Paving the Path to Homeownership for Housing Choice Voucher Holders
Since the mid-20th century, homeownership has been one of the most important vehicles for building wealth in the United States. According to research from the…
Grants
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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
Educare of West Dupage
Educare West DuPage is requesting funding for general operating support to help offset the expenses associated with maintaining the highest quality standards for the most at-need children and families within our community. The United States underfunds early childhood education, which directly impacts schools like Educare West DuPage's ability to continue offering access to quality opportunities. The Educare model provides a stable and supportive environment through high-quality early education programming. The quality aspects that are prioritized through this model have a positive impact on children's success in school and life. The Educare model, while providing best practice approaches, as supported by the multitude of assessments and data collection efforts throughout each school year, also carries a higher cost per child than our funding partners fund through our state and federal grants. In fiscal year 2022, the average cost per child for Educare West DuPage was approximately $35,000 for the Birth to Three program which serves 80 children and their families along with 10 pregnant moms and roughly $25,000 per child for the Preschool program, serving 102 children ages 3-5 years old. In comparison, our state and federal funding partners that provide funding based on a cost per child equation provide roughly $23,000 per child, leaving a substantial deficit that is made up for with other funding sources, such as the Child Care Assistance Program. By obtaining additional funding that specifically supports general operating expenses Educare West DuPage is able to utilize more of the state and federal funding to support programmatic expenses. Educare West DuPage is better able to continue elevating the importance of the impact that early childhood education has on society.
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Grant Recipient
GAP Community Center
As we navigate this immigration emergency, GAPCC has pivoted and adapted its programming to address this urgent need. Through partnerships with Grace and Peace Church, The Unity Initiative, the City of Chicago, and the Chicago Food Depository, we have strengthened our response efforts. Mindful of preserving dignity within our community, we have transformed our Food Bank into a Food Store, where clients can shop for their needs twice a month. Anticipating the demand for healthy options, we installed walk-in refrigerators and freezers, enabling access to fresh and culturally appropriate food items such as beans, greens, tomatoes, onions, and rice. As the majority of our clients are immigrants, Black and Latin we are mindful of their diets and the food they eat. Approximately 50% of the food we provide consists of fruits and vegetables, reflecting our commitment to offering nutritious choices. Individuals and families are welcomed to shop at our food store twice a month, with the quantities they receive tailored to their family size. Serving as the initial point of assistance, the food store plays a pivotal role in building trust with these individuals. Here, they discover that GAPCC is a safe and reliable resource for their needs. Beyond providing essential food and supplies, the food store serves as a gateway for us to offer additional social services to these individuals. It stands as the cornerstone of all our efforts in assisting immigrants during this pressing crisis. Over the past six months, we have witnessed a staggering threefold increase in the number of clients served. Despite this exponential growth, GAP Community Center remains not only equipped to manage the current demand but also poised to accommodate even higher numbers. This sustained capability underscores the robust structure and capacity of GAPCC to address the escalating emergency with steadfast efficiency and effectiveness. Our unique approach empowers immigrants to select the food they desire with dignity and choice. By partnering with Amazon and Target, we minimize food waste while extending our reach to serve other communities and food banks. With dedicated vans and drivers, we ensure that surplus food reaches those in need beyond our immediate vicinity. As the largest food bank in Chicago, GAPCC operates on a proven model of efficiency and community support. We stand as leaders and advocates for the immigrants and communities we serve, leveraging our firsthand understanding of their struggles to effect meaningful change. With 25 years of service under our belt, GAPCC remains a steadfast beacon of hope and support, demonstrating resilience, adaptability, and unwavering commitment to making a positive impact. In addition to the food bank we offer emergency shelter, working closely with the UNITY Initiative as well as local police departments. The food bank and emergency shelter allow us to work with and build trust within the immigrant community. We are able to introduce them to our ESL classes, lawyers, help with obtaining job permits, medical attention, school and housing.
