3C Community Profile: Humboldt Park
Take a stroll down the Paseo Boricua corridor on Division Street and it’s easy to see why Humboldt Park is one of Chicago’s most vibrant…
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
Love Unity & Values Institute
The Love, Unity & Values (LUV) Institute provides four programs to youth and young adults living on Chicago's South Side. Due to the prevalence of violence and other traumatic adversity experienced by the young people LUV Institute serves – justice-involved youth, Youth in Care (foster youth), parenting teens, and economically challenged youth – core elements of all LUV programs include restorative justice practices. All of our programs begin with "Journey to My Better Self" because we focus on restorative practices in all of our programs. Participants learn how to communicate with others in positive, affirming ways and to navigate obstacles, including their own negative feelings and reactions that are borne from previous crises and experiences. It is not enough to provide training in work related skills if participants are unable to manage their thoughts and emotions in the face of life's regular stresses and difficulties. As a result, LUV Institute’s evidence-based curricula in its four youth programs support young people in building resilience in the face of violence and trauma. Our programs are: Journey to My Better Self - College and Career Academy; Journey to My Better Self - Artistic Expression Program; Journey to My Better Self -Entrepreneurship Program; Journey to My Better Self - Media Empowerment program. The programs provide participants with education and work related skills so that they will be able to find self-sustaining employment in the future. We focus on entrepreneurial skills and skills in high-demand occupations while guiding youth to define their own interests and find their own voices. Guided by the organization’s strategic plan, the LUV Institute has two distinct strategies for reaching youth: life, college, and career preparedness, and social responsibility and engagement. Using these strategies, the LUV Institute works to: 1. Equip Chicagoland youth with critical skills and knowledge necessary to attend college or obtain employment. 2. Increase the number of youth able to manage their personal finances and become self-sufficient adults. 3. Expand the pool of socially responsible youth engaged in their communities to create positive change. 4. Increase the number of youth-serving professionals trained in restorative justice practices.
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Grant Recipient
Not Me We NFP
Not Me We is a black lead community groups whose mission is to "Organize Black, Poor & Working Class Community members in order to build grassroots infrastructure that allows for collective and individual repatriation of resources & power in South Shore and adjacent neighborhoods." We envision a Chicago where Black families can experience unconditional joy and humanity. Where families have the self determination and the ability to afford to live and care for themselves – wherever they choose. Where the environment is sustainable, health is prioritized, and community members have their material needs met, regardless of their ability or income. Where all spaces are free of oppression and everyone is committed to their role in sustaining liberation for all. Not Me We is seeking $20,000 for general operating support.
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Grant Recipient
Focus Fairies Mentoring
Focus Fairies’ proposed BEE Girls program is a trauma-informed therapeutic service that will provide young African American girls ages 12-18 with a safe and supportive environment for healing, self-care, personal growth, and empowerment. By recognizing and addressing the impacts of trauma, racism, and other systemic and environmental factors, this program will promote positive mental health and wellness, emotional intelligence, self-love, belonging, healthy coping strategies, and positive identity development among the fairies. Along the way, the BEE Girls experience will evoke feelings, challenge social constructions, and drive forward the curriculum values of self-awareness, self-esteem, self-advocacy, leadership, and empathy with a Fairy life.
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Grant Recipient
D-Composed Gives
We are requesting general operating support so we can continue amplifying the representation of Black composers and musicians throughout Chicago with an emphasis on communities that have been traditionally excluded from the classical music experience.
