Company Profile
The Chicago Community Trust
Company Overview
As our region’s community foundation, The Chicago Community Trust unites generous donors, committed nonprofits and caring residents to effect lasting change that moves our entire region forward.
For more than 100 years, donors have entrusted their philanthropic resources and visions to our stewardship. Guided by our deep knowledge of the community, we fund, lead, convene and collaborate to address the greatest and most critical needs facing the Chicago region. Our approach centers on both tackling the region’s immediate needs and addressing the root causes of deep-seated issues to make a tangible, lasting impact. The strength of our expertise goes to work—no matter what your philanthropic goals— to ensure your generosity can do the greatest good for our region and beyond.
We work with a number of partnerships and initiatives to accomplish this work.
Company History
The Chicago Community Trust is a community foundation dedicated to advancing metropolitan Chicago and improving the lives of the people who call it home. The Trust serves as a philanthropic partner, connecting the generosity of donors with community needs. Today, following the creation of a new strategic plan in 2018, the Trust stands committed to addressing Chicago’s legacy of systemic inequity and closing the racial wealth gap. With assets of over $3.5 billion, the Trust in partnership with its donors distributes more than $400 million in grants each year. Our unwavering mission is to mobilize resources, people, organizations and ideas in support of this vision for a truly equitable, connected and thriving community.
The Trust was founded in 1915 by Norman and Albert Harris, father and son duo of the Harris (now BMO Harris) bank family. The Chicago Community Trust was the fourth community foundation ever created. There are now 750 community foundations across Canada and the US.
Since 1915, the Trust has been part of nearly every major civic milestone of the Chicago region. From the creation of Millennium Park and Chicago’s Harris Theater to Leadership Greater Chicago and Chicago Urban League, the Trust has worked to support the people and organizations that have made Chicago a world class city.
The Trust Team seeks to match the passion and commitment of donors, grantees, residents and community leader that continue to work tirelessly to make this City one where all have the opportunity to realize their dreams.
The Trust is also changing the way we operate from a traditional grantmaker to a transformative changemaker. As such, all aspects of the organization are moving towards advancing change through a range of approaches, including supporting programs, conducting and analyzing research, driving collaboration, engaging funders, advancing policy, and moving markets and investments towards social change. This work is grounded in principles of equity and informed by individuals disproportionately impacted by systemic racism.