Search Through Community Services Grants in Chicago, Illinois in the U.S.

About Us

Circle of Service Foundation is a private foundation that makes grants to support great organizations to enhance community, opportunity and well-being.

We believe that challenge grants are powerful tools in the fundraising toolboxes of the organizations we support, and strategies from our grant recipients confirm this. Accordingly, most of our grants have a challenge component.

We welcome grant applications both for specific programs and general operating support. Each of our grants generally can be categorized into one of our four focus areas. If you are unsure about your organization’s fit, please contact us.

Education

Our Education program supports organizations that optimize opportunities for low-income youth to live engaged and productive lives. Education grants are by invitation only. If you have a new program that aligns with our giving area, please feel free to contact us.

Jewish Community

Our Jewish Community program supports organizations that generate and maintain a vibrant, cohesive and engaging Jewish community in Chicago and the United States, committed to the well-being of Israel and Jewish communities around the world.

Medical Research 

Our Medical Research program supports organizations that seek to advance scientific and medical research focused on the diagnosis, prevention, treatment and cure of cancer and other diseases. Medical Research grants are by invitation only.

Community Services

Our Community Services program supports organizations in Cook and Lake Counties, Illinois that help individuals achieve stability in their lives and grow to achieve increasing self-reliance and independence.

Who We Are

The Creag Foundation is a private grant making foundation established in 2009 in Woodinville, Washington.

The founders of the Creag Foundation believe that meaningful change can only be achieved through hard work, creativity and passion. They also understand the practical mechanisms that allow charitable organizations to succeed and grow. As a group, Creag Foundation principals are dedicated to helping today’s most innovative programs improve the human condition in a wide variety of ways.

Our Focus

The broad purpose of the Foundation is to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations who are innovators in the field of human services. Our particular focus is on smaller organizations that are starting out or established organizations that are looking for funding to take their organization in a new direction.

What We Fund

/ What We Fund

The Creag Foundation is focused on innovation in the industry. We will consider proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations that are finding new ways to address societal issues facing the nonprofit community. Applicants must have held 501(c)(3) status for one year before submitting. If your organization has held 501(c)(3) status for over a year, and your believe that your organization has a new approach to an existing social problem or is addressing a previously unaddressed social issue, you are welcome to contact us and request that we consider your organization for a funding opportunity.

Employees Community Fund (ECF) of The Boeing CompanyOne of the largest employee-managed funds of its kind in the world, the Employees Community Fund (ECF) of The Boeing Company has been empowering employees to make a greater impact by pooling their tax-deductible donations for more than 60 years. Employee-led grantmaking committees at 20 Boeing sites- provide combined employee donations to nonprofits in their communities through ECF grants.Charitable or educational organizations can apply for grants from the Employees Community Fund (ECF) of The Boeing Company.Chicago ChapterThe Chicago Chapter of the Employees Community Fund is one of the chapters of The Boeing Company’s employee-owned and managed nonprofit charitable organization. Boeing pays all of the administrative costs of the fund, so each and every dollar that employees contribute to the fund is distributed directly to local nonprofit organizations to support and advance their work in the community. ECF Grants are made possible by the regular donations of Boeing employees who want to make a significant and lasting impact on their local community by pooling together their resources.ECF FocusThe Chicago Chapter focuses on established nonprofits in the following areas: Arts and Culture, Education, Environment, and Health and Human Services. We emphasize programs that are sustainable, scalable, and replicable beyond the period of investment. Nonprofits are evaluated on a number of factors, including their history, mission, impact in the community, success of recent initiatives and alignment with our goals. Because we will not fund organizations on an ongoing basis, it is critical that the organization be able to sustain a project on a going forward basis without additional funding from ECF. Grants vary in size (typically between $3,000 and $10,000) depending on the project, as well as the number and quality of other grant applications and the amount of employee contributions to the Chicago Chapter in a given year.Each year we receive many more grant requests than we are able to fund. While it is not possible for every organization to receive funding, those that are in alignment with our goals and mission are given careful consideration. Applicants that are referred to by Boeing employees who contribute to the Chicago Chapter of the fund are prioritized over other applicants.

Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust is a private foundation practicing values-based grantmaking. Because of this approach, a wide spectrum of funding opportunities falls within the scope of the Trust’s grant making.The Trust's Values Statement:

• Tenet 1—Promoting “THISS:” promoting, instilling, and/or reflecting the values of individual and/or organizational thrift, humility, industry, self-sacrifice, and/or self-sufficiency.
• Tenet 2—Relieving Human Suffering: relieving human suffering by:
• performing research and/or promoting education regarding the treatment of disease;
• assisting youth who are from disadvantaged backgrounds, have troubled childhoods, have physical or mental disabilities, or experience emotional disorders;
• addressing the concerns of the elderly; and/or
• providing succor to humankind during time of natural or human-made disasters.
• Tenet 3—Developing Individual Self-Esteem and Dignity: developing within individuals, especially youth from underserved and/or under-resourced communities, a sense of self-esteem and dignity.
• Tenet 4—Encouraging Vigorous Athletic Activity: encouraging vigorous athletic activity, leading to physical health and/or spiritual well-being.
• Tenet 5—Developing Regional Solutions to Chicago’s Regional Challenges: developing regional solutions to Chicago’s regional challenges, thereby protecting and/or improving the quality of life for all its citizens.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Gadomski Foundation Grant

As family members live in the Lehigh Valley (located in Eastern Pennsylvania), San Francisco Bay area, Atlantic City (New Jersey) and Chicago area grants are typically limited to organizations serving these communities. The Gadomski Foundation intends to continue its financial contributions to organizations supporting education, under-served children, physical/mental health, the arts, and the local community.

The Foundation was formed in 2007 and is a private foundation. Due to aggressive grant making in recent years, the Foundation is well ahead of distributing its target of 5.5% in annual grants. In 2023 almost all assets of the foundation were transferred to the LVCF. The Foundation, through its donor-advised fund at the LVCF, will remain committed to ongoing support of charitable organizations through several multi-year grants; this currently limits new gifts to organizations not previously a grantee. Therefore, at this time, we are only providing grants to new organizations where The Gadomski Foundation, through its donor-advised fund at the LVCF, can make a notable impact.

The family's philanthropic interests are broad. We are especially open to grants where our grant is matched by others. Many grants are made confidentially and anonymously.

Our Interests

Over the years these organizations have received grants from The Foundation or our family:

• Religious organizations:
• Catholic Charities, Bishop's Appeal, Jewish Federation, Jewish Family Service, IJCU of Muhlenberg College, churches and temples 
• United Way Agencies:
• United Way of Lehigh Valley, Second Harvest Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley, Family Connection of Easton, Boys and Girls Club, Leukemia and Lymphoma of Eastern PA, Red Cross Of The Greater Lehigh Valley 
• Arts and Culture:
• Repertory Dance Theatre Foundation, Allentown Art Museum, Allentown Symphony, WDIY-public radio Lehigh Valley, WLTV-39 public TV, San Francisco Ballet, San Francisco Orchestra, Black Rock Arts Foundation, Historic Bethlehem Partnership
• Education:
• Purdue University, Lehigh University, Penn State-Lehigh Valley 
• Community wide agencies:
• Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, United Way
• Child Well Being:
• Make-A-Wish of Greater PA and West Virginia and Illinois, Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital, Community Services for Children, Embrace Your Dreams, Fund to Benefit Children & Youth, Minsi Trails Council, BSA

Global Impact Cash Grants

Identifying and incubating innovative early-stage solutions. We identify, incubate, and develop innovative early-stage solutions with the highest potential for impact. Global Impact Cash Grants go to nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that address a significant social problem. We're looking for programs that fit within our investment sectors, focus on the underserved, and use technology to improve the reach and efficiency of services.

We accept applications year-round from eligible organizations. A brief Letter of Inquiry (LOI) is used to determine whether your organization will be invited to complete a full application. Please expand and carefully review each of the three sections below to learn more

Our priority social impact sectors

We focus on investing in innovative, tech-enabled solutions to the challenges and opportunities that matter most to communities in need, prioritizing four social impact sectors:

Cisco Crisis Response

Mobilizing to provide essentials to communities in need and those in crisis, including food, housing, secure connectivity, and disaster relief

By leveraging Cisco’s people, technology, financial resources, and strategic partnerships, we help strengthen community resilience and drive long-term recovery from crises.

Education

Supporting students, teachers, and schools by increasing engagement, building skills, promoting subject mastery, and expanding their capacity to thrive

Cisco is committed to inclusive access to digital skills training and supporting those who use technology to educate. Through programs like Cisco Networking Academy and social investments in education, we create new opportunities for individuals to thrive.

Economic Empowerment

Transforming communities through skill development, long-term career opportunities, entrepreneurship, and access to financial products and services

Strategic grants that unlock economic prosperity and growth for individuals and communities.

