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…
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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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…
“Policy Change” Policy Change
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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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Moving Equitable Development to the Front of the Bus: ETOD as Policy in Chicago
I like to call myself a product of the public transportation system. My hometown, a mid-size city in the north of Spain, runs a network…
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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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Jalen Preacely
Jalen Preacely is a policy specialist at The Chicago Community Trust. In this role, Jalen supports the policy team with its grant making process, administrative duties, and advocacy efforts. …
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Q&A: Open Call for Ideas – Advancing Policy
The Trust launched the Open Call for Ideas – Advancing Policy in May 2021 as a vehicle to source and fund new policy and advocacy…
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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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Supporting Laws that Help Black and Latinx Families Keep Their Wealth
From redlining to predatory lending, laws and policies have played an instrumental role in preventing generations of Black and Latinx families from building as much…
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Aimee Ramirez
Aimee Ramirez (she/her/ella) is the director of Policy Change at The Chicago Community Trust. Aimee leads the Trust’s Policy Change team and oversees the development…
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Ianna Kachoris
Ianna Kachoris is the associate vice president of Community Impact at The Chicago Community Trust. In this role, Ianna leads the People, Power and Policy…
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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…
