The Chicago Community Trust

In "Firsthand: Homeless — The Migrant Experience," WTTW explores the complicated migrant experience through the eyes of five individuals who reveal why they left their home countries, their perilous journeys across continents, and the political forces that have shaped their new lives in #Chicago as they search for housing, jobs and education. #FIRSTHANDwttw Tune in: https://lnkd.in/gz34G7DP

The health care laundry company Fillmore Linen Service opened the doors of its North Lawndale facility last Wednesday, as part of a larger initiative to create jobs and revitalize the West Side neighborhood—supported by We Rise Together: For an Equitable & Just Recovery. The company occupies 45,000 square feet at the Fillmore Center, a $40 million development project that will bring more businesses to North Lawndale and create more jobs. #Chicago #Philanthropy #WeRiseWednesdays Learn more: https://bit.ly/3VZLyLx

Across the Midwest, small farms and food producers have promising ideas for products and growing methods that could help feed our region and build the sustainable local food economy that is vital to our future. Sadly, many of these entrepreneurs are blocked from reaching their full potential because they lack access to financial resources. To help solve this challenge, the Trust and Kinship Foundation (a private foundation that supports the administration of the Searle Funds) teamed up to create an innovative new concept known as Proofing Station. Launched in August 2023, Proofing Station offers flexible financing and technical assistance to small and mid-sized farms and food businesses in states throughout the Midwest. #Chicago #Philanthropy #AnnualReport Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gA55yspU

In an interview with Craig Dellimore on WBBM | CBS Chicago, Trust President & CEO Andrea Sáenz joined Darrick Hamilton of the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy to discuss the new "Color of Wealth in #Chicago" study. Andrea noted: "When we look at this report, it is not surprising unfortunately... This adds another layer of data to information that we've seen nationally and that we've seen from other sources about how households in Chicago are faring across racial and ethnic lines. The fact that it is a pattern that is repeated over time, and over multiple ways we analyze it, tells us there is something in the way that we are providing opportunity to Chicagoans that is off — What can we do to correct that?" Listen in: https://bit.ly/4exLY33

Inherent L3C, partners of the Trust's Connecting Capital and Community (3C) initiative, is offering several events (including open houses, lunch and learns, etc) this summer around #homeownership education. #Chicago To learn more and sign up: https://lnkd.in/gzKxbVtJ

A new report provides a roadmap for U.S. community foundations that wish to use Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a more powerful way to put their financial investments into the service of building a more sustainable world — focusing on the question: “Where can we have the most impact?" #Chicago #Philanthropy #Grantmaking Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g9YQr8fG

As #NationalHomeownershipMonth comes to a close, take a look at #HumboldtPark — one of two neighborhoods (East Garfield Park is the other one) where Connecting Capital and Community (3C), a multi-year initiative to create Black and Latine wealth through homeownership, is piloting innovative affordable housing solutions. Working with residents, community-based organizations, and the private and public sectors, 3C is spearheading several efforts to make #homeownership more accessible for families and individuals in #Chicago. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g9UdNvqA

When The Chicago Community Trust committed to working to close the racial and ethnic wealth gap for Chicagoans, we knew we would need robust data to better understand how we might focus our efforts most effectively. Last Monday, we hosted The New School’s Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy to release "Color of Wealth in Chicago," a report that, for the first time, details the relative wealth, assets, and debt positions across racial and ethnic groups in the #Chicago area. The study shows that the net worth — total assets minus total debt — of white Chicagoans far outpaces that of Black, Mexican (U.S. and foreign-born), and Puerto Rican households, even among groups with comparable education and marriage rates. While the report’s findings are bleak, they are not surprising, particularly for people struggling to make ends meet, let alone save and invest. We commissioned this study to help us and others engaged in the critical work to reverse these unacceptable disparities, gain clarity and recommit to doing our part. #ColorOfWealth Read more from Trust President @ CEO Andrea Sáenz: https://lnkd.in/g5QS3DEs

At the Financial Health Network's EMERGE forum this year, the Trust's Sylvia Garcia moderated a panel featuring Carmelo Barbaro of the UChicago Inclusive Economy Lab and Tina Tchen of the Obama Foundation — discussing the future of financial health in the #Chicago region as well as findings of the Financial Health Pulse® Chicago 2022 Report commissioned by The Chicago Community Trust. The report offered the first comprehensive picture of financial health disparities in Chicago and broader Cook County by examining how individuals spend, save, borrow, and plan. Tune in to the full conversation: https://bit.ly/3VPurMp

In 2020, JPMorgan Chase announced a $30 billion commitment to help address the racial wealth gap. The Trust is proud to collaborate with dynamic partners like JPMorgan Chase that are committing to more inclusive business practices, skills training and job creation, neighborhood revitalization, and small business growth. JPMorgan Chase is also one of the Trust’s trustee banks – the five financial institutions that manage a large portion of our assets. #Chicago #Philanthropy #AnnualReport Learn more about their commitment in action: https://lnkd.in/gcTZVy5m