Investing in social capital and enlisting active community support is the most effective way to reduce poverty and increase economic opportunity. To this end, the Trust will support community-based organizing, leadership development, civic participation, democracy building, human and inter-group relations and civil rights. Successful applicants will demonstrate a thorough analysis of problems, systematic identification of available community assets and the optimal means of coordinating these resources—all focused towards empowering people to achieve tangible results.

The level of incarceration in our region and state rose rapidly over the past two decades. A large and growing number of ex-offenders return home every day—and they are often concentrated in distressed communities. The Trust will support efforts to promote fairness and equity in the administration of criminal and juvenile court systems, from arrest and sentencing to release. The Trust has particular interest in innovative approaches to re-integrating ex-offenders into society.

The rise of global economic competition and several major demographic shifts are rapidly transforming our regional economy. New technologies and industries require workers to adapt and acquire new skill sets, while wage growth has stagnated. The Trust will support efforts to enhance our region's workforce preparedness for the economic challenges ahead. Of particular interest are work-oriented programs that merge academic and occupational skill development and programs that serve individuals with significant barriers to employment—such as out-of-school youth, persons with disabilities and the formerly incarcerated. Efforts with proven results in placing participants in full time employment at sustainable wages will receive priority.

Today’s nonprofit sector faces multiple challenges including fiscal stress, increased competition and a higher demand for transparency and accountability. Many smaller nonprofit agencies are further hampered by the need for advanced technology, sophisticated fundraising and complex government reimbursement systems just to compete. The Trust will support organizations that provide high quality capacity building services and/or technical assistance to nonprofit organizations and efforts which serve the interests of the sector as a whole.

Nearly 30 percent of Chicago area households—and more than 72 percent of extremely low-income Chicago area households—are “housing cost burdened,” paying roughly a third or more of their annual income on housing. This burden prevents low-income Chicagoans from meeting other basic needs. The Trust will support work to develop or preserve affordable housing units and assist low-income households in purchasing, rehabilitating or renting safe and decent housing. The Trust will also support efforts to expand employer-assisted housing and to advocate for inclusive approaches to housing in areas with good job growth opportunities. Finally, in response to the current economic downturn, the Trust has particular interest in work that effectively addresses the foreclosure crisis that has negatively impacted communities across the region.

Some problems require a scale of resources, public participation and planning that can only come from government. Issues concerning transit, roads, open spaces, communication and financial infrastructure require a multi-faceted, more coordinated approach that combines disciplined urban and regional planning with inclusive procedures for tapping into community knowledge and serving public interests. The Trust will support action-oriented research, broad-based, innovative public education campaigns and outreach that support cost-effective and equitable public infrastructure systems.