Climate Regeneration

Building an inclusive, regenerative, and resilient climate future through education, regenerative agriculture, conservation, protection, and clean energy solutions

Our efforts began in 2021, when the Cisco Foundation committed US$100 million over 10 years to fund nonprofit grants and impact investing in climate solutions. 

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) promotes the well-being of children, youth, and families by responding to reports of potential abuse and neglect and, when needed providing family-centered care and connection to resources. Our vision is that every child and youth can grow and thrive in family.

Multidisciplinary Education and Evaluation Consortium (MPEEC)

Short Description

Grants that provide funding to support the Multidisciplinary Pediatric Education and Evaluation (MPEEC) hospitals in their mission to identify, evaluate and provide care to children at their respective hospitals who are identified for concerns for all forms of child maltreatment. Each site responds to their communities’ needs including all forms of child maltreatment such as medical neglect, failure to thrive, all serious harms, sexual abuse and the spectrum of fabricated caregiver illness and medical child abuse. The services include identification, comprehensive medically directed comprehensive coordinated subspecialty evaluation, formal consultation, formal collaboration with DCFS and law enforcement and expert medical testimony in criminal, juvenile and administrative courts.

Objective

This grant funds the Multidisciplinary Education and Evaluation Consortium (MPEEC) and its clinical, educational and administrative services. Clinical Services: MPEEC clinical services under this contract support the activities to coordinate multidisciplinary investigations involving DCFS and law enforcement investigators and expert Child Abuse Pediatricians of children who are less than 36 months of age, are residents of Chicago and are reported for the following serious harms allegations regardless of the location of medical treatment:

• Head trauma (2/52)
• Bone fractures (9/59)
• Internal injuries (4/54)
• Burn injuries (5/55) children must be admitted to MPEEC hospitals for treatment MPEEC provides medical review of the following types of cases: MPEEC Mandated Cases; MPEEC Onsite Cases; MPEEC Offsite Cases; and MPEEC Opinion Cases.

The MPEEC program also provides Administrative and Leadership Efforts as well as Educational Efforts.

Founded in 1953 as the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is the global leader in physical medicine and rehabilitation for adults and children with a range of conditions — from traumatic brain and spinal cord injury to stroke, amputation and cancer-related impairment. The organization opened its doors to a $550 million, 1.2-million-square-foot research hospital in March 2017. The facility is the first-ever “translational” research hospital in which physicians, scientists, innovators, technologists and clinicians work together with patients in the same space, applying novel research in real time during rehabilitation. The central goal of the translational approach is to develop new research and insights to help patients gain more function, achieve better outcomes and enjoy greater ability and independence. Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization.

U.S. News has declared Shirley Ryan AbilityLab to be the best hospital in its field every year since 1991.

• Training Opportunities for Psychology Professionals

Our psychology department at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab offers rehabilitation Post-Doctoral Fellowships and Externships (Pre-Doctoral Advanced Practicum in Rehabilitation Psychology) for individuals interested in pursuing a career in rehabilitation psychology.

Fellows and externs will gain experience in rehabilitation and neuropsychology — working with patients who experience medically complex conditions, such as amputation, brain injury, burns, cancer, spinal cord injury, stroke and transplants in inpatient rehabilitation. Fellows and externs also will have rotational options in outpatient settings, including DayRehab, the Pain Management Center, and Outpatient Neuropsychology.

Minor Rotations

DayRehab: Trainees will have the opportunity to provide initial psychological evaluations and individual psychotherapy to both adult and pediatric patients participating in intensive outpatient rehabilitation. These patients are seen at DayRehab as they acclimate into their homes and communities following, but not limited to, cancer rehabilitation, organ transplant, spinal cord injury, stroke and traumatic brain injury. DayRehab allows the extern to work therapeutically with patients for an extended period, as typical lengths of stay range from two to four months.

Pain Management Center: Trainees will provide CBT and ACT-focused psychoeducational groups. Patients from the Pain Management Center experience arthritis pain, chronic low back pain, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), fibromyalgia and neck pain. Trainees will gain clinical experience working on an interdisciplinary team consisting of medical doctors, psychologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and vocational rehabilitation counselors via co-treats, consultations and team conferences.

Faculty

The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab staff includes rehabilitation psychologists, health psychologists, neuropsychologists, clinical psychologists, and social workers. Our staff members provide high-quality clinical care with compassion and sensitivity to the patients’ intersecting identities. Our staff is licensed in the state of Illinois and can assist the fellow in navigating applications for licensure.

Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Rehabilitation Psychology

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is currently accepting applications for a one-year, full-time postdoctoral fellowship in rehabilitation psychology with the option of extending to two years based on the fellow’s professional goals and performance during the first year. The fellowship prepares candidates for a successful career in rehabilitation psychology by fostering competence in treating a variety of presenting concerns, including but not limited to amputation, burns, cancer, cardiac, cerebral palsy, chronic pain, functional neurological/movement disorder, general deconditioning, Guillain-Barre syndrome, Locked-in syndrome, multiple sclerosis, organ transplant, orthopedic, pulmonary, spinal cord injuries, stroke, traumatic brain injuries, and non-traumatic injuries. Our clinical fellowship meets Baltimore Conference Guidelines for Rehabilitation Psychology. We are members of the Council of Rehabilitation Psychology Postdoctoral Training Programs (CRPPTP).

• Clinical Experiences and Rotation Opportunities

The Fellow will spend the majority of their time in clinical service delivery. The fellow will have the ability to foster knowledge of evidence-based interventions in several rehabilitation settings. Diverse responsibilities include individual and family therapy, group therapy, co-treatments with allied health disciplines, neuropsychological evaluations, consultations, capacity evaluations, suicide assessments, teaching and training, and staff support. Depending on the fellow’s interest, engagement in inpatient and outpatient neuropsychological evaluations are available. The Fellow is able to explore applied patient-related research options as well.

The Fellow will have the option to train in a variety of settings including a primary rotation in our Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation which hosts our Pediatric Innovation Center, Nerve/Muscle/Bone Innovation Center, Spinal Cord Innovation Center, and Brain Innovation Center. Minor rotations available include our DayRehab Program, Pain Management Center, Functional Neurological/Movement Outpatient Clinic, Outpatient Neuropsychology Clinic, and Acute Concussion Clinic.

• Supervision and Training

The fellow will receive two hours of face-to-face individual supervision weekly throughout the year. Additionally, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to obtain experience with supervising advanced practicum students and co-facilitating group supervision. The fellow has the option to assist in the development of teaching materials/didactics for practicum students.

• Didactic and Professional Development Opportunities

Weekly didactic presentations are provided by the psychology and PM&R team. The fellow will also attend the PM&R weekly lectures, hospital’s grand rounds, Schwartz rounds, and neuroradiology rounds. These rounds will assist in the development of the fellows’ understanding of rehabilitation psychology, neuroanatomy and imaging, PM&R, and ethics.

• Salary and Benefits

Salary is competitive, currently exceeding NIH based salaries. Fellows receive all benefits of a Shirley Ryan AbilityLab employee, including medical/dental/vision insurance, retirement, and other fringe benefits (e.g., flex spending account, basic life insurance).

Founded in 1953 as the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is the global leader in physical medicine and rehabilitation for adults and children with a range of conditions — from traumatic brain and spinal cord injury to stroke, amputation and cancer-related impairment. The organization opened its doors to a $550 million, 1.2-million-square-foot research hospital in March 2017. The facility is the first-ever “translational” research hospital in which physicians, scientists, innovators, technologists and clinicians work together with patients in the same space, applying novel research in real time during rehabilitation. The central goal of the translational approach is to develop new research and insights to help patients gain more function, achieve better outcomes and enjoy greater ability and independence. Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization.

U.S. News has declared Shirley Ryan AbilityLab to be the best hospital in its field every year since 1991.

• Training Opportunities for Psychology Professionals

Our psychology department at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab offers rehabilitation Post-Doctoral Fellowships and Externships (Pre-Doctoral Advanced Practicum in Rehabilitation Psychology) for individuals interested in pursuing a career in rehabilitation psychology.

Fellows and externs will gain experience in rehabilitation and neuropsychology — working with patients who experience medically complex conditions, such as amputation, brain injury, burns, cancer, spinal cord injury, stroke and transplants in inpatient rehabilitation. Fellows and externs also will have rotational options in outpatient settings, including DayRehab, the Pain Management Center, and Outpatient Neuropsychology.

Minor Rotations

DayRehab: Trainees will have the opportunity to provide initial psychological evaluations and individual psychotherapy to both adult and pediatric patients participating in intensive outpatient rehabilitation. These patients are seen at DayRehab as they acclimate into their homes and communities following, but not limited to, cancer rehabilitation, organ transplant, spinal cord injury, stroke and traumatic brain injury. DayRehab allows the extern to work therapeutically with patients for an extended period, as typical lengths of stay range from two to four months.