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Grant Recipient
A Step Ahead Chess
In response to the findings from our data analysis, ASAC identified a critical challenge: a shortage of skilled black educators available to coach chess lessons for our participants. As the problem solvers we are, ASAC overcome this obstacle with a combination of innovation and commitment. We internalized the solution to the coach shortage by introducing a career readiness program where upon entering high school, we train and hire our own talented youth as paid chess coaches. This initiative, launched in 2023, focuses on training and employing talented youth as paid chess coaches, thereby addressing the shortage and nurturing future leaders within our organization. Looking ahead, our Coach in Training Program is poised for expansion. By the end of 2028, we aim to train, develop, and hire 165 coaches to sustain our growth of serving 1,000 youth affectionately known as 'stormers' by 2028. However, to extend our impact, we recognize the need to increase our coaching staff. Currently, a waitlist of 100 eager participants underscores the pressing demand for our services, yet our growth potential is constrained by the shortage of qualified coaches. In addition to prioritizing quality instructors, we are also committed to promoting diversity and representation within our organization. As a black-led organization, we recognize the importance of hiring and empowering black and brown individuals who can serve as role models for our participants, are passionate about chess education, and share our commitment to academic enrichment and STEAM fields. As we celebrate 5 years since our launch in 2018, ASAC continues our dedication to creating an inclusive environment and providing quality programming and joy to youth everywhere. This Grant presents an invaluable opportunity to overcome this barrier and accelerate our impact. By securing funding through this grant, we intend to recruit and train additional coaches, enabling us to meet the demand and serve more youth effectively. This strategic collaboration will not only address the immediate challenge of educator shortage but also lay the groundwork for sustainable growth and community impact.
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Grant Recipient
Black Girls Dance
To support programs of Black Girls Dance (BGD), whose mission is to champion and elevate dancers of color by providing a transformative journey that encompasses training, exposure, and performance opportunities. Dance is not only an art form but a powerful avenue for personal growth and empowerment, our mission transcends the stage to impact lives and communities. We provide excellent training, mentorship, and career guidance to dancers of color through: • Dance instruction for ages 3 to 18 in Beginner (ages 3 to 8), Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Acrobatics/dance, and Contemporary plus a STEM from Dance specialty program • Black Girls Dance Ensemble for girls envisioning a career in dance. Senior ensemble members also act as youth leadership, mentors, and peer support. • Performance, including concerts presented by our dancers, and exposure through field trips to important dance events
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Grant Recipient
West Point Fellowship Inc
West Point School of Music (WPSoM) is a Morgan Park-based music education organization providing academic enrichment in the area of arts education in Chicago’s South Side neighborhoods of Morgan Park, Roseland, South Shore, Englewood, Grand Crossing, Pullman, and Bronzeville. WPSoM was founded in 2011 with a mission to engage urban youth through music instruction and performance; cultivating artistically connected, socially conscious, productive adults. With 98% of program participants identifying as Black, WPSoM is Chicago’s only completely free music education program that centers African diaspora cultural heritage. We use the steel drum to increase the relevance of arts education for Chicago’s Black youth. WPSoM envisions a world where music education and performance help to rebuild a thriving middle class in Chicago’s Black communities. We address unequal access to music education in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) that disproportionately impacts the City’s African American youth with lifelong consequences. We provide school- and site-based music education programs: Urban Music Makers (UMM) is a traditional school band program for youth in 2nd-8th grade; Celebration on Steel is a steel drum education program for youth in 2nd-12th grades. Teaching artists from the community, all of whom are graduates of WP programs, lead and teach these programs. Using music education to spur creativity, social-emotional learning, teamwork, mentoring, and fun, WPSoM provides enrichment activities Chicago’s Black youth need to reach their fullest potential, to build successful lives, and careers. WPSoM seeks $20,000 in general operating support that will assist the organization’s efforts to increase student participation at its recently acquired WPSoM Performing and Cultural Arts Center on the border of Roseland and Morgan Park.
