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
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
Leadership Greater Chicago
Sponsorship Request is for a Burnham fellow
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Grant Recipient
Chicago Humanities Festival
Chicago Humanities will present “Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson on Abundance” on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at the UIC Forum as part of our annual Spring Festival.
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Grant Recipient
Disability Lead
An annual conference to support the leadership and advancement of disabled professionals in the workplace
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Grant Recipient
Ignite
The Ignite & Shine Gala raises funds to prevent and end youth homelessness through a holistic model and program design that includes support services, emergency housing, transitional housing, and community housing for young people ages 10 - 26.
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Grant Recipient
North Lawndale Employment Network
Sweet Beginnings Tea is our annual fundraising event, celebrating NLEN's 25th anniversary, aimed at raising essential funds to support our programs and services.
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Grant Recipient
DEPAUL UNIVERSITY
The Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University and Rudd Resources will co-chair Elevated Chicago’s Knowledge Sharing Working Group.
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Grant Recipient
Here To Stay CLT Inc
The Here to Stay Community Land trust provides affordable homeownership opportunities to those at risk of displacement due to gentrification. We saw housing costs skyrocket during the pandemic, impacting residents of our target area who were unable to purchase homes due to rising costs and the lasting effects of systemic racism in the real estate industry. To combat this, HTS was awarded a $5 million ARPA grant by the state of Illinois, administered by the Dept of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The uses were heavily restricted and none of the funds could be used for operating support. While we were absolutely thrilled to receive the grant, it's been a real struggle to maintain operations and we had to resort to taking out a loan to cover personnel and operating costs. This grant would be extremely impactful as we begin to pay down that loan and ensure we can continue our work of providing stable, affordable homes.
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Grant Recipient
OAI INC
1. Name of the government grant for which you are applying to receive matching funds? Opportunity Works ARPA Program 2. What government agency awarded this grant? Include the government level that houses the agency. Cook County Bureau of Economic Development through The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership 3. What is the total awarded amount for this grant? $300,000 4. When was the grant awarded? Originally January 1, 2024 – November 30, 2024; renewed for December 1, 2024 – November 30, 2025. 5. When does this grant expire? November 30, 2025 6. From which appropriation source is this grant funded? E.g., ARPA, CDBG, City Corporate Funds, State general revenue, etc. You may write “unknown” if you do not know. ARPA 7. Does your organization have a negotiated indirect cost rate? If so, what is it? We do not have a negotiated indirect cost rate with the State of Illinois and use de minmis rate. In addition, two of our direct federal grants do not negotiate for a NICRA and only allow for 5% and 8% indirect cost rates per statutory requirements. 8. Briefly describe the challenges your organization faces in managing and complying with government grants. (max 100 words). OAI encounters numerous challenges managing and complying with government grants including 1) complexity of reporting systems, at times requiring the same data be entered into multiple databases, 2) lack of coordination, communication between each government agency involved within the same grant, 3) cost of retraining staff as reporting requirements shift 4) cumbersome documentation, 5) delay in contract execution and reimbursement payments. Each grant has unique rules and deadlines. Financial tracking necessitates strong systems for accurate reporting and accountability, requiring ongoing subscriptions to financial and CRM platforms. These challenges demand careful coordination and vigilance to ensure compliance and avoid potential penalties. 9. What impact do you anticipate this general operating support will have on your organization’s overall financial health and sustainability? (max 100 words). These general operating funds will allow OAI to support the operating costs not supported by government grants but functions that are critical to administering complex government grants. This flexibility will improve staff capacity to better serve program participants and improve overall service delivery. It will enable us to streamline operational efficiencies and maximize the impact of every dollar spent. It will strengthen OAI’s ability to deliver high-quality workforce development training and services while ensuring long-term organizational growth and financial resilience. 10. Are there specific policies or requirements associated with your government grant that your organization finds particularly challenging or restrictive? If so, please explain. (Max 100 words) Data tracking for Opportunity Works ARPA requires data entry in multiple systems including external and internal systems which require ongoing training for existing and new staff. Indirect costs are calculated from the Modified Total Direct Cost base which disallows all training, support services, and internship wages as part of the base. This creates a much smaller level of indirect funding for things like fiscal support staff. Barrier reduction and internship wages require high levels of fiscal accountability and support, but these costs are not fully included in the indirect cost base. 11. Optional: Please provide additional information or context you would like to share that was not addressed in previous questions. (Max 100 words) Over the past few years, government agencies have experienced many personnel changes and restructuring. This has created a longer onramp than anticipated for new ARPA programs. In addition, many community organizations experienced staffing changes and shortages which created a delay in programs starting.