Pain Management Center: Trainees will provide CBT and ACT-focused psychoeducational groups. Patients from the Pain Management Center experience arthritis pain, chronic low back pain, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), fibromyalgia and neck pain. Trainees will gain clinical experience working on an interdisciplinary team consisting of medical doctors, psychologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and vocational rehabilitation counselors via co-treats, consultations and team conferences.

Faculty

The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab staff includes rehabilitation psychologists, health psychologists, neuropsychologists, clinical psychologists, and social workers. Our staff members provide high-quality clinical care with compassion and sensitivity to the patients’ intersecting identities. Our staff is licensed in the state of Illinois and can assist the fellow in navigating applications for licensure.

Pre-Doctoral Advanced Practicum in Rehabilitation Psychology

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab offers a one-year predoctoral advanced practicum in Rehabilitation Psychology focused on patients with medically complex conditions, cancer, spinal cord injury, and acquired brain injury. The Advanced Practicum will have the option to train in a variety of settings, including a primary rotation in either our acute inpatient rehabilitation or outpatient neuropsychology clinic.

• Our acute inpatient rehabilitation setting offers a comprehensive range of responsibilities, which may include individual and family therapy, group therapy, neuropsychological evaluations, patient team conferences, observation of capacity assessments, suicide risk assessments, as well as teaching, training, and staff support. A unique aspect of the training is the opportunity to provide co-treatment alongside allied health professionals, fostering an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to patient care.

• Our outpatient Neuropsychology Clinic includes comprehensive evaluations with adults (with an option of pediatric) presenting with cognitive and physical disabilities due to chronic and traumatic illness, with a goal of assisting in differential diagnosis and treatment planning. The extern will be engaged in a comprehensive clinical service, including review record, clinical interview, test administration and feedback appointments. Patients are referred from a variety of sources across the organization, allowing for continuous collaboration with the referring physician and rehabilitation team. In addition to outpatient comprehensive batteries, the extern will have the opportunity to participate in Concussion Clinic evaluations.

Tracks

Externs will have the choice of a Rehabilitation Track focusing on inpatient therapy, Neurorehabilitation Track focusing on inpatient neuropsychological evaluations and inpatient therapy, or Outpatient Neuropsychology in a rehabilitation clinic. Minor rotations available include our DayRehab program, Pain Management Center, and Acute Concussion Clinic.

• Rehabilitation Track (Therapy Focus): Includes rotating through the Innovation Centers. Minor rotation with DayRehab (6 months) and Pain Management Center (6 months).
• Neurorehabilitation Track (Inpatient Neuropsychology and Therapy Focus): Includes rotating through the Innovation Center. Minor rotation with DayRehab (6 months) and Pain Management Center (6 months).

• Neuropsychology Track (Outpatient Neuropsychology): Includes opportunity to rotate with inpatient Neuropsychology and Acute Concussion Clinic.

In addition to individual supervision, externs will be offered weekly group supervision and didactics. Additional opportunities include Neuroradiology Rounds, PM&R Resident Core Lectures, PM&R Grand Rounds, Schwartz Rounds, Ethics in Practice, and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab Academy Lectures.

About Us

The Thing 1∙2∙3 Foundation is a Private Foundation focused on meeting the needs of children. Founded in 1999 by Jim and Nancy Ruprecht, the name was inspired by Dr. Suess’ book, The Cat In the Hat. Their children quickly identified with the Cat’s two helpers, Thing 1 and Thing 2. When the Ruprechts’ started the Foundation focused on helping children, the name was a natural way to reflect their love for their children and a desire to help other children.

Mission

The Mission of the Thing 123 Foundation is to provide support and resources to people and organizations on the front line providing services and programs to improve and enhance children’s lives.   

Grant Program

The Thing 123 Foundation has partnered with the Elmhurst-Community Challenge Grant. The goal of this grant program is to encourage business and community leaders within Elmhurst and the other seven communities served by the pantry to actively join in the fight against hunger affecting our neighbors. This Grant will match donations made by Business, and Community organizations toward helping the EYFP build a new Community Food Pantry facility. The Foundation will match one dollar for every two dollars donated, with a maximum of $100,000 donated by the Foundation through this grant.

Why?

