Best Aurora Grants for Nonprofits in Illinois

Broadening Narratives

Broadening Narratives supports diverse stories and collections that expand our understanding of who we are. ​

Our Vision for Broadening Narratives

We work to ensure that those whose stories are being told through collections are included in the decisions about how those stories are told. We seek to broaden the kinds of narratives being told, particularly stories that have never been told, or have been told incompletely or inaccurately.  

This includes stories from culturally specific communities including people of color, LGBTQ+ perspectives, working-class experiences, and small community stories.

We support collections that tell stories that have not been told, have been told incompletely, or have been told inaccurately. We require that those whose stories are being told be included in the decision-making process.

What is broadening narratives?

Why collections? And what do you mean by “Broadening Narratives”? What drove this change in strategy and approach to your collections work? ​

Read this answer and more here.

What We Fund

The Dunham Foundation is committed to providing positive, multi-generational support to all individuals and families in our service area.

We believe that this support lays the groundwork for successful generations to come and builds an infrastructure for a community where all can thrive. The Dunham Foundation invests in the following three areas:

• Education
• Economic Growth
• Community 

Dunham Foundation General Grants (Requests that exceed $50,000)

At the Dunham Foundation, we strive to honor John C. Dunham's vision for building a healthy, thriving community with our grantmaking.

Through these efforts, we support projects and programs in Education, Economic Growth, and Community that create measurable and lasting impact in the Dunham Foundation Service Area.

Organizations outside our service area are eligible if their programs directly impact residents within the Dunham Foundation Service Area.

Funded organizations are expected to submit a financial and program report at the conclusion of the grant. Reporting requirements will be outlined in the approval process and grant agreements. The reporting form will be available through the grant portal.

What We Fund

The Dunham Foundation is committed to providing positive, multi-generational support to all individuals and families in our service area.

We believe that this support lays the groundwork for successful generations to come and builds an infrastructure for a community where all can thrive. The Dunham Foundation invests in the following three areas:

• Education
• Economic Growth
• Community 

Abbreviated Grants ($50,000 or less)

We accept grant requests through online submissions on a rolling basis during the calendar year.

At the Dunham Foundation, we strive to honor John C. Dunham's vision for building a healthy, thriving community with our grantmaking.

Through these efforts, we support projects and programs in Education, Economic Growth, and Community that create measurable and lasting impact in the Dunham Foundation Service Area.

If your request aligns with our Economic Growth or Community priority areas and does not exceed $50,000, you may submit an application through the grant portal. 

Community Finance Initiative 

Advancing the financial resilience of low-income households across the U.S.

This model enables us to engage and support a broad range of organizations across the globe to tackle some of the most pressing social issues of our time.

The Citi Foundation’s 2026 Community Finance Initiative commits $35 million to support programming that bolsters the financial stability, strength and safety of low-income households in the U.S.

Focus Areas

The Foundation seeks to support organizations advancing low-income household financial resilience in the United States across three focus areas:

Stabilize: Programs that help low-income households to build financial skills and confidence to manage daily finances and navigate financial stress.

• Financial coaching on budgeting, credit, debt reduction and savings strategies.
• Digital tools offering personalized financial guidance and product navigation.
• Assistance with public benefits and social safety net programs.

Strengthen: Programs that help low-income households build and repair credit, as well as short- and long-term financial assets.

• Financial products or services for credit building and credit repair.
• Initiatives to increase savings, including emergency funds.
• Support for homeownership, including readiness, preservation and long-term stability (e.g., first-time buyer assistance, preventing displacement and support systems for aging in place resources).

Safeguard: Programs that protect low-income household financial security by preventing and addressing financial losses.

• Education and support for the safe and confident use of digital financial tools.
• Fraud and scam awareness, prevention and recovery initiatives, including protection from identity theft.
• Interventions to help households recover from major financial shocks (e.g., healthcare costs, extended family care, job transitions or natural disasters).

Funding Opportunity

The Foundation plans to award 70 $500,000 (USD) grants (to be disbursed over two years) totaling $35 million to community organizations working in select communities where Citi has a presence.

The grants will be restricted and are anticipated to be disbursed in two annual payments in 2026 and 2027. Proposed projects should be for a term of 24 months, starting no sooner than August 1, 2026 and ending no later than December 31, 2028.

