Strengthening communities.
Protecting workers. Supporting contractors.

We believe that everyone has a right to economic opportunity and that communities benefit when more individuals have the means to fully participate in the local economy. We help to foster inclusive growth for communities across Illinois.

The Tri-Council Development Fund (TCDF) is a partnership of the Illinois union finishing trades industries. The TCDF utilizes the leadership, advocacy, training, and other resources of more than 9,000 workers and signatory contractors across the state to help build local community and economic development capacity and promote prosperity for all.

Building Strong Communities

As a community-focused initiative, the TCDF partners with municipal governments, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders on projects that strengthen communities and catalyze inclusive growth.

The TCDF focuses on community empowerment through four critical areas of community and economic development:

1

Infrastructure resilience

Promoting physical and economic health by maintaining safe community infrastructure systems and building their capacity to accommodate growth.

2

Workforce development

Providing pathways to family-supporting jobs and career ladders through apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship opportunities.

3

Economic opportunity

Strengthening local economies and sowing the seeds of economic advancement by supporting responsible real estate development and construction projects by entities that support high road construction practices and the creation of good local jobs.

4

Housing balance

Supporting responsible housing policies and the construction of high-quality housing that meets the needs of all community members, provides local employment opportunities, and increases housing security and household economic vitality, particularly for low-income and senior households.