Basic Human Needs

The Trust works to reinforce the safety net for the region's most vulnerable residents.

The lingering effects of the Great Recession continued to take their toll on metropolitan Chicago. But The Chicago Community Trust stepped in to keep hope alive in these difficult times. It supported programs essential to maintaining the safety net for low-income and homeless people in the region.

Tackling Homelessness

The Trust continued to fund shelters, professional development for shelter staff and program evaluations to ensure homelessness prevention systems in Chicago and suburban Cook County remain responsive. In conjunction with the efforts of other nonprofits dedicated to eliminating homelessness, this longtime Trust strategy has paid off. The biannual "point-in-time" count of homeless people found only modest increases in street and shelter populations despite the economic downturn having entered its third year.

Effective Collaboration

The Trust has also worked with the state government to ensure it does the best possible job of providing a safety net for those residents who need it most. It helped the state leverage funds from the Ford Foundation to help low-income people access work supports such as tax credits and child care assistance. The Trust also awarded a grant to the Illinois Public Health Institute for a statewide listening tour to ensure the state's benefits system meets the needs of impoverished residents.

The Trust staff has been widely recognized as among the leaders in their fields. Senior Program Officer James Lewis was appointed to the state's Budgeting for Results Commission, which is tasked with reforming Illinois' budget process. In addition, Gov. Pat Quinn appointed Senior Program Officer Juanita Irizarry to the Commission to End Hunger, which addresses the growing problem of hunger in Illinois by improving food security and nutrition.

Efficient Operations

Responding to the need to stretch human services funding as far as possible, the Trust continued to award grants to help human services providers operate more efficiently and to increase revenues from new income sources. The Back Office Cooperative, a consortium of nonprofit organizations supported by the Trust as lead funder, worked together to drive down administrative costs. The cooperative has generated $1.9 million in savings to member organizations. Approximately $670,000 in organizational development grants have produced combined savings and new revenues of about $3.6 million.

With a slow economic recovery, maintaining the safety net is more vital than ever before. By supporting emergency and interim shelter services, advocating on behalf of the poor and strengthening the human services sector, the Trust seeks to help the region's neediest residents receive the food, housing and care they need as they work to get back on their feet.

See the complete list of 2011 Basic Human Needs grants