Young Leaders Fund Grants

Young Leaders Fund Grants is sponsored by The Chicago Community Trust. The Young Leaders Fund focuses its grants on small, start-up nonprofits with operating budgets of less than $250,000 in three focus areas: Arts & Culture, Child Development & Education, and Community & Economic Development. Funding has supported upgrading computers for after-school programs.

Skip to contentSkip to footer The Chicago Community Trust: Equity, Opportunity, Prosperity.

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Photo: Members of Young Leaders Fund (YLF),2025. Over the past 30 years, the Young Leaders Fund (YLF) has awarded more than $1 million in grants to more than 260 small, start-up nonprofits serving neighborhoods across the city.

From band classes for students in East Garfield Park, to launching a women’s culinary workforce development program at the Cook County Correctional Center, to upgrading computers for an after-school program in West Woodlawn, YLF has paved the way for small nonprofits to take their work to the next level. YLF focuses its grants on small, start-up nonprofits with operating budgets of less than $250,000.

Our three focus areas are Arts & Culture, Child Development & Education, and Community & Economic Development. YLF grants are invite-only, and we’re always looking for organizations to invite to our next grant application cycle. If you have recommendations of small local nonprofits doing incredible work for us to connect with, please complete the form linked below.

If you are interested in learning more about joining YLF, please email us at**ylf@cct. org**. Mateo Koster, _Co-Chair_ Caroline Schneir, _Co-Chair_ Thomas Detillion Arun Sekar Dimitri Kallioras Jacque Stefanic Cambria Khayat Ervin Szot Lisandra Lao Maria Ullmann Patrick Maloney Elena Westbrook The Trust is a community foundation that is dedicated to ensuring opportunity and prosperity are within reach for everyone in our region.

As a charitable community, we know that many of our communities have been historically under-resourced, including by philanthropy. The Young Leaders Fund is a group of donors who seek opportunities to address those historic gaps, which will help strengthen the entire Chicago region. When our neighbors do better, we all do better.

cmunteanu@cct. org312-616-8000 cgoodale@cct. org312-616-8000 A list for existing and prospective grant partners seeking capacity-building services or other technical assistance.

To stay up-to-date with the work of Young Leaders Fund, please complete an interest form to receive future communications from Affinity Funds. ## Explore Affinity Funds Affinity funds are groups of donors united by a shared heritage, identity, or common interest. They offer an efficient way to support a specific group of people and the nonprofits that aid them by leveraging contributions through collective giving.

* Affinity Fund LGBTQ Community Fund * Affinity Fund Nuestro Futuro * Affinity Fund Disabilities Fund * Affinity Fund African American Legacy * Affinity Fund Asian Giving Circle Name Please enter full name Email Address Please enter a valid email address General Trust Newsletter - [x] ## EQUITY. OPPORTUNITY. PROSPERITY.

The Chicago Community Trust works to build a Chicago region where equity is central—and opportunity and prosperity are in reach for all. Grants from the Trust’s endowment are limited to organizations based in or primarily serving Cook County. The Chicago Community Trust: Equity, Opportunity, Prosperity.

* Building Wealth & Well-Being * Addressing Critical Needs * Connecting Philanthropy to Impact * Partnerships & Initiatives