2025 Annual Report

For 111 years, The Chicago Community Trust has stood with and for Chicago. That has never been more true than now. Our resolve endures. Our focus is unflinching. Our commitment, unwavering. Explore our Annual Report.

Friends & Supporters,

In a year that was filled with uncertainty, Chicago showed what it means to be a community. We stepped up for one another. We logged record numbers of volunteer hours at our local food pantries. We gave more generously to the nonprofits that strengthen our communities. We looked out for our neighbors.

These everyday acts of caring are the heart of philanthropy. At its core, philanthropy means love of humanity expressed through action.

The Chicago Community Trust was made for this moment. For over a century, we’ve helped donors translate care into lasting impact across the Chicago region. Whether addressing the critical needs of our neighbors, strengthening our region for the long term, or fueling innovations that challenge the status quo, Chicagoans have created meaningful change with the Trust.

This work is only possible through your partnership. Standing firm with unwavering commitment, we are stronger together – and ready for whatever comes next.

Andrea Sáenz (President & CEO)
Renetta McCann (Executive Committee Chair)

Chicago is a place where people take care of one another.

As our region’s community foundation, we give that spirit of active care a home. In 2025, the Trust responded to unanticipated needs and also remained focused on a vision for a region where all Chicagoans have the resources to feel financially secure, care for their families, and invest in the future.

Our work is made possible by the visionary donors whose gifts — past and present — fuel our grantmaking in perpetuity. From meeting our neighbors’ urgent needs and addressing longer-term regional challenges, to helping individuals and families make their greatest charitable impact, we are here for good.

To learn more about our partnerships and impact, read the full Annual Report.

Download: 2025 Annual Report

Rooted in Our Region: FY25 at a Glance

  • $7.1B

    In Assets

    As of September 30, 2025

  • $1.4B+

    In Grantmaking

    In Chicago and Beyond

  • $76.5M

    In Support

    For Programmatic Grantmaking

Additionally, $20 million was granted to meet unanticipated community needs. We were proud to work alongside our philanthropic partners to mobilize tens of millions more to respond to increased needs across our region.

Your Unwavering Support

For our community means that together, we turn generosity into impact.

Learn about ways to give

Commitment That Never Wavers

Across Chicago, hundreds of nonprofit organizations – and the people who power them – show up every day with unwavering dedication to strengthen our communities, rise to meet challenges, and support neighbors in need. Here are just a few of their stories.

Impact Highlights: Connecting People, Driving Action, and Inspiring Change That Makes Our Region Stronger

Chicago is not defined by its challenges, but by the people who rise to meet them.

Learn from our generous donors and committed corporate partners below.

  • $146M

    In Support of the Chicago Region in FY25

    Through donor advised grants to nonprofits and direct contributions to Trust initiatives.

  • 244

    Chicago-Area Nonprofits in FY25

    That received Trust programmatic grants were also supported by donor advised funds.

2025 Grants + Financials

In an effort to inspire philanthropy broadly, the Trust sponsors its own donor advised fund program as well as donor advised fund programs for financial institutions. As of September 30, 2025, the Trust’s consolidated assets totaled more than $7 billion. In addition, during the fiscal year, the Trust received new gifts totaling $2 billion and made combined grant commitments totaling $1.4 billion across the Trust and affiliated donor advised fund programs.

To view our full financial highlights, click here.

For any questions related to specific grants, please email [email protected].

Thank you for staying the course with us.

In a year that asked so much, you continued to show up for our communities, for our partners, and for Chicago’s future. Your generosity is a powerful reminder that progress is built through consistency, care, and collective resolve.

Philanthropy isn’t just about large donations – it’s about caring for the communities and causes that matter to you. Every act of giving can make a difference.

Consider the everyday ways you can help build a stronger Chicago for all.

  • Get to know your neighbors.
  • Stay informed about what’s happening in your community.
  • Learn about local nonprofits and the needs they’re working to meet.
  • Volunteer your time and talents.
  • Give to causes you care about.
  • Support local businesses and neighborhood revitalization efforts.

By showing care, you are a philanthropist.

The Trust is here to help you make your greatest impact.

Contact Sheila Cawley, Chief Philanthropy Officer, at [email protected] or 312-565-4172 to put your philanthropy plan into action.

Previous Annual Reports

We invite you to view and download our past annual reports below and explore highlights from the Chicago region.

2024Here for Good. As the region’s community foundation, we’re here to steward a vision – and the actions that bring it to life – for a stronger, more vibrant Chicago. It’s what we’ve always done, and what we’ll always be here to do.
2023Because when our neighbors do better, we all do better. It’s a simple idea rooted in the core truth that we are all connected. We can’t truly thrive as a region until every individual has the opportunity to reach their potential.
2022What If? Asking “what if” sparks hope and inspires action. At The Chicago Community Trust, we start with the question and, through partnerships, seek answers that lead to lasting change.
2021All of Us. We all have the power to take action that makes our Chicago region better for all.
2020We Are Greater Than. 2020 was a year like no other—one that tested each of us as individuals, and our region as a whole, in ways many had never imagined before.