Unity Fund: A Look at Impact in 2024
The Chicago Community Trust’s Unity Fund is a testament to the community spirit of the Chicago region and the power of collective giving. …
Community Wealth
Spotlights on community issues, the people, and the organizations who contribute to effective philanthropy as well as a stronger Chicago region and world.
Recent
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Using Arts and Culture to Spark Narrative Change
For many, art is a form of entertainment. For others, it also serves to inform audiences on society’s biggest issues, challenge harmful narratives,…
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LGBTQ Community Fund Grants $420,000 to Support Youth, Seniors, and the Arts in 2024
The LGBTQ Community Fund, an affinity fund of The Chicago Community Trust, unites donors to support Chicago’s LGBTQ community. Since its founding in 2010,…
“Grantmaking” Community Wealth
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Building a Network of Diverse Developers
City environments are made up of buildings, transit stations, streets, parks, and other man-made structures. Also called the “built environment,” these systems shape our lives…
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Advancing Homeownership as a Tool for Wealth Building
More than a roof over heads, homeownership is a critical tool for helping families increase their financial security, build wealth, and pass it down to…
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An Early Boost Gives Community Developers a Huge Leg Up
How an innovative Trust grant program helps neighborhood visions for growth become reality The Chicago Community Trust believes all Chicago neighborhoods are assets, each one…
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"Collaborative Fund" is a New Source of Capital for Groups Advancing Neighborhood Investment
In 2020, the Trust’s Catalyzing Neighborhood Investment team launched the Flexible Funding Program. The program supports and builds the capacity of organizations to engage with community partnerships,…
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2021 Q4 Grants Highlight Trust’s Dual Focus on Wealth Gap and Pandemic Recovery
Throughout The Chicago Community Trust’s 2021 fiscal year—October 2020 to September 2021, including 347 discretionary grants totaling $29.1 million—COVID-19 remained a persistent challenge.* The year’s…
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2021 Q3 Grants Foster Partnerships for Equity
More than a grant maker, the Chicago Community Trust aims to close the region’s racial and ethnic wealth gap by being a changemaker. Change at…
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2021: Coalitions for Equity in Wealth Policy Leverages Efforts to Address Inequity
The Chicago Community Trust launched the Coalitions for Equity in Wealth Policy funding strategy in 2020 just prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.…
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2021 Q2 Grants Support Policy and Systems Change, Community Engagement
As the Trust pursues its moonshot goal of closing the region’s racial and ethnic wealth gap, it is clear that discriminatory policies and systems helped…
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Flexible Funding Catalyzes Neighborhood Investment, Even in Uncertain Times
Community-based organizations are integral to closing the region’s racial and ethnic wealth gap: They work with residents and businesses on community plans, provide supports to…
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2021 Q1 Grants Support Resilience, Equity, Recovery
In year two of its 10-year strategy to close metropolitan Chicago’s racial and ethnic wealth gap, the Trust is starting to see the fruits of…
