About Chicago Community Trust
We envision a Chicago region where equity is central and opportunity and prosperity are in reach for all. To realize our vision, we mobilize people, ideas, organizations, and resources to improve the lives of people in the Chicago region and beyond.
Focus Areas
Household wealthCommunity wealthCollective powerPolicy changeCritical needsArts, culture & narrative changeJournalism / local media (education journalism via Press Forward Chicago)
Who They Fund
nonprofit organizations (general operating recipients)families with young children / child care beneficiarieslow-income / food-insecure householdsyouth from underserved communities (e.g., Fellowship Initiative, Youth Guidance)
About Chicago Community Trust
A defining part of The Chicago Community Trust’s recent grantmaking is its combination of large general operating grants and targeted place-based funds for the Chicago region. The trust has also backed multi-year efforts in clean technology deployment, local news, housing stability, and neighborhood investment, while continuing to support institutions serving youth and families. One of its largest recent grants was $50,837,225 to Save The Children Federation Inc for general support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes. Another major gift was $45,000,000 to Capital Impact Partners for general support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes. The trust’s own stated aim is to improve the lives of people in the Chicago region and beyond, with equity central to that work. Its recent grant record shows a mix of broad institutional support and more directed funding. Chicago Public Schools received $25,000,000 for general operating support, and the National Council of YMCAs of the USA received $20,000,000 for programs, operations and other charitable purposes. Alongside those large unrestricted awards, the trust has used affinity funds and open calls to support specific communities and issue areas in the Chicago region.
What Chicago Community Trust Funds
The trust supports a range of community-serving work, with clear emphasis on housing, youth development, disability inclusion, and local media. In housing stability, it created Sustainable Solutions for Housing Stability — Addressing Critical Needs to bolster direct service organizations that provide housing and homeless prevention services. In youth development and workforce pipeline work, Youth Guidance received $22,622,900 for general operating support and a contribution to The Fellowship Initiative. For disability inclusion, the Disabilities Fund grants program supports organizations advancing rights, justice, employment, education, community inclusion, and technology in the Chicago region. It also funds civic information and neighborhood capacity. Press Forward Chicago pools philanthropic resources for independent news outlets in Chicago, and the Young Leaders Fund awards small grants to small, start-up nonprofits serving Chicago neighborhoods. The African American Legacy programs support both community care and mobilization and community wealth building in Black communities in metropolitan Chicago.
How Chicago Community Trust Gives
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$5.8B
Total Assets
$6B
Total Revenue
$2.5B
Total Expenses
$1.5B
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $100K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$100K
Geographic Reach
National52 states funded
About 37% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
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