The Capital Grants supports commercial shared ownership models, specifically Community Investment Vehicles (CIV) and Worker Cooperatives (Worker Co-Ops).
Donor Name: Community Desk Chicago (The Desk)
State: Illinois
City: Chicago
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/31/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The City of Chicago investment, Wealth Our Way (W.O.W.) is a collaborative initiative developed and administered by Community Desk Chicago (The Desk) to support communities in launching wealth-building models, based on their terms, that advance their quality of life, build wealth and shift power dynamics in their neighborhoods.
Many low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, especially those on the South and West sides of Chicago, have been disinvested in by the government and private sector. As a result, these residents do not own or control many of the assets in their neighborhoods (businesses, homes, land, commercial property, etc.). Residents in these neighborhoods are excluded from opportunities to build financial wealth, often shut out of development decisions, and can be at risk of displacement.
Funding Period
Up to $500,000.
Grant Period
September 2025 to December 2026.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicant:
- The applicant’s CWB model is a community investment vehicle (CIV) or worker cooperative (worker co-op).
- The CIV or worker co-op or model is already operational or will be ready to launch by the time construction of the real estate project is completed.
- Owners or key leadership of the CIV or worker co-op are not currently City of Chicago employees. Employees of the City of Chicago are not eligible for the W.O.W. program.
- Real Estate Project:
- The real estate project site has been identified and is located in the City of Chicago.
- The CIV or worker co-op has site control for the project site. CIVs must own their project site. Worker co-ops may own their sites or have a lease with a term of at least three (3) years with an option to renew. All applicants will be required to provide evidence of site control as part of the W.O.W. application.
- The real estate project will be in construction or ready to start construction by the end of March 2026. As such, projects must demonstrate a minimum of eight months for construction activities.
- The worker co-op will occupy the real estate project for at least three consecutive years after project completion. CIV must own the property for a minimum of five years. Projects that will not be occupied by the worker co-op are not eligible for the W.O.W. program.
For more information, visit CDC.
