2024 Holiday Shopping Guide
The Chicago Community Trust is committed to the vitality and well-being of the Chicago region and all who call it home. A key…
Stories
Spotlights on community issues, the people, and the organizations who contribute to effective philanthropy as well as a stronger Chicago region and world.
Recent Stories
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From the Archives: 1984 – Basic Human Needs Fund Established
Addressing the basic needs of residents has always been a fundamental part of the Trust’s work. As homelessness and food insecurity rise in…
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Giving Season 2024: How You Can Support the Chicago Region
As our region’s community foundation, The Chicago Community Trust serves as a platform for change, connecting philanthropy to impactful outcomes. Throughout the year, the Trust unites…
“Community Spotlight” Stories
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Get My Payment Illinois: The Coalition Helping Illinois Residents Access Their Economic Impact Payments
As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government provided Economic Impact Payments (EIP), also known as stimulus checks, to individuals and families to help mitigate the impact…
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Little Village Emergency Fund Helps Nearly 800 Families Access Emergency Cash During COVID-19
The zip code that contains most of Little Village—a predominantly Latinx neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side—has, as of early 2021, seen more COVID-19 deaths than…
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Community Organizations Help Families Build More Stable Financial Futures
Since 2001, Family Independence Initiative (FII) has been in the business of direct cash transfers—depositing money right into the bank accounts of families living in…
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Our Great Rivers Reimagines Chicago River System as Vital Lifeforce
What if Chicago’s rivers were seen not just as waterways, but as treasured cultural and economic assets, similar to Lake Michigan? In 2016, the Metropolitan…
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Fast-Growing Food Enterprise Run by Entrepreneurs of Color Secures New Home
The founders of ChiFresh Kitchen never expected their worker-owned, commercial kitchen cooperative would launch early due to a pandemic-fueled demand for quality meals for people…
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Bridges to Brighter Futures Helps Black, Latinx, and Low-Income Students Secure Good Jobs & Financial Outlook
Over the last decade, the Trust and Kinship Foundation have elevated the concept of collaboration to exciting new heights by co-creating and investing in major…
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Southeast Side Residents Advocate for Positive Community Development
When people hold the power to shape their collective destiny, anything is possible. This year, as part of the Trust’s strategy to close the racial…
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Continuing a Legacy: Claude Robinson Awarded Second Donald Stewart Fellowship
Two years after his passing, the legacy of Donald Stewart lives on. In March, The Chicago Community Trust and African American Legacy awarded their second Donald Stewart Fellowship to Claude Robinson,…
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Changemakers Network Building Trust, Muscle—and Power
What does it take for a group of strangers to build trust among one other when they can only gather virtually? How can philanthropy help…
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Uniting Funders to Help Businesses of Color Grow and Thrive
When it comes to closing the racial and ethnic wealth gap, small businesses can be a force multiplier, helping people build wealth, creating jobs and…
