The Chicago Community Trust

Our local news outlets inform and engage residents across our communities. Press Forward Chicago is a coalition of civic leaders, media professionals, generous individuals, and regional foundations committed to ensuring #Chicago remains a hub for excellent, innovative journalism. *Special Invitation: Shaping the Future of Local News* Join us at Northwestern University on October 22, 2024 for a curated conversation exploring the role #philanthropy and strategic partnerships can play to build capacity and leadership as local news organizations work towards long-term sustainability. By supporting this vital work, we can strengthen #localjournalism and empower the next generation of investigators and truth-tellers. This event is designed for individuals and organizations interested in making a meaningful impact on the future of local journalism through various forms of support. Space is limited. To attend, RSVP is required. Please email: [email protected] Speakers: ? Andrew Fan, Executive Director at the Invisible Institute ? Melanie Jongsma, Publisher and Founder of The Lansing Journal ? Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune Contributing Columnist & ABC-7 Political Analyst; President of the Investigative Project on Race and Equity ? Natalie Y. Moore, Senior Lecturer and Director of Audio Programming, Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University

Congratulations to Trust President & CEO Andrea Sáenz for her recognition as a 2024 Spirit Award Honoree at Instituto del Progreso Latino's annual gala! At the Trust, Andrea works to bring to life a vision to realize a stronger and more prosperous #Chicago region where access to opportunities transcends race, ethnicity or zip code. The Trust’s work is both professionally fulfilling and deeply personal for her. As an immigrant from Ecuador who grew up in Los Angeles and came to Chicago as an adult, she is energized by the region’s strength, creativity, connection, and cultural vibrancy. However, she has also experienced the obstacles many Chicagoans face as they strive to build financial stability and prosperity. Andrea has dedicated her career to reimagining civic institutions to engage and serve people impacted by inequitable access to opportunities, aligning with the Trust’s legacy of addressing the Chicago region’s greatest and most critical needs.

Four decades after its founding, the Irving Park Community Food Pantry (a Trust grant recipient) serves about 1,600 people a month, receives 10,000 pounds of food every week, hosts clothing drives, and helps connect neighbors with jobs. The pantry's 40th anniversary celebration will serve as a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for a new, bigger home. #Chicago Learn more: https://bit.ly/47ParOm

A community-driven library that offers interviews with local elders while upholding the ancestral tradition of seed-sharing is open in #Englewood. The Community Seed Library recently debuted in the Go Green Griot Plaza, which transformed vacant land near the Go Green Community Fresh Market into a hub that preserves and promotes Englewood's rich heritage. Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), a Trust grant recipient, led the South Side project. #Chicago Learn more: https://bit.ly/3BljfiT

The Chicago Community Trust was pleased to serve as a sponsor for the The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) fall meeting, held here in #Chicago in September. Our Director of Planned Giving, Donald Gottesman, provided perspective in the latest issue of the ACTEC newsletter on learnings shared at the meeting—particularly strategies to ensure that the charitable goals of attendees' clients are met. #Philanthropy Read on at the link: https://bit.ly/3ZS38nd

Ada S. McKinley Community Services, a Trust grant recipient, celebrated the opening of its fourth South Side mental health facility inside Bronzeville's Insight Hospital. The facility, where staff will see up to 250 clients a week, is funded by public and private sector contributions. #Chicago Learn more: https://bit.ly/4en9PCj

Since August 2022, more than 47,000 asylum seekers have been sent to Chicago, creating a high demand for emergency services like health care and housing. New Life Centers has been one of many organizations helping the city tackle this crisis. After initially providing new arrivals with food, shelter and supplies, the organization launched New Vecinos (“New Neighbors”) in May 2023 to help them resettle after partner organizations help them secure housing. The program assists individuals and families with moving, furniture acquisition, food distribution, and connecting them with community agencies after placement. To date, it has served 5,100 families. #Chicago Learn more about our grant recipients: https://lnkd.in/g5zuSGH2

Twisted Eggroll, a Black woman-owned takeout restaurant could open next year on Chatham's Restaurant Row. Neighbors approved the development plan to transform a long-vacant building in their community. The restaurant's owner received $100,000 from the Trust to fund the project. #Chicago Learn more: https://bit.ly/4ereKBV

The Chicago Community Trust is proud to share "Investing for Positive Impact Across the Midwest," which provides a first-of-its kind snapshot of the #impactinvesting landscape in the #Midwest. Produced by Impact Engine, authored by Cogent Consulting, and with support from the Trust, Builders Vision, the MacArthur Foundation, and the McKnight Foundation, the report tracks activity across all 12 Midwestern states, profiling funds based in the Midwest with an explicit focus on generating a positive, measurable social and/or environmental impact alongside a financial return. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gP9hFSiw

ICYMI: A new report, "Fuerza Mexicana: The Past, Present, and Power of Mexicans in Chicagoland," says #Chicago’s Mexican residents — who are now the dominant group in 15 community areas — "undergird the region’s low-wage workforce and make significant contributions to its economy and culture." Learn more: https://bit.ly/4gyE36F