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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Community Organizations Help Families Build More Stable Financial Futures
Since 2001, Family Independence Initiative (FII) has been in the business of direct cash transfers—depositing money right into the bank accounts of families living in…
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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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Strengthening Banks’ Impact on Closing the Wealth Gap
A “profound” federal rule enacted more than 40 years ago to ensure financial institutions invest in and build wealth in the communities they serve is being rethought—and we…
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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…
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Series Recap: The Past, Present, and Future of Policing in Chicago
Towards the end of 2020, The Chicago Community Trust and Illinois Justice Project co-hosted, The Past, Present, and Future of Policing in Chicago, a four-part…
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A Chance at Meaningful Police Reform
Since this Insights piece first ran, the Illinois General Assembly has passed many of the police reforms referenced below. The Trust and Illinois Justice Project…
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Building the Pathway for Economic Equity: How the Trust is Developing a Policy Agenda
For decades, the disparate economic fortunes between Black, Latinx and white Americans have become a growing problem. As a young sociology student, the data that…
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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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United in Closing the Wealth Gap
From payday loans that charge up to 400 percent interest rates to steep fines and fees on missed utility bill payments, many hurdles exist for…
