Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 24: Sustaining Chicago’s Cultural Ecosystem
Chicago is one of the most influential cultural cities in the United States, known for its distinctive blend of architecture, visual arts, music,…
Trust Talks
A podcast by The Chicago Community Trust, each episode of Trust Talks highlights a different strand of the Trust’s strategic priority to grow wealth and well-being in underinvested communities — and improve the region for all in Chicago.
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Episode 24: Sustaining Chicago’s Cultural Ecosystem (February 2026)
In this episode of Trust Talks, we discuss how arts and culture drive and stimulate economic opportunities for a community and elevate the voices and stories of underrepresented communities, while asking what it takes to sustain a thriving, equitable cultural sector. Philanthropy, both institutional and individual, is critical for a thriving arts economy, and we explore this as one of the essential elements of a thriving city.
Hosted by the Trust’s Iona Calhoun-Battiste and features Janell Nelson (Englewood Arts Collective), David Feiner (Albany Park Theater Project), and Nora Daley (Illinois Arts Council). Together, they discuss why investing in both legacy institutions and community-based organizations is essential to Chicago’s future.
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 23: Understanding the Impact of Public Benefits
When most people picture hunger in America, they think of food pantries. Yet for every meal a pantry provides, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 22: Reimagining Development Through Shared Ownership
As Chicago neighborhoods continue to expand with newly built businesses and homes, new opportunities emerge for residents to shape their communities. Yet, traditional…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 21: Navigating Solutions to Homelessness
Over the past decade, homelessness in the Chicago area has been on the rise, and the latest numbers are especially troubling. According to…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 20: Advocating for Policy Reform
Although nonprofit organizations play a vital role in recognizing and addressing the needs of the community, research shows the percentage of nonprofits involved…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 19: Confronting Homeownership Barriers
While homeownership is often viewed as a pathway to building wealth, a range of challenges can hinder its effectiveness, particularly for specific groups.…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 18: Supporting Our Immigrant Communities
The truth about immigration in the United States is that unless you are Native American, we all came from somewhere else. Yet, in…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 17: Leveraging the Power of Data
The Chicago Community Trust’s strategic focus on addressing the racial and ethnic wealth gap was informed by data on the stark differences in…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 16: Working Collaboratively to Address Community Safety
In this episode of Trust Talks, Jai Jones, Program Specialist for the Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities, is joined by Esther Franco-Payne…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 15: We Rise Together: For An Equitable & Just Recovery
In this episode of Trust Talks, we discuss We Rise Together’s impact and what’s next, including how the initiative—and donors—can continue to fuel the…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 14: Building a Robust Local Media Landscape
In this episode of Trust Talks, we explore the current state of the media, how to reverse the decline in local news outlets,…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 13: Planning for Equitable Neighborhood Development
In this episode of the Trust Talks podcast, we explore the role of planning in neighborhood development, current efforts to increase investment in…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 12: Closing the Homeownership Gap
In this episode of the Trust Talks podcast, we explore the work of 3C, how community-centered collaboration can help close the homeownership gap,…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 11: Accessing Federal Funds for an Equitable Recovery
In this episode of the Trust Talks podcast, we explore the barriers nonprofits face in accessing government funds, as well as opportunities to…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 10: Creating a Lasting Legacy for the Chicago Region
In this episode of the Trust Talks podcast, we explore how the Trust’s endowment and bequests made decades ago continue to address the most…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 9: Civic Engagement Through a Racial Equity Lens
Under the Trust’s Building Collective Power strategy, The Chicago Community Trust commissioned the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy at the…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 8: Building Neighborhood Wealth w/ Community Investment Vehicles
In this episode of the Trust Talks podcast, learn about what Community Investment Vehicles (CIVs) are and the wealth building opportunities they could create…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 7: Solving Our Workforce Challenge
In this episode of the Trust Talks podcast, as we approach the tenth anniversary of the inception of the Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance, we…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 6: Overcoming Vaccine Hesitancy
In this episode of the Trust Talks podcast, Anna Lee, Senior Director of Community Impact, sits down with members of the Chicagoland Vaccine Partnership–Lee…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 5: Making Philanthropy Your Own
In this episode of the Trust Talks podcast, Kristin Carlson Vogen, Senior Director of Philanthropic Services, explores how the Trust helps donors make philanthropy…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 4: Media Makers
In three segments, this episode of the Trust Talks podcast explores the different ways the Trust is strengthening local media and storytelling platforms…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 3: Catalyzing Neighborhood Investment
In this episode of the Trust Talks podcast, Michael Davidson, senior director of community impact leading the Trust’s Catalyzing Neighborhood Investment portfolio, sits down…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 2: Fund for Equitable Business Growth
In this episode of the Trust Talks podcast, guests Mambu Sherman, vice president of global philanthropy at JP-Morgan Chase; Eya Louis, contract development coordinator at Elevate Energy;…
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 1: Violence Prevention in Chicago
In this inaugural episode of the Trust Talks podcast, we sat down with Anna LauBach, program director at the McCormick Foundation, Deborah Bennett, senior program…