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Grant Recipient
Logan Square Neighborhood Association
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Grant Recipient
Garfield Park Community Council
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Grant Recipient
Foundation for Homan Square
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Grant Recipient
Chicago Community Foundation
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Grant Recipient
Foundation of Little Village
The Foundation of Little Village requests $149,500 for the Xquina Business Ecosystem, formerly the Xquina Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, to increase access (and/or readiness) to capital opportunities and improve overall business financial health in Little Village. We will accomplish this through place-based and culturally relevant wraparound support via our collaborative partners – Foundation of Little Village, Food Hero, and Little Village Chamber of Commerce.
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Grant Recipient
INNER VOICE INCORPORATED
Inner Voice/IV was founded in 1984 by the late Reverend Robert Johnson, who opened a soup kitchen on the west side of Chicago to tend to the physical needs of individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty. He quickly realized that while food was essential to survival, a broader array of services was necessary to help people break the cycle of poverty and homelessness and find pathways to independence and self-sufficiency. Over the last four decades since its founding, Inner Voice has worked diligently to build a continuum of care that reflects Rev. Johnson’s vision of compassion and accountability. Throughout its history, Inner Voice has administered interim/emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, permanent housing, rapid rehousing, workforce development, case management, representative payee, and emergency assistance programs for single men and women and families throughout Chicago with three programs specifically serving Veterans. Today, Inner Voice operates 18 programs with two proposals pending (Citi Bank – daytime drop-in center, Boeing – workforce/financial stability) and one not funded due to numerous responses/lack of sufficient funds (Red Rover – to become the first pet friendly shelter in IL). As the agency evolved, a great deal of attention was paid to ensuring that it kept pace with changes in the industry to improve service delivery. Utilizing evidence based best practices in its programs became the standard, and adoption of new concepts such as housing first, low-demand, low-barrier, client centered, culturally sensitive, and trauma informed care, among others, became an integral part of service delivery and program structure. Inner Voice has invested heavily in staff development and training to give case managers, case aides, directors, and other staff the tools needed to bring these concepts into evidence in everyday practice. People experiencing homelessness and other marginalized populations are often at the intersection of multiple systems, including health, housing, and justice. Care coordination across these systems is critical to successfully serving the needs of this vulnerable population. Regardless of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, use of personal pronouns, disability, religion, or veteran status, IV consistently focuses its efforts on linking marginalized individuals and families with safe housing, wraparound support services, and employment preparation and placement options to ensure long-term economic independence providing them with opportunities to reach their full potential and enjoy an improved quality of life. Having long served justice involved individuals in many programs, including employment preparation and placement, Inner Voice is an agency of second chances with a history of employing returning citizens. As the newly arrived migrant population works its way through the emergency housing system, Inner Voice welcomes them into its programs. Currently, IV employs three bilingual staff and has a hiring preference for candidates who speak multiple languages. A core component of Inner Voice's philosophy is the practice of interagency collaboration in the pursuit of ending homelessness. Inner Voice partners with a myriad of agencies that support the overall goal of improving the lives of those experiencing homelessness through stable housing and improved mental and physical health. To safeguard housing stability, staff attend training webinars on the legal aspects of eviction and tenants’ rights and have access to emergency funds, when available, as well as through government entities, to pay for outstanding rent and utility arreage to avoid eviction. Additionally, Inner Voice works with advocacy groups and legal organizations regarding evictions and housing discrimination such as the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Cabrini Green Legal Aid, among others, and is a member of the Supportive Housing Providers Association and Housing Action Illinois that provide services related to housing issues. Inner Voice has been a member in good standing of Chicago’s Continuum of Care since its inception. Inner Voice’s CEO previously served as the Vice Chair and Chair of the CoC board, and its CPO is currently an Alternate on the board, representing the Service Providers Commission. Staff also serve on various committees and workgroups. Inner Voice is also a member of the Illinois Shelter Alliance and Illinois Partners for Human Services to advocate for increased funding for housing and supports services as well as cost of living adjustments for human service workers who are the human infrastructure of nonprofits. After forty years of caring on purpose, the staff of Inner Voice are still motivated and eager to work with those whose shoes many have walked in. Over 50% of our staff have lived experience of homelessness and justice-involved backgrounds with many enjoying decades in recovery. Participants do not have to look far to realize that personal recovery is possible, and life can get better. As the CEO often says, Inner Voice is like the Hotel California, you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave. Former staff and participants keep returning either to work or to give back; it’s that kind of place.