Feeding Change in Our Region
The Chicago Region Food System Fund is a group of funders and community partners working together to build a more resilient local food…
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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Cultivating a Bright Future in Little Village
Little Village, or La Villita, has a long history of welcoming immigrant communities, starting with the German, Czech and Polish residents who flocked…
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Boosting Impact: The Amplification Fund
The Amplification Fund is an opportunity for donors to participate directly in the Trust’s grantmaking and join a community of philanthropists with similar…
All Stories
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Chamber Music in Your Home? It's On the House.
Music connects people in a way that sitting around a table for a dinner party can, but it’s even better when you can bring the…
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Volunteer Runners Help Homeless Chicagoans Take Their Next Steps
It’s just before dawn on a rainy morning on Chicago’s Near West Side where a group of men and women experiencing homelessness have gathered outside…
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For a Brighton Park Soccer Team, Determination Battles Inequality in New Documentary
In green team t-shirts and sweatshirts, the girls of Thomas Kelly High School’s soccer team filed into their school auditorium. But this time, they walked…
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Moms Join Forces to Build “Honeycomb” of Volunteers
On a road trip to visit their children at camp, Catherine Tannen and Kristina Lowenstein began brainstorming the idea that would become the Honeycomb Project.…
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Defying Media Messages About Girls of Color, a Mentor Helps Build Self-Worth
By her own admission, La’Keisha Gray-Sewell was a bit of a handful growing up. “I was the kid who was always fighting, who was always…
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Everyone Experiencing Culture Together: A Vision for Chicago's Arts Scene
If you don’t have a straightforward job, the ubiquitous “What do you do?” question can be a doozy. Being in the cultural accessibility field, it’s…
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Returning Home to Chicago, College Students Set an Example of Service
As a sophomore at Northern Illinois University, Randiss Hopkins looked around his first NIU Cares Day—an annual service event during which 1,000 students participate in…
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Seeking Refuge from War in Syria, Families Find a Home in Chicago
The violent civil war in Syria has driven more than 11 million people from their homes. While many have sought refuge in any European country…
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Runner Finds a New Path as a Mentor for Cancer Survivors
Running has been an integral part of Janett Ortiz’s life for years, and has seen her through some of the toughest times of every part…
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The Power of a Good Conversation: On the Table 2015
What is the value of a good conversation? Should it help people make connections, find common ground, or even just allow people to share stories?…
