Stories

Spotlights on community issues, the people, and the organizations who contribute to effective philanthropy as well as a stronger Chicago region and world.

All Stories

City College ‘Navigators’ Guide High School Seniors Toward Success

Feb 12 2018

Students graduating from high school face a variety of paths to success. Choosing the best fit requires information and guidance—that’s why comprehensive counseling during high…
At Winter Coat Giveaways, Families Discover their Local Library

Feb 11 2018

Operation Warm is a nonprofit dedicated to providing children with warmth, hope and happiness. The Chicago Public Library system serves all Chicagoans with opportunities to…
A Wicker Park Housing Co-Op Fights Gentrification

Feb 8 2018

Wicker Park is known for its nightlife, food scene, boutique clothing stores, beer gardens—and limited available affordable housing. Zillow.com currently lists a 2-bedroom apartment in…
The Pediatricians at the Forefront of Health Equity in Chicago

Feb 7 2018

At a December symposium on equitable transit-oriented development, presenters explored how a collaborative of nonprofit, public and private organizations came together to apply for—and win—funding…
The Missing Link for Education, Health and Criminal Justice

Feb 6 2018

Across Chicago’s social sector, a range of innovative nonprofits, scholars and leaders pool their expertise to tackle the city’s most urgent and complex challenges—like health,…
For Lake County, a Reckoning with the Suburbanization of Poverty

Feb 1 2018

“Concentrated poverty, which we think of as an urban problem, is taking root in suburban municipalities across the nation.” On January 23, Dr. Scott W.…
After the Crisis, Defining the New Critical Needs

Feb 1 2018

In the grip of the Great Recession, Chicago fought back a rising tide of human need: mass layoffs and skyrocketing unemployment, rising homelessness, growing hunger.…
How Transit-Oriented Development is Building More Equitable Neighborhoods

Jan 29 2018

Chicago has lost more than 100,000 African-American residents in the past ten years. Logan Square alone has lost more than 20,000 Latino residents in the…
City Investment to Help Homeless Chicagoans Secure Stable Housing

Jan 26 2018

Late last year, The Chicago Community Trust awarded more than $500,000 in grants through its Housing+ program in an effort to strengthen the connections between…
Investing in the Women of Color Leading Chicago’s Justice Movements

Jan 11 2018

“Racial inequity harms the lives and prosperity of everyone, not just people of color. Curbing inequities is more than the right thing to do—it’s an…