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Grant Recipient
Sista Afya Community Care NFP
Sista Afya Community Care (SACC), a preeminent organization led by and dedicated to Black women, is honored to present this application for the consideration of the Chicago Community Trust. Our organization provides extensive mental health services and engages in advocacy to uplift, empower, and strengthen the Black communities on Chicago’s South Side. Our aligned mission makes us an excellent candidate for grant assistance from the African-American Legacy Fund, as evidenced by the generous support we have received in recent years. We are enthusiastic about the prospect of continuing this relationship into 2024. SACC embodies the fundamental principles of the AAL initiative by actively involving community members, fostering transformative changes, and delivering mental health services specifically designed for Black women in Chicago. Our initiatives confront the exacerbated levels of stress and trauma within Black communities, particularly those affected by economic challenges, family-related stresses, traumatic events, and gun violence. Our strategy is rooted in community engagement, cultural relevance, and combating disparities through innovative and collaborative efforts. We offer a comprehensive suite of holistic mental wellness services at no cost, including individual therapy, wellness classes, community workshops, and professional development training throughout the Chicagoland area. Our trio of programs collaboratively targets the multifaceted aspects of mental health disparities experienced by Black women. SACC’s programs include the following: Thrive in Therapy, a program that provides free weekly customized therapy for Black women and girls experiencing multiple barriers to mental wellness care. Community Care, a community support program that offers topic-based workshops, group therapy, and wellness classes focused on issues relevant to Black women's mental health. Developing Mental Wellness Warriors, a program that provides free professional development training including Mental Health First Aid, equipping community members with the tools to respond to mental health crises while transforming the mental health care space to be more inclusive in working with Black women. Heal TogetHER and Clinical Case Management: Early Intervention & Screening: Newly created in 2024, SACC’s Heal TogetHER offers support for those with mild to moderate mental health concerns through brief, solution-focused interventions, resource connections, and educational efforts about mental health conditions. Peer Supporters are instrumental in making mental wellness care both accessible and approachable, especially for those hesitant about seeking help or those who are not yet ready to commence therapy. Currently reaching individuals through both in-person and virtual interactions across Chicago, Heal TogetHER acts as an essential early intervention and resource connection hub. Our goal is to hire six additional Peer Supporters to engage annually with 300 people, offering them no-cost preventative mental health support. Additionally, to enhance the basic needs security and clinical needs of Black women, we aim to employ two clinical case managers. These managers will address key stressors like food insecurity, workforce training, housing, primary care, and childcare and conduct mental health screenings using tools like the PHQ-9, GAD-7, CAGE, and ACE questionnaires. Our objective is to serve 100 women each year through Clinical Case Management. SACC operates primarily in the South Side of Chicago, focusing its efforts on predominantly Black communities where over 90% of our constituents reside. These communities are facing ongoing mental health challenges, which have been intensified by the shutdown of multiple mental health facilities. Our initiatives are conceived, designed, and implemented by members of the communities we serve, ensuring that our programs genuinely reflect their needs and perspectives. We employ an asset-based approach in our work, acknowledging and utilizing the inherent strengths and potential of our community members to shape and drive our programming. SACC operates as a fully Black-led and Black-serving organization. Its governance and management structures, including the Board, executive leadership, and staff, are primarily composed of individuals who are Black or of African American descent, with Black members constituting 90 percent of the Board. The entirety of our executive team, including the Executive Director, as well as all staff members, are Black or hail from the African Diaspora. This organizational structure is fundamental to our purpose, equipping us to genuinely comprehend and address the mental health concerns of Black women in our community, and to represent their needs effectively. Supported by the foundational funding granted by AAL, SACC has continued to meet and exceed programmatic and organizational development goals. In 2022, SACC continued to meet and exceed programmatic and organizational development goals. We more than doubled the number of Free Therapy Sessions in 2021 by providing free therapy to over 100 women. We additionally expanded the number of workshops, classes, and retreats we provide while growing and diversifying our funding and supporter base. In 2023, we truly embodied the Community Care focus of our mission by consistently offering care that heals the whole person with compassion and support. Last year, we served over 550 people- more than any other year in operation. SACC has recently expanded services to include Medicaid recipients, of which there are over 3.3 million in Illinois. Additionally, we have received support from funders and from key stakeholders in our community to serve adolescents through our Thrive in Therapy for Teens program. This will increase access to mental wellness for a large group of women who will now be able to receive our therapy services. In 2024, we aim to provide more than 2000 free therapy sessions to 175 women and girls experiencing multiple barriers to care. Ultimately, we hope that women who receive therapy at SACC gain life-long skills and benefit from not having financial strain while taking care of their mental health needs. To support SACC’s continued growth and enhance the delivery of the vital services we provide, we respectfully request a grant in the amount of $20,000. These funds will be channeled directly into our programs to increase the number of Black women we can support with quality mental wellness resources through Thrive in Therapy and Community Care, and to bolster our efforts in educating community members about Black women’s mental health through Developing Mental Wellness Warriors.