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
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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
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.
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Grant Recipient
LIFT
LIFT-Chicago's mission is to break the cycle of poverty by investing in parents. We do this by partnering with parents to achieve economic stability and mobility through our holistic, two-generation coaching model with wraparound support, including financial capabilities workshops and quarterly cash infusions. Through 1:1 financial coaching and group workshops, LIFT-Chicago members work with coaches to identify goals and develop individualized action plans to achieve them, including obtaining higher education, securing family-sustaining employment, and developing critical financial capabilities that promote long-term economic security. LIFT-Chicago recognizes that our members’ persistence toward economic mobility, including their self-identified education and employment goals, is rooted in their resilience. As we move forward in our direct service work, we are investing more deeply in trauma-informed, healing-centered, and racial equity-driven coaching, with staff training and updated coaching protocols. For example, we are introducing solution-focused therapy techniques into our coaching program for members who need more support but do not have access to immediate mental health care. Second, as we learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are continuing to offer virtual programming and adopting a hybrid coaching model to be more adaptive to the needs of our parents. Third, we are experimenting with group coaching, which offers opportunities to scale coaching to more families while capitalizing on the bridged and bonded social capital that can be developed in a group setting. Group workshops provide space outside of coaching to connect with peers and focus on holistic goals like positive parenting and well-being. LIFT-Chicago recognizes the importance of enlisting coaches from diverse and low-income backgrounds with matched lived experience to our members. LIFT-Chicago's coaches, who are Master of Social Work interns, undertake specialized training to implement LIFT’s model and gain experience providing culturally sensitive, strengths-based support. As such, LIFT-Chicago supports the career pathways of both its coaches and its members – furthering their educational and career aspirations, informing the next generation of human service delivery with holistic approaches to disrupting intergenerational poverty, and advancing equity by filling a gap in the human service workforce with highly trained BIPOC clinicians.
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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
The Chicago Community Trust/Office of Equity and Racial Justice
Chicago, as a sanctuary city, is facing unprecedented challenges due to the recent influx of migrants following the lifting of Title 42. With over 29,301 New Arrivals, primarily from Venezuela, having arrived in Chicago as of December 29th, 2023, the city is grappling with the logistical and humanitarian aspects of accommodating and supporting these individuals. The sudden and continuous arrival of migrants, often without advance notice, has overwhelmed city officials, forcing the opening of 27 shelters with more in the pipeline. This influx, coupled with the lack of federal and limited state funding, has strained city resources, leading to tension among residents, particularly in historically underfunded low-income Black and brown communities. The City remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting New Arrivals and facilitating their permanent resettlement in Chicago. However, the media landscape, dominated by local and national outlets, contributes to a challenging environment. The portrayal of New Arrivals in the media is often reactionary and echoes xenophobic sentiments, influencing public opinion negatively. To counter this, the city administration and community leaders recognize the need for a dedicated communications help to implement a rapid response strategy, shifting the narrative and discourse around New Arrivals and immigration. This represents a crucial opportunity for Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States, to lead in immigration reform, resettlement, and exemplify the essence of being a Sanctuary City. The city administration and key stakeholders, urgently require a coordinated multi-media communications plan. This plan would involve developing and supporting the implementation of a strategic communications strategy for the city's efforts to welcome New Arrivals. Additionally, it would include analyzing and interpreting public opinion, attitudes, and potential issues that might impact the city's response. Collaboration between the city administration and diverse coalition partners is crucial for ensuring better coordinated responses, maintaining message discipline, and engaging in research-informed communication. The plan should also encompass supporting all aspects of rapid response efforts, such as crafting talking points, press releases, and social media content to shape a more positive narrative around the challenges faced by Chicago as a result of the influx of migrants. The CCT will will initiate a sub-granting process to support the city administration's communications' plan on new arrivals. CCT