Community Desk Chicago

Community Desk Chicago (the Desk) was initially established in 2019 at The Chicago Community Trust through a collaborative partnership with the Boston Consulting Group’s Center for Illinois’ Future (BCG) and JPMorgan Chase. The Desk provides comprehensive support to specific spatial development projects while actively pursuing policy reformation to address barriers to accessing the capital and resources needed in underserved communities. The Desk advances real estate projects, builds local capacity to advance these projects independently, and directly sources project capital often perceived as too risky for traditional capital markets. The Desk primarily seeks to serve historically marginalized communities and has operated in several communities that are presently a part of the Vital Communities portfolio.  The Desk provides technical assistance in land development to community organizations that are entering spatial development with minimal or no prior experience.  After participating in the services provided by the Desk, participants are better equipped to pursue a pipeline of development projects with seed funding, financial acumen, and technical training for financing physical development.