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.
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Grant Recipient
The Black Star Project
Our proposed project centers on three core activities designed to engage and support the youth in our community during key transitional periods between the summer and school year: STEM Trip to SC Johnson Headquarters in Racine: We plan to organize an eye-opening STEM trip to the headquarters of SC Johnson in Racine. This educational excursion will introduce students to the fascinating world of science and expose them to potential career paths within the field. The trip will inspire curiosity and a passion for learning, encouraging our youth to pursue higher education and explore opportunities in science-related disciplines. Back-to-School Events: We intend to host two back-to-school events to ease the back-to-school transition for students and their families. These events will serve as a platform for distributing much-needed school supplies to students, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds. By providing essential educational materials, we aim to alleviate the financial burden on families and ensure that every child starts the academic year with the tools they need to succeed. Community Gathering for Peace and Unity: In addition to supporting academic pursuits, our project will foster a sense of community, safety, and unity by hosting a safe and peaceful community gathering. By bringing residents together in a positive and supportive environment, we seek to build stronger neighborhood bonds and promote the shared responsibility of maintaining a peaceful and thriving community. Mentoring and leadership development programs will be at the heart of this initiative, providing our youth access to new skills and valuable information for their personal and professional growth. We believe in fostering a sense of connectedness through our back-to-school extravaganza will leave the students ready to engage in the upcoming school year. Moreover, we recognize the significance of social and emotional skill development, and our workshops on leadership and peace circles will promote self-control, empathy, and positive communication among our young participants. We are dedicated to empowering our youth, nurturing their self-esteem, and providing them with opportunities for leadership, employment, and skill-building. This program is a testament to our collective commitment to creating a brighter future for our children and youth. Your active participation will drive the success of these community activities and events, and we are excited to embark on this journey together.
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Grant Recipient
Alpha Illinois Leadership Foundation
The Alpha Illinois Leadership Foundation has the willingness, experience, capacity (location, staff, and volunteers), and existing youth development initiatives to expand or move up to meet the Labor Day weekend and August (rapid response) youth programs. The Alpha Illinois Leadership Foundation will expand our existing Youth Leadership Initiative named Empowering YOU to house and provide youth leadership, recreational and anti-violence activities.
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Grant Recipient
La Villita Community Church
La Villita Community Church seeks funding for the August Gap period and for Labor Day weekend activities. During the August gap, we will expand our youth-led Arco Iris Summer Camp to allow 15-20 youth Camp Leaders (ages14-24) to spend two weeks following the camp, which ends on August 4th, to debrief about the camp, prepare best practices for next summer, engage camp participants and parents in a feedback gathering and needs assessment process, receive additional training in how and why to activate their blocks, and plan for community service, outreach, and engagement activities including the Healing the Hood Labor Day Block Party. During the August gap period from 8/6 through 8/20, 15-20 youth leaders will meet two days per week for three hours each day, on Mondays and Thursdays from 10:30am to 1:30pm. They will also participate in a team-building and educational excursion--taking the Chicago River Architecture Cruise by the Chicago Architecture Foundation. The youth Leaders will receive a stipend of $75 per week for their participation. Their work will culminate in planning and hosting the Healing the Hood Labor Day Block Party on September 1st from 12pm-5pm, which will be attended by 100 people, including camp participants, neighborhood residents of Little Village and North Lawndale, and the youth leaders.
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Grant Recipient
Men Making A Difference
Men Making a Difference (MMAD) will host an August youth Breakfast series. Each Saturday morning in the month of August from 9:00 am- 1:00 pm, we will bring together the youth of North Lawndale and their families for a free breakfast cooked by local community members with food obtained from community businesses. After breakfast and fellowship, we will engage youth in peace circles. Funds will be used for food and other supplies MMAD will host a labor day picnic for youth in North Lawndale from 11 am- 2:00 pm at our community garden. We will bring together the youth of North Lawndale and their families for a free picnic lunch cooked by local community members with food obtained from community businesses. Additionally, we will have games and activities for families to engage in. Funds will be used for food, water, and games.
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Grant Recipient
Imani Community Development Corporation
We are currently a C.P.S. vendor that is participating in the Safe Haven Summer Camp. We will continue to stay open for the extra two weeks of programming convening,Aug. 7- 21st, 2023, Monday thru Friday from 10 am to 2 pm. The cost of those 10 days will be $3500. Then we will love to have two events for the Labor Day weekend. On Sunday evening, we will have a free movie night with concessions, and on the Monday, we will have a free Community Barbecue. The cost for both events will be $1500.
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Grant Recipient
Holy Breath Conglomerates NFP Inc
Justice-involved youth ages 14-18 will participate in a 10 hour workshop over the course of two weeks. Intro to Album Covers, Merchandise Design, Mascot Design, and Motion Design by way of our Art Life Pillar (Graphic Design). Art will be focused on mass incarceration, excessive sentencing, mental wellness, and music. We will conclude with a Know Your Rights Seminar from our Civic Life Pillar to teach youth how to invoke their Constitutional Rights when approached by Peace Officers. Funds will be used for art supplies, presenter stipends, and lunch for youth during August Gap as well as seminar materials, breakfast and lunch for all participants: parents, presenters, partners, and youth.
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Grant Recipient
Alt Space Chicago
alt_ Chicago requests $5,000 to support the Redemptive Plastics Summer Cohort. The initiative seeks to make recycling more attractive to our youth, especially in the Austin community. Young men and women are encouraged to remain mindful of the plastic they discard by turning the into functional art pieces that can instead be made accessible to the community. This additional funding will support extending the program through the month of August and hosting a culminating event during Labor Day weekend.
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Grant Recipient
Music Box Foundation
Music Box Foundation is a family run 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established in 2011. Our mission is "To be a catalyst for building healthy communities and enriching lives through the power of music and the arts." We are seeking funding to support a Labor Day weekend Back to School event. This event will take place at the Music Box Foundation headquarters located 6843 S. Harper Ave. where we will invite community members and families to partake in music, food, fun and games, as well as a school supply giveaway.