Field of Interest Funds
Field of Interest funds ensure that the Trust, as your philanthropic fiduciary, will continue to support the issues you care about now and in the future.
Field of Interest Funds
Supporters of the following interest funds can make donations online. Learn more below.
| Basic Human Needs Funds | Established at the Trust in 1984, this fund provides grant support to organizations responding to emergency housing, food, clothing and health care needs of our community’s most disadvantaged residents. |
| The Chicago Community Trust Amplification Fund | Participate in our community grant making to expand the number of vetted nonprofits receiving funding through the Trust to build a stronger Chicago region. As a supporter of our initiatives, you will have opportunities to connect with our Community Impact team and grant recipients throughout the funding term. |
| Concern for the Aging Fund | Established in 1978, the fund is devoted to the care and support of the elderly and the improvement of opportunities for older persons in the Chicago metropolitan area. |
| Cultural Arts Fund | Established in 1976, this fund is devoted to the maintenance, support, and promulgation of the cultural arts in the Chicago metropolitan area, including, but not limited to: art, music, dance, drama, poetry, and literature. |
| Education for Our Children Fund | Makes grants to organizations throughout the Chicago metropolitan area that provide educational benefits to youth. |
| Fund for Equitable Business Growth | Works to create a marketplace of services for entrepreneurs of color in the Chicago region to close the racial and ethnic wealth gap and build a more just, equitable, and resilient society. |
| Fund for Safe + Peaceful Communities | Launched in 2016 to proactively prepare for the potential of a spike in violence in Chicago during summer months, and to support activities that build community cohesion and promote safety and peace. |
| Our Great Rivers Fund | The city’s first-ever vision for its complex river system, made up of 150 miles of land along the Chicago, Des Plaines and Calumet rivers and tributaries. The Fund supports sustainable development projects to make this bold vision a reality. |
| Scaling Community Violence Intervention for a Safer Chicago (SC2) | A community of funders and practitioners working to advance one of the most promising near-term approaches to violence reduction: Community Violence Intervention. This includes five key services for individuals at the highest risk of engaging in gun violence: street outreach, mental health, life coaching, education, and employment readiness. |
| Sustainability Fund | Established in 1990 to support efforts to improve and/or preserve the quality of the natural environment in the greater Chicago metropolitan area. |
| Urbs in Horto Fund | Established in 1989, the fund supports nonprofit charitable organizations and local government agencies that replace and add trees on or near streets and boulevards; enhance the boulevards, parks, gardens, and natural open spaces; and educate the general public about the history and benefits of such features in Chicago. |
| Youth Fund | Established in 1975, this fund supports charitable organizations that serve children and youth in the Chicago metropolitan area. |
Forms & Resources
Our staff provides personalized service for your giving needs. In addition to helping you build a giving plan, we are here to help with making sound investments, maximizing your tax benefits, and handling the paperwork along the way.
For a directory of relevant forms and resources, click here.
We also offer donor advised fund holders 24/7 online access to add money or make grants from anywhere in the world through our online Donor Portal.
Let the philanthropic professionals of the Trust show you how giving can be made easier, more effective, and more gratifying.
Donors
We work closely with individuals and families just like you, as well as with your trusted wealth advisors, to ensure that your charitable giving provides the control, flexibility, and impact you’re seeking.
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