About Us

Bringing Capital & Connections
to Chicago Communities

Community Desk Chicago is a community development intermediary leveraging relationships, aggregating risk tolerant capital, and working intentionally in under-resourced communities to shift power dynamics and create a path to advance economic prosperity through community wealth-building and small-scale infill commercial real estate development.

Our Vision

Our long-term vision is a Chicago where all communities have the resources they need to create healthy built environments that support their goals for vibrant spaces, positive economic activity, and community wealth-building.

Our Mission

Community Desk Chicago’s mission is to advance equitable economic prosperity in collaboration with historically under-resourced communities. We do this through an integrated approach of pooling capital, building knowledge and networks, and engaging with investors, funders, and others who influence a community’s ability to thrive.

Diversity Statement

Our strengths to serve our clients is driven by the ability to leverage our unique talents and contributions. Our organization exists for the benefit of creating a path towards advancing the needs and goals of under-resourced communities. As a result, it is important that our clients see a reflection of us in them. Throughout our work, we support diversity in all its forms, including but not limited to age, disability status, economic circumstance, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

Our Values

Community Desk Chicago believes in the following:

Strong talent and commercial development opportunities exist in communities, but they face challenges accessing the necessary capital and resources.

Communities deserve holistic development, including commercial projects that create wealth-building opportunities and improve quality of life.

Projects in under-resourced communities should have equitable access to capital without fear of racial bias.

Our role is to collaborate, not duplicate – partnering with the existing ecosystem to add capacity and fill gaps.

A Timeline of Our History

Partners of Community Desk ChicagoFrom 2018 to 2022, The Desk incubated at the Chicago Community Trust. It was established through a collaborative partnership with the Boston Consulting Group’s Center for Illinois’ Future and JPMorgan Chase.

In 2023, the organization moved from its status as an initiative and launched as a fully independent not-for-profit. The Desk’s work continues to build on research conducted by BCG and the Trust and is informed by extensive work of others advancing place-based community development.

2018-2019

Concept

Researched and explored the opportunity for a community “help desk.”

2019-2020

Launch

Launched as an initiative at the Chicago Community Trust. Began project work in Englewood.

2020-2021

Collaboration

Hired staff and expanded city-wide in alignment with broader revitalization efforts.

2021-2022

Stabilization

Established The Desk as a thought leader with the City of Chicago and philanthropic community. Developed comprehensive programs.

2022-2023

Maturity

Aggregated development capital and provided technical coaching for place-based initiatives. Served as a city-wide thought leader for community wealth-building tools.

2023

501(c)3 Launch

Established as a community development intermediary to support implementation of small-scale infill projects and community wealth-building initiatives.

“Black entrepreneurs and small developers are often excluded from investment opportunities. The Desk advocates to change that.”

- Deon Lucas, E.G. Woode

“Systemic change to traditional capital sources is critical to wealth-building and strengthening communities of color.”

- Lyneir Richardson, Chicago TREND

“The Desk isn’t only about supporting community projects. It’s also about driving more investment and unlocking the potential of Chicago neighborhoods.”

- Charlie Corrigan, JPMorgan Chase & Co