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
PODER
PODER is an immigrant integration center on Chicago's Southwest Side, empowering Spanish-speaking adults to seize opportunities in Chicago through the PODER Integrated Skills Pathway. This includes free Integrated English, workforce training, digital skills, civic engagement, 1:1 advisement, and connections to critical services through a network of community partners. PODER is focused on building capacity to improve service delivery and increase quality of life and racial equity among community members, while also ensuring sustainable growth as a replicable model of an immigrant integration center.
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Grant Recipient
DEPAUL UNIVERSITY
The Institute for Housing Studies (IHS) at DePaul University will support the Chicago Community Trust by developing applied research resources and providing high-quality data-focused technical assistance to inform progress toward the Chicago Community Trust’s programmatic goal of increasing homeownership and home equity for Black and Latine residents and its overarching strategic goal to close the racial and ethnic wealth gap.
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Grant Recipient
Onward Neighborhood House
The primary recipients of Onward House’s social services have always been immigrants, a fact that has been reinforced since we opened an Illinois Welcoming Center (IWC) in 2020 to aid new arrivals as they settle in Chicago. Our expanding staff has been meeting demand from the consistent growth in Chicago’s migrant population since 2022, providing access to comprehensive settlement services—from health care through legal services to education—either within the IWC, through in-house referrals to our wraparound services, or through referrals to other agencies. Situated within the Chicago Community Area with the largest Latine population, as a Latine-led and staffed organization rooted in the Northwest Side, Onward House is well equipped to deliver culturally fluent resources to individuals whose difficult migrations have created multifaceted needs.
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Grant Recipient
LATINOS PROGRESANDO
Latinos Progresando’s (LP) immigration legal services program provides a full spectrum of family-based immigration legal services, as well as an initiative that meets the unique needs of immigrants experiencing domestic violence. LP is recognized by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and its program is staffed by DOJ-accredited representatives. LP’s program distinguishes itself by its 25 years of expertise in the field, as well as by its accessibility. The program also remains the only legal services program on Chicago’s southwest side offering completely free, full-service support to immigrant victims of domestic violence. All clients receive a thorough one-on-one legal consultation by a DOJ-accredited representative that includes a personalized, step-by-step case analysis and an explanation of rights and eligibility. If a client is eligible and LP takes the case, LP prepares the case files, submits to United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), and serves as legal representative through the duration of the case, often years. If a case exceeds LP’s capacity, the client is fully informed on the case, LP completes any work that does not need to be completed by the attorney (FBI background check, for example), and makes a warm referral to a trusted attorney within Latinos Progresando’s network. As a leader in the field, LP also provides operations training and technical assistance to community-based legal service providers. For decades, LP has been a model for emerging and expanding organizations and has shared best practices to improve services for immigrant communities in and beyond the Chicago metropolitan area. On an ongoing basis, and in response to policy changes, LP provides immigration-focused informational presentations to community residents and organizations outside the legal field but working with immigrant families. These sessions offer accurate, high-quality information to prevent and combat fraud, allow community residents to ask experts questions, and increase reputable service providers’ accessibility. Especially in light of the ongoing targeting of immigrants, families in LP’s community rely on the organization for culturally relevant, accurate information, and to go above and beyond to provide resources for both basic and aspirational needs.
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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
Chicago Community Foundation
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Grant Recipient
RED CLAY DANCE COMPANY INC
Red Clay Dance Company is seeking general operating support to advance it's mission of igniting Glocal Artivism through dance. Artivism (social justice artmaking) is ethos and bedrock of the organization.