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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2020 Grant Making: The Chicago Community Trust
In Fiscal Year 2020, The Chicago Community Trust made 293 discretionary grants totaling $20,477,287. Following are some highlights of how this year’s grant making embraced…
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Pre-Development Grants Available to Community-Based Developers
When people gather for the ribbon cutting at the neighborhood’s new grocery store, community center, or manufacturing facility, their excitement is justified. For the community…
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The New Flexible Funding Program Supports and Accelerates Community-Driven Investment
The Chicago Community Trust granted $1.2 million to community-driven investment-focused organizations to move forward on neighborhood opportunities that attract capital and leverage resources. We are…
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Creating a Sustainable Grain Hub
Illinois is known as a major producer of corn and soybeans for the world market. But if more grains like barley, wheat and oats were…
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Fueling Economic Growth in the South Suburbs
It takes a lot to revitalize a community. Beyond ambitious development plans and the right lenders and agencies, it requires a central player—the glue binding…
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Pullman Rising
Chicago’s Pullman neighborhood on the city’s South Side is fast becoming a national model for revitalization, with new jobs, retail, housing and a recreational center…
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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…
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Closing the Wealth Gap: Chicago’s Moonshot
Dear friends, Today the Chicago Community Trust is embarking on a transformational journey that is as formidable—and challenging—as the drive to achieve space travel. Just…
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Collaborating on Community-Driven Investment
A native of Waukegan, I was born into a community grappling with deindustrialization. Just 21 miles north of the border of the country’s second largest…