Hunger is a silent epidemic that affects too many people in our community - children, working parents and seniors. Hunger and the availability of nutritious food is a serious problem in our communities, whether we want to recognize it or not. You know someone who is hungry! Too many times our neighbors have to choose between food and gas, rent and medicine, with the result being they go hungry each day. For over 30 years, the Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry has been committed to helping people facing these choices, and continues to grow each year to meet the challenges of those in need.

• Hunger is not just a Chicago problem, or an inner city problem, or a rural problem. Talking with community leaders, school administrators, and church leaders, they are all keenly aware of that hunger is a problem in Elmhurst and the broader community.   
• Since 1999, the number of people living in poverty in the communities served by the Northern Illinois Food Banks has increased more than 50% to over 300,000 people, or 1 in 10 people in our communities.   
• The demand for EYFP’s services continues to grow. In just a little more than four years the number of clients served per month grew from 80 to 389.  
• Hunger affects all parts of our community, the elderly, children, and families.  
• The Pantry provides over 200,000 meals annually to our neighbors in Elmhurst and seven surrounding communities: Addison, Bensenville, Berkeley, Hillside, Lombard, and Oak Brook.

As one of the largest hunger relief organizations in Eastern DuPage County, the Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry has grown from a faith-based mission of the Yorkfield Presbyterian Church to an independent, community-based food pantry with a broad reach in the communities it serves. Even with the EYFP’s hard work, the present demands already exceed the help that can be provided through its current facility.  

Topfer Family Foundation Grant

The Topfer Family Foundation is committed to helping people connect to the tools and resources needed to build self-sufficient and fulfilling lives.

Program Areas

The mission of the Topfer Family Foundation (TFF) is to fund programs and organizations that connect people to the tools and resources they need to build self-sufficient and fulfilling lives. Programs eligible for TFF funding will adhere to the guidelines listed below and address one or more of the following program areas:

Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment 

Self-sufficiency for children and families begins in a safe, healthy home. TFF supports programs that provide resources, training and treatment for families and children of abuse. Grants are awarded to programs that promote positive parenting, strengthen families, and provide early intervention. Additionally, TFF funds therapeutic support services for victims of abuse to enhance their quality of life and enable them to reach their full potential.

Youth Enrichment 

TFF is committed to helping at-risk youth prepare for self-sufficient, fulfilling lives. Therefore, the foundation funds initiatives that help youth develop practical life skills, promote education, build self-confidence, and provide positive development and enrichment opportunities.

Job Training and Support Services

Self-sufficiency is unlikely without the skills and knowledge to earn a livable wage. Therefore, the foundation supports job training programs and support services that enable people to increase their earning potential and enhance their quality of life through sustainable and meaningful employment. Initiatives eligible for TFF funding include vocational training, remedial education and life skills training. Successful programs will address the multiple needs of the individual to ensure that employment is secured and sustained.

Children's Health

For parents who have faced the expensive and overwhelming task of caring for an ill child, self-sufficiency can be a distant dream. TFF supports organizations that provide access to critical healthcare for low-income children and those with chronic and terminal illnesses. Grants are awarded to programs that address the physical and emotional needs of sick children and their families through compassionate care, medical treatment and intervention services.

Aging in Place

Aging does not lead to an inevitable loss of independence. However, limited access to safe, affordable housing can be a barrier. TFF partners with local organizations that provide housing options for the elderly while ensuring access to the support services needed to maintain their health and independence. Eligible programs include those that offer home modification, home repair, food and nutrition services, and affordable housing alternatives.

Application Process

The Topfer Family Foundation accepts applications year-round and reviews them on a quarterly basis. Please see below for information about how to apply. Due to the volume of requests received each year, we cannot accept requests in the form of letters, proposals or presentations.

About Us

The Walter S. Mander Foundation is the legacy of Walter S. Mander, a Chicago resident who came to the U.S. as a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany in 1940 and became one of the most successful individuals in the American meatpacking industry.

Mr. Mander created the Walter S. Mander Foundation to advance his charitable interests during his lifetime. Upon Mr. Mander’s death from cancer in 1999, a significant portion of his estate was left to the Foundation. The Foundation is managed by a board of directors that includes family members and former co-workers, colleagues and friends.

Areas of Interest

The Walter S. Mander Foundation provides funding in the following areas: urban agriculture, local sustainable agriculture, community development, Jewish and Israeli organizations and cancer research.

