Harriet Spears

2024-2025 University of Chicago Scholar

Headshot of Harriet Spears, 2024-2025 University of Chicago Scholar

Chicago, IL

Founder & Chair, Trust Chicago

Democratizing philanthropy for young people to accelerate social justice giving in Chicago.

Harriet Spears is the Founder and Chair of Trust Chicago, a philanthropic initiative designed to democratize giving among young professionals to advance equity in Chicago. Under Harrriet’s leadership, Trust Chicago created a “giving circle” in which members pool resources to provide grants to small-to-medium nonprofits focused on racial justice, gender equity, and environmental justice. Trust Chicago emphasizes trust-based philanthropy by offering unrestricted funds, minimizing administrative burdens on grantees, and fostering deep community connections. Harriet is committed to scaling the initiative and creating systemic change through collective action in the philanthropic sector, with the goal of cultivating positive philanthropic habits among young people and expanding Trust Chicago's impact in the city.

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The Barack Obama Foundation is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 46-4950751).

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More About the Scholars Program

The Obama Foundation Scholars program gives rising leaders from around the world who are already making a difference in their communities the opportunity to take their work to the next level.

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