will partner with the Office of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights, responsible for this communications' initiative, that will include identifying and contracting suitable firms to address the public affairs strategy understaffing related to asylum seekers. Building on their successful collaboration during the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund, where CCT identified and supported community-based organizations and individuals impacted by the pandemic, the trust will once again leverage its expertise to ensure that the communications strategy aligns with the values of multiculturalism and peacekeeping. CCT's role in monitoring the process will uphold public trust, ensuring transparency, and contributing to the effective implementation of the strategy to address the needs of the city and its New Arrivals. This partnership demonstrates the shared commitment of the City administration and CCT to address pressing issues and effect lasting positive change for all Chicagoans. Over the years, the City of Chicago and The Chicago Community Trust (CCT) have built impactful partnerships, seen in initiatives like Elevated Works. This program, under Elevated Chicago, disperses $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to 60 Equitable Transit Oriented Development (ETOD) sites. CCT plays a crucial role by matching these federal dollars with an additional $1 million or more in flexible funding, ensuring prompt capital and a comprehensive range of services for the City's ETOD grantees, maximizing the impact of recovery funds on community development. Furthermore, the joint efforts of CCT and the City to combat community violence are evident through their involvement in the Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities (PSPC). This coalition, consisting of over 50 foundations and private funders, actively supports effective solutions against community violence. In 2023, the city administration, CCT, and PSPC collaborated to amplify the impact of the Chicago Fund, resulting in an increased investment of over $2.5 million in grants distributed among 253 grassroots organizations. This collective initiative now aims to extend its reach by engaging more young people in activities throughout the year, going beyond the traditional gap period between the end of the school year and the beginning of Chicago Park District programming. The clear synergy between CCT and the City of Chicago demonstrates our shared commitment to addressing urgent and longstanding social issues.
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Grant Recipient
Deborah's Place
Deborah’s Place is requesting support for our housing-first, harm-reductive, human-centered programs that support single women as they transition from experiences of homelessness to permanent, stable housing. Grant funding from the Chicago Community Trust will be used to deepen the participation of clients (who are primarily women of color) and improve the agency’s delivery of services to address evolving community needs.
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Grant Recipient
The Chicago Community Foundation/Elevated Chicago
Elevated Chicago is a coalition of organizations advancing Equitable Transit-Oriented Development [ETOD] to unlock the potential of transit hubs to connect people and attract development that is racially equitable in terms of climate resilience, health and cultural indicators. In partnership with local community-based organizations, Elevated Chicago seeks to transform the 1/2-mile radius around CTA, Metra, and Pace hubs and corridors into community-focused centers of commerce and culture by 1) removing barriers that hinder innovation near station areas; 2) equipping residents with resources to make these areas a community and civic priority; and 3) aligning, cultivating, and deploying capital for development near transit stations, to become areas where the built environment and programming converge to create nodes of connection and opportunity.
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Grant Recipient
McKinley Park Development Council
We published the South Branch Connectivity Project Framework Plan (attached) in June 2024 and are now taking the first steps toward implementation. These steps include continued detailed planning, community engagement, advocacy efforts, negotiations with landowners, and holistic action on concerns like transportation and housing affordability in surrounding areas. Many details are laid out in the plan’s recommendations (p53) and implementation matrix (p 80).
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Grant Recipient
SMALL BUSINESS MAJORITY FOUNDATION INC
Small Business Majority [SBM] requests support to continue Pathways to Entrepreneurial Growth, offered in partnership with Rogers Park Business Alliance [RPBA] and New Covenant Community Development Center [NCCDC]. Pathways increases access to business support, financial management training and capital for entrepreneurs of color by linking together RPBA’s GROW/PROGRESANDO program, NCCDC’s Financial Dashboard program and SBM’s “Ready for Capital” capstone workshop. Partners monitor outcomes and feedback from multi-program participants and identify adaptable best practices aimed at boosting cultural competence and humility in service delivery—key to increasing effective, fair service delivery for entrepreneurs disproportionately harmed by structural discrimination, public disinvestment and the pandemic.