• Cancer research funding (only open to invited proposals)
• Chicago economic development, including programs that provide employment training and job opportunities. We support entrepreneurs in underserved areas of the city with technical assistance, turnaround assistance and other services.
• Support of Jewish and Israeli organizations and programs (invited applicants only).
• Support of work that advances the local and sustainable food and agriculture in Chicago and Illinois, including reform of food production, processing and delivery structures.
• Support of urban agriculture and greening programs in Chicago that promote access to healthy food and provide job-related skills.

Other grants outside these focus areas may also be made from time to time at the discretion of the board of directors. Grants for direct service are limited to organizations serving Chicago and its immediate surrounding area (Cook County).

The Walter S. Mander Foundation is a member of Fresh Taste, SAFSF and SLoFIG, local and national organizations that support and invest in a variety of sustainable food and agriculture initiatives.

The Impact Fund awards recoverable grants to legal services nonprofits, private attorneys, and small law firms who seek to confront economic, environmental, racial, and social injustice. Since our founding in 1992, the Impact Fund has made more than 800 recoverable grants totaling more than $10 million for impact litigation. We award grants four times per year, most within the range of US$10,000 to US$50,000.

Social Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants and legal support to assist in human and civil rights cases. We have helped to change dozens of laws and win cases to improve the rights of thousands. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Texas and North Carolina, incarcerated people with mental health disabilities are forced to remain in jail despite being found not guilty and unable to proceed with a criminal trial.
• In Orange County, California there are currently 13 gang injunctions under effect, which disproportionately affect young men of color.
• In Chicago, Illinois, the city’s homeless shelter program is inaccessible to people with disabilities.
• In Springfield, Oregon, the city and its police department used excessive force against Black Lives Matter protesters.
• In West Virginia, the state fails to protect children in foster care from abuse and neglect. 
• In Montana, voter suppression laws disadvantage young adults and give priority to gun owners.
• In Gary, Indiana, a gun manufacturer negligently marketed and distributed its guns, leading to an epidemic of gun violence in the city. 
• In Vancouver, British Columbia, the police perpetuate systemic discrimination against Indigenous people through bureaucratic measures.

Environmental Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants to support local litigation for environmental justice. These grants are for cases aiming to help people or communities who are affected by environmental harm or who lack access to basic environmental needs, such as clean water, clean air, adequate waste treatment, and green spaces. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Centreville, Illinois, the city’s failure to maintain its sewer system has caused raw sewage to flood peoples’ homes, endangering the property and health of a predominantly Black community.
• In Fresno County, California, the California Department of Transportation approved a highway expansion project that would increase air pollution and traffic in one of the state’s most environmentally burdened communities.
• In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the proposed expansion of a highway would divide the region's Black, Asian, and Latine neighborhoods and cause pollution and ill health.
• In North Dakota, the five-month closure of a highway in response to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests disproportionately affected the livelihoods and health of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe members.
• In Ontario, Canada, mercury contamination of the English-Wabigoon river system causes catastrophic environmental and health impacts for the Grassy Narrows First Nation.
• In Sacramento, California, the county government and Sacramento Area Sewer District violated the Clean Water Act by discharging raw sewage into nearby rivers.
• In the Eastern Coachella Valley in California, 1,900 residents of the Oasis Mobile Home Park suffer from arsenic-laced drinking water, wastewater contamination, and overcharging for utilities.

Economic Justice

The Impact Fund provides financial and other forms of support to cases fighting for economic justice. From workers' rights to consumer protection for vulnerable populations, impact litigation is a powerful tool to hold corporationss and the government accountable. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Brooklyn, New York, a prominent mortgage lender engaged in predatory practices, leaving homeowners of color at risk of losing their homes. 
• In Washington, live-in caregivers are unconstitutionally excluded from the state’s wage-and-hour protections.
• In Ravalli County, Montana, the county has created a “modern-day debtors’ prison” by incarcerating people unable to afford pre-trial fees. 
• In San Diego, California, vehicle ordinances target unhoused vehicle owners even when no adequate housing alternative exists.
• In New York, a federal immigration detention facility is violating minimum wage and forced labor laws by forcing detainees to work for just a dollar a day. 
• In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the city and county destroy the property of unhoused individuals and conduct forced evictions from public spaces. 
• In Miami, Florida, insurance companies discriminate against a nonprofit community development corporation renting to tenants with Section 8 rental subsidies.

Match General Operating Support for Recipients of Government Grants – People, Power and Policy RFP

This funding opportunity provides general operating support to community-serving organizations currently managing government grants to help them adequately cover the true administrative and compliance costs.