Community College Grant for Development and Creation of an MTA

A. Program Description

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (the "Department" or "DCEO") is issuing this Notice of Funding Opportunity ("NOFO") to support the design and construction of a 22,225 square foot facility, within the campus existing footprint, for the creation of a Manufacturing Training Academy (MTA) to provide workforce training programs.

The goal of this program is to support the design and construction of a 22,225 square foot, higher education facility for the creation of a Manufacturing Training Academy, within the campus' existing footprint. This grant will support a community college, located in Will County, Illinois, using capital funds to design and construct an MTA. The MTA will provide a flexible, district-wide training hub to support multiple employers, significantly expanding capacity in high-demand fields, including advanced manufacturing, welding, HVAC, electrical systems, and industrial maintenance, areas where employer demand continues to outpace available talent.

This Manufacturing Training Academy will represent a transformational investment in workforce development, economic growth, and educational access for Will County and the State of Illinois. Through community partnership, the MTA will deliver scalable, industry-driven training that meets immediate employer needs while building long-term career pathways for students.

In addition to grant funds, the awarded grantee must commit to project investment to ensure programmatic quality and long-term sustainability. The awarded grantee will be required to commit to hiring full-time faculty members to support increased enrollment and expand program offerings, curriculum development and implementation based on the needs associated with regional workforce institutions, and investing in the necessary specialized equipment for the MTA to be successful. Examples of the specialized equipment may include welding booths, CNC machining, robotics, and automation.

Apply for Chicago Region Land Conservation Grants

We offer general operating and project grants to organizations that further natural and working land protection and stewardship in the greater Chicago region, with emphasis on integrating climate resiliency, advocacy, and inclusive conservation strategies. ​

Primary Goals of the Foundation’s Chicago Region Land Conservation Strategy

Grant Award Ranges

• Typical grant sizes range from between $15,000 to $75,000.
• The amount and duration of grant awards are influenced by the organization’s/project’s level of impact on strategic land conservation efforts in the region, organizational/project size and budget, and the organization’s demonstrated leadership in advancing the core objectives of the Foundation’s land conservation strategy.


Illinois Energy Transition Navigators Program (CEJA) (IL)

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (the “Department” or “DCEO”) is issuing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (“NOFO”) to support the Illinois Energy Transition Navigators Program. The goal is to establish a network of community-based providers across the state of Illinois. These providers will offer community education, outreach, and recruitment services to encourage eligible individuals to participate in clean energy workforce and contractor development programs.

The Energy Transition Navigators Program will provide outreach and recruitment for the CEJA workforce and contractor programs. The Department seeks to contract with the community-based provider(s) (“Navigator Teams”) to connect people to the CEJA workforce and contractor programs. Navigator Teams will provide outreach and recruitment services to eligible populations to ensure they are aware of and engaged in the statewide and local workforce and contractor development programs.

Navigator Teams will prioritize individuals eligible for the following programs:

• Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program (20 ILCS 730/5-20) - Creates 13 workforce hubs run by community-based organizations to provide clean jobs training and a career pipeline for eligible participants.
• Illinois Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship Program (20 ILCS 730/5-40) - Creates 3 preapprenticeship centers to train equity investment eligible individuals for careers in clean energy sector construction and building trades.

To ensure that people are fully able to participate in these two workforce programs, Navigator Teams will assist eligible individuals in accessing Energy Transition Barrier Reduction Program services (20 ILCS 730/5-30), including tools, mentoring, travel stipends, work clothes, certifications, childcare, and other support services. These services will be offered through the Climate Jobs Workforce Network and the Illinois Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship Programs. 

Additionally, Navigator Teams will engage eligible individuals to participate in the following programs:

• Clean Energy Contractor Incubator Program (20 ILCS 730/5-45) - Creates regional contractor incubators to provide training, mentorship, low-cost capital, business planning, low-interest loans, and recruitment opportunities for small clean energy businesses and contractors.
• Clean Energy Primes Contractor Accelerator Program (20 ILCS 730/5-55) - A program for contractors seeking to expand their capacity and fill the role of the prime contractor on clean energy projects through a structured five-year program with mentorship, operation support grants, business coaching, assistance applying for certifications, procurement programs, and preparing bids

Funding

$200000 - $500000