The Neighborhood Capital Fund aims to support real estate projects that help communities on the South and West sides of Cook County realize their visions for thriving local economies.
Donor Name: The Chicago Community Trust
State: Illinois
County: Cook County (IL)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/20/2025
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The fund will provide streamlined, late-stage capital grants for brick-and-mortar projects to help them complete their capital financing and move to and through construction.
Priorities
The Trust prioritizes grantmaking that:
- Facilitates access to capital for homeownership, small businesses, place-based investments, and shared ownership.
- Helps to create new homeowners and assists long-time owners to stay in place.
- Creates more equitable and affordable postsecondary education outcomes.
- Expands wraparound supports for students and workers, such as childcare, transportation, and barrier reduction funds or stipends.
- Facilitates the creation of quality jobs that go beyond a paycheck to include job security, worker voice, asset-building tools such as retirement accounts, and other supports such as education subsidies, access to paid leave, and caregiving support.
- Increases community assets through place-based investments, shared ownership strategies, and public ownership models.
Funding Information
Up to $2,000,000 grants; One-year grant term.
Criteria
To qualify for a Neighborhood Capital Fund grant, projects must:
- Be late-stage, with at least 75 percent of the capital stack secured with documentation to prove financial commitments. Note: Projects facing unexpected cost escalations while under construction are also eligible to apply for this opportunity.
- Be located within Cook County with a particular focus on neighborhoods on the South and West sides, especially communities that have historically seen a lack of investment.
- Be proximate to local economic/community asset generating economic activity within a half-mile of the proposed development.
- Prioritize community input, with community members involved in the planning of the development and including a nonprofit partner.
- Have proof of site control (e.g., Letter of Intent, Purchase and Sale agreement, evidence of public land application/approval [Cook County Land Bank, City of Chicago Chi Blocker Builder]).
For more information, visit CCT.
