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
Chicago Community Foundation
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Grant Recipient
Disability Lead
Disability Lead (DL) is profoundly grateful for the enduring support from The Chicago Community Trust, which has been crucial in establishing our organization as the pioneering leadership program for individuals with disabilities in the United States. This support has enabled the growth of a vibrant network comprising over 220 innovative leaders who are driving transformative changes across various sectors in Chicago. This network, underpinned by deep relationships and shared experiences, fosters ongoing growth and development for our members, ensuring sustained impact. DL has also grown our staff to seven, including new capacity through the addition of dedicated Education & Learning Services Manager, Operations, and Marketing & Communications roles. These roles will be key to our success going forward, and we anticipate delivering a higher level of service to our Members as a result of sustained funding for this growth. Reflecting our dedication to being a disabled-led organization, all three new staff members identify as disabled. At its core, Disability Lead embodies the belief that effective leadership thrives within a community grounded in understanding, empathy, and shared objectives. Our comprehensive programs ensure that individuals with disabilities are not only equipped with essential leadership skills but are also provided opportunities to exercise significant influence. Supported by a robust network, our members receive guidance and encouragement essential for their continuous growth. Continued backing from The Chicago Community Trust will be instrumental in allowing Disability Lead to sustain and expand our impactful work. This will enhance our presence in the Chicago area and strengthen our long-term strategies for growth and sustainability, maintaining our crucial role in the community and reinforcing our commitment to inclusive leadership.
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Grant Recipient
McHenry County College
Community programming and partnerships led by the Center for Agrarian Learning (CAL) are the primary focus of our Director of Innovation, Sheri Doyel. Sheri Doyel leads the expansion of the McHenry County College (MCC) Student Farm to align with industry standards, and advises on curriculum changes in MCC's Entrepreneurial Agriculture degree and certificate programs. In last year's FLO application, MCC proposed doing a deep dive evaluating and enhancing the Entrepreneurial Agriculture programs, specifically. However, the Dean for Mathematics, Science, and Health Services rightly determined that MCC's Horticulture program would be first in line for the review process, as it is 30 years old. In January 2024, the younger Entrepreneurial Agriculture program was then scheduled for review from November 2024 - October 2025. This process is referred to as DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) and was adopted from Ohio State University. In short, it is a focus-group facilitated process of identifying the skills/proficiencies needed in a particular job/career (in this case farming, or farm business launch) and aligning curriculum to match so that students are well prepared for their future. This application, then, is to request funding for CAL to enhance the Entrepreneurial Agriculture program, writing now with a much better understanding of the DACUM process, its fullness, and its timeline. In addition, CAL will continue to serve the farming community with non-credit educational opportunities, while also deepening partnerships with area non-profits and agencies to better do this work.
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Grant Recipient
Metropolis Strategies NFP
General operating grant to support the Illinois Justice Project's criminal legal reform initiatives, including the Illinois Reentry Council and associated reentry work, the Justice 20/20 Network, and the SAFE-T Act Policing Implementation Workgroup.
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Grant Recipient
Illinois Stewardship Alliance
The Alliance will raise the visibility of local food and help foster a policy environment that is more favorable to farms and local food businesses by organizing farmers and eaters, developing their leadership and participation in Alliance caucus, working in coalition with allies on issues, and educating policymakers.
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Grant Recipient
Zumwalt Acres
Zumwalt Acres (ZA) is a regenerative educational farm, community hub, and research center. ZA is grounded in Jewish values and centers queer identities. A three-month long fellowship for beginning growers to develop skills, build community, and learn about the landscape of farming in the Chicago foodshed is hosted at ZA. In addition, ZA hosts workshops, festivals, and community gatherings on the farm to offer more people the opportunity to learn about growing food regeneratively and mitigating climate change through farming, and to connect with the environment. On a weekly basis, ZA distributes fresh vegetables and fruit to communities throughout Chicago and downstate Illinois.
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Grant Recipient
Seven Generations Ahead
The project drives policy, infrastructure and collaboration to reduce wasted food and build a market for food scrap composting to advance a local, sustainable food shed in Illinois and protect the health of Illinois residents and natural resources.
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Grant Recipient
Chicago Community Foundation