A Forever Resource: Nuestro Futuro Nears a $10 Million Endowment
Chicago’s diverse Latine communities are an economic and cultural force in our city. From small businesses that anchor neighborhoods to the food, art,…
Policy Change
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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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…
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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…
“Experts & Opinions” Policy Change
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Leveraging Federal Economic Recovery Funds for an Equitable and Inclusive Economic Recovery
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began nearly three years ago, $4.5 trillion in federal funds have been appropriated for virus treatment and prevention, as well as…
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Rethinking What It Means to Be Civically Engaged
Every single one of us participates in public life—whether you’re reporting a pothole on the city’s 311 app, attending Ward night, or volunteering at the…
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2022: Coalitions for Equity in Wealth Policy Grant Recipients Leading the Charge in Major Policy Wins
Now in its third year, the Coalitions for Equity in Wealth Policy funding program supports organizations engaged in coalitions advocating for systems and policy change…
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For the Economy to Recover, the People Must Recover
For two years we worked to combat COVID-19 – masked up, stood six feet apart, got vaccinated, and then carried proof. Today, we continue rising…
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The Importance of a City Ward Remapping Process that is Transparent, Incorporates Community Voice, and Strengthens Resident Representation
As part of the Trust’s Building Collective Power and Advocating for Policy Change teams, I often reflect on different strategies to actively engage and uplift…
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Make CTC/EITC Improvements Permanent: Sound Economic Policy with Far Reaching Impacts
There’s a political game playing out in Washington, and the stakes could not be higher. Will the debt ceiling be raised? Will major infrastructure legislation…
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Covid Revealed Our Flaws. Do We Have the Resolve to Fix Them?
Like an overdue visit to the optometrist, Covid-19 has sharpened our vision and revealed some harsh truths that were long overlooked or hidden. The pandemic…
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Why the Earned Income Tax Credit Might Be the Most Important Policy Right Now to Address Economic Inequities, Provide Financial Stability
What if a policy could dramatically reduce poverty, help families make ends meet, AND bolster local economic activity? That policy already exists: the Earned Income…
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It’s Time to Close the Racial and Ethnic Wealth Gap Through Policies that Seed Wealth
Generations of segregation and systemic discrimination have not only had longstanding social consequences, but they’ve also had significant economic ramifications. Over time, an intricate web…
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The Complex Challenge of Police Reform: Three Takeaways from our Policing Series
In late 2020, The Chicago Community Trust and Illinois Justice Project co-hosted, The Past, Present, and Future of Policing in Chicago, a four-part series that…
