Thousands of people have been able to find work, secure housing, or grow their business in part because of Benefit Chicago. MacArthur, the Chicago Community Trust, and Calvert Impact Capital launched Benefit Chicago in 2016 as a 15-year initiative to invest in nonprofits and social enterprises throughout the Chicago region.
Over the past decade, Benefit Chicago has committed more than $114 million, which has mobilized over $1 billion in additional financing for supported projects. It has created or preserved over 3,300 affordable homes, supported nearly 11,000 jobs, and strengthened dozens of organizations that drive opportunity, stability, and belonging in Chicago.
Benefit Chicago’s goal is to improve opportunity for Chicago residents: create jobs, build wealth, and tackle other pervasive social and economic challenges. Nearly 90 percent of the organizations that received investments through Benefit Chicago have met or exceeded their impact goals, showing the potential of capital that is patient, flexible, and grounded in purpose.
Photo: A man works in a garden on the Green Era Campus in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood. Green Era, which received $3.4 million in support through Benefit Chicago, is a sustainability and learning hub that transforms food waste into energy and compost. Credit: Green Era Chicago
