Estrada (he/his) is the impact coordinator for the Catalyzing Neighborhood Investment strategy at The Chicago Community Trust. Hector is the administrative and process point…
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Trust Expertise Ensures Donors Make a Difference
As a community foundation, The Chicago Community Trust not only serves our communities’ needs, but also depends upon local philanthropists to work together to meet…
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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,…
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2021 Q4 Grants Highlight Trust’s Dual Focus on Wealth Gap and Pandemic Recovery
Throughout The Chicago Community Trust’s 2021 fiscal year—October 2020 to September 2021, including 347 discretionary grants totaling $29.1 million—COVID-19 remained a persistent challenge.* The year’s…
