The Chicago Community Trust

Why partner with the Trust? Reason #5. Your trusted advisors always have a seat at our table. So you don’t have to go it alone. Your legal, financial and other professional advisors are all welcome to participate and advise your giving through your partnership with The Chicago Community Trust. Ask us how. Email us at [email protected].

OPEN CALL: The Asian Giving Circle (AGC), an initiative of The Chicago Community Trust, has opened its 21st Annual Request for Proposals (RFP). In 2025, AGC will make 10 general operating grants of $10,000 each. #Chicago A virtual info session will be held on Wednesday, May 14 @ 11am, and applications are due on Tuesday, June 17. Award decisions and notifications will be made in late August/early September 2025. For more details: www.cct.org/agc

Why partner with the Trust? Reason #4. Sometimes effective #philanthropy is not always easy. The world is a complicated place. Ever wonder how can you make a difference as an individual? That’s where we come in — Our team of experts is ready to make your giving goals a reality. Regardless of the cause, partnering with The Chicago Community Trust means you are giving back and making an impact. Get started. Contact us at [email protected].

#FromTheArchives: In the early 2000s, a group of leaders with expertise in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors came together to create an innovative way to give back to their #AAPI community. At the time, national foundations gave less than 0.4% to AAPI communities and funding for Chicago-area AAPI organizations was low. These leaders envisioned a new source of funding for Asian American nonprofits from Asian American Chicagoans of all backgrounds, or from any Chicagoans interested in supporting the AAPI community. In 2002, they partnered with The Chicago Community Trust to establish the Asian Giving Circle (AGC), the first giving circle comprised of AAPI donors supporting nonprofits led by and serving AAPI individuals. #Chicago #Philanthropy This #AAPIHeritageMonth, learn more about its history: https://lnkd.in/gSryxjRr

ICYMI: The Investigative Project on Race and Equity in partnership with Injustice Watch are out with a first-of-its-kind analysis of tax and property records revealing how, since 2019, more than 1,000 owner-occupied homes in Cook County — including more than 125 homes owned by seniors — were taken through property tax foreclosure. The Chicago Community Trust supports two companion bills — HB3146 and SB2029 — that aim to stop investors from unfairly profiting when people lose their homes due to unpaid property taxes. These bills, introduced by Rep. Will Guzzardi and Sen. Celina Villanueva, would make sure Illinois follows the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court Tyler v. Hennepin County ruling, which said it’s unconstitutional for governments to keep extra money from tax sales after the debt is paid. The new laws would ensure that if someone loses their property, they can still get back any leftover value, while also protecting local governments from lawsuits. #Chicago For the full article: https://bit.ly/3FepGXk

Why partner with the Trust? Reason #3. The Chicago Community Trust has been around for over 110 years. In that time, we’ve continued to serve a variety of donors and advisors with their charitable giving strategies. Our abundant history reflects our unique understanding of the region and highlights our proven track record within #Chicago’s philanthropic community. Get started. Email us at [email protected].

A thing you might not know about community foundations (I know I didn’t before I worked here): many donors set up funds that are restricted for use on specific topics. In this case, The Chicago Community Trust had multiple funds that must be directed to arts & culture. Iona Calhoun-Battiste and team set to work designing how best to support arts & culture in ways that amplifies economic investment in communities that need it. We’re excited to see what initiatives this sparks or strengthens; please see below for more info.

“Black homeowners in #CookCounty have weathered predatory contract buying, redlining, discriminatory lending practices, the foreclosure crisis, and a property assessment system leaving them with some of the highest taxes relative to their home values in the county. Researchers and experts say the unfair property tax foreclosure system was just one of these predatory real estate practices aimed at taking advantage of vulnerable homeowners.” #Chicago From a first-of-its-kind analysis of tax and property records, the Investigative Project on Race and Equity in partnership with Injustice Watch reveal how, since 2019, more than 1,000 owner-occupied homes in Cook County — including more than 125 homes owned by seniors — were taken through property tax foreclosure. A few takeaways from the study note: •The number of seniors in Cook County who had their taxes sold in the most recent tax sale is at a ten-year high. •Collectively, the initial debt that cost people their homes totaled $2.3 million. But an analysis of Cook County assessment data shows these homes have a combined estimated market value of more than $108 million. •Over the past 10 years, on average, tax buyers purchased more than 25% of all property tax liens that were put up for sale. But when it came to senior homeowners, tax sale records show they were far more aggressive — buying up about 96% of the liens involving seniors who ended up in the tax sale. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4mpIL9S

#RFP: The Chicago Community Trust is pleased to announce Arts & Culture for Community Wealth, a new funding opportunity led by the Trust’s Collective Power strategy. This initiative seeks proposals for innovative and emerging projects that leverage arts and culture as catalysts for building individual and community wealth. This funding program will prioritize community-driven projects in communities that are historically underinvested or experiencing displacement of long-term residents. Projects near public transit, community hubs, cultural or commercial corridors, or other physical spaces that promote economic activities are highly encouraged. #Chicago Details + Info Session: https://lnkd.in/gA8rzMAT

In the coming weeks, The Resurrection Project, a Trust grant recipient, plans to break ground on 28 city-owned vacant lots that will be turned into single-family homes by the end of the year. The nonprofit is part of Reclaiming Chicago, an initiative to build or rehab 1,000 homes on the South Side and 1,000 homes on the West Side. #Chicago Learn more: https://bit.ly/43jILQ5