Building a Network of Diverse Developers
City environments are made up of buildings, transit stations, streets, parks, and other man-made structures. Also called the “built environment,” these systems shape our lives…
Grants
Featured
Our Grantmaking Strategy
For more than 100 years, The Chicago Community Trust has convened, supported, funded, and accelerated the work of community members and changemakers committed to strengthening the Chicago region. From building up our civic infrastructure to spearheading our response to the Great Recession, the Trust has brought our community together to face pressing challenges and seize our greatest opportunities. Today, that means confronting the racial and ethnic wealth gap.
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Grant Recipient
The Chicago Community Foundation/Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Greater Chicago
TRHT seeks to plan, develop, and implement a series of healing and solidarity circles for key communities and civic leaders in Chicago. The intended short-term goal of this work is for program participants to gain a deeper understanding of how racism has impacted the health and economic vitality of Chicago communities and to feel a greater sense of solidarity with those who live there. From this heightened level of awareness and understanding, the intended long-term goal is for participants to leverage their political, financial, and institutional power to increase investments (both corporate and philanthropic) in impacted neighborhoods, thereby strengthening equity-driven policies, institutions, and opportunities.
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Grant Recipient
Better Future Forward
Better Future Forward (BFF) is dedicated to providing accessible, protective, and sustainable financial support to address the unmet financial needs of City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) students and alumni. The two-fold goals of this project are 1) to continue to innovate and improve BFF’s unique ISA model to best serve community college students and 2) to position BFF’s program to attract larger-scale sources of capital—both philanthropic and impact investing. By achieving both objectives, BFF will enable a much larger number of CCC students and alumni to have access to protective financial support through BFF’s program, as well as develop a blueprint for how best to equitably, accessibly, and sustainably address the financial challenges facing students across Chicago.
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Grant Recipient
Hire360
HIRE360 proposes support for its Training, Mentorship, & Alumni Services program to improve placement and retention in construction industry, living wage unionized apprenticeships for residents of historically under-represented communities. HIRE360 will enroll 330 individuals as candidates yearly into its pre-apprenticeship programs, and graduate (transition) 150 candidates yearly into construction industry programs. Of these 25-35 new apprentices will participate in our monthly mentorship program events. Of candidates transitioned into registered apprenticeships, 100 yearly will participate in one or more Alumni Services: Resume and Job Readiness Workshops; acquiring or renewing CPR certification; attending our annual hiring event; and/or using HIRE360’s job board. Enrolled participants (330) will average 51% Black/African American; 30% Hispanic/Latino/a; 12% White/Caucasian; 6% Multi-Racial. 1% will not disclose their racial/ethnic status.