Background

Congress has appropriated $4.5 trillion in relief and recovery aid to address the public health emergency and the economic hardship provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic. The final pandemic recovery bill, the American Rescue Plan Act, included a historic and unprecedented appropriation of $350 billion for State and Local Fiscal Recovery – discretionary funds to state and local governments to respond to their communities’ unique economic and public health needs, including emergency rental assistance, support for small businesses, and piloting innovative programs like guaranteed income. The approximately $11 billion the State of Illinois, City of Chicago, and Cook County received from this package must be fully obligated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026.

While a robust infusion of resources was and continues to be necessary to meet the immediate needs of those dealing with the economic impact of COVID-19, it is imperative to ensure these funds reach the communities and households suffering from historic disinvestment and the greatest financial hardship. Community-based organizations are crucial to ensuring federal funds reach theses communities. However, applying for, deploying, or meeting compliance requirements of government grants can be challenging for smaller, less-resourced organizations.

Goals & Outcomes

In addition to ensuring organizations can overcome barriers and challenges to managing government funds in the short term, the Trust’s longer-term goal is to advocate for reforms in government grantmaking and procurement processes to dismantle these barriers and challenges altogether.

Priority Strategies & Activities

Since the Trust began grantmaking under the Equitable and Inclusive Economic Recovery strategy, we have learned that the challenges organizations face when managing government grants and contracts are not unique to ARPA or other pandemic response and recovery appropriations but rather reflective of systemic barriers and challenges associated with government grants in general, regardless of the government level which funds originate. As such, the Trust will not restrict eligibility to organizations managing ARPA-funded grants but will prioritize organizations managing these one-time funds.

Priority will be given to organizations managing government grants that fund programmatic activities that align with the following issue areas:

• Community Investment: Grants that enable economic and community development, support small businesses, or invest in infrastructure projects.
• Community Safety: Such grants fund organizations to engage in or promote alternative emergency response, provide support to people who have experienced violence, support returning citizens, engage in violence prevention, or reform the criminal justice system.
• Household Supportive Services: These grants enable organizations to provide human services to individuals and households who need assistance meeting their basic needs, or promote access to public benefits, including direct cash assistance.
• Housing: Grants enabling organizations to provide or connect residents in need to housing resources such as affordable rental housing, assistance for homeowners, rental assistance, shelter, or other supports for people experiencing or at risk of being unhoused.
• Workforce Development: Grants that support organizations to connect people to employment opportunities, assist people with wraparound support to sustain employment, or provide job training. Such grants may also fund organizations to provide employment opportunities for youth.

Funding

Grant awards will equal 10 percent of the total amount of the government grant for which match general operating support is requested, up to $50,000. While organizations may receive multiple government grants, match support will only be granted toward one government grant. This grant is not eligible for renewal.

GreenState Foundation

The GreenState Foundation of the GreenState Credit Union was founded to further invest in our communities in the areas of Financial Education, Housing and Children’s Health. We feel passionately about these causes and know that each of them will give all of us a brighter, more secure, future. Whether it’s educating our community to make informed financial decisions, affording a home to build equity and participate in the American Dream, or improving the mental and physical health of our youth, our Foundation is actively changing lives,

GreenState Credit Union's mission is to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve. We give back by volunteering time and donating funds to support local organizations and charities that allow our communities to thrive. GreenState is proud to support a variety of events and programs. Our committee meets monthly to evaluate applications and determine funding based on eligibility and compliance within our donation guidelines.

Our primary areas of focus are:

• Financial Education & Economic Empowerment
• Children's Health
• Affordable Housing & Homeownership
• Underserved Communities

GreenState Credit Union Donations

The GreenState Foundation is accepting grant requests for projects or programming that directly support the following three areas of philanthropy:

Financial Education & Economic Empowerment

Education around finance encourages fiscally responsible behavior. We pursue equitable projects and programs that help possess the skills, experience, and knowledge to make informed decisions.

Children's Health

Our children are our future, and we seek out organizations that provide direct or supportive services for their mental and physical health needs.

Affordable Housing & Homeownership

We believe a stable home is the foundation for everything in life. Being able to afford a safe place to live is a key part of the American dream of opportunity.

Funding must be used to support communities within our geographic footprint. Currently, our funding is available in the following geographic regions:

• Iowa - Des Moines, Grinnell, Fort Dodge, Cedar Valley, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Quad Cities & surrounding metros
• Illinois - Quad Cities, Rockford, Freeport, Suburban Chicago
• Nebraska - Omaha

The Foundation is dedicated to providing financial assistance to organizations committed to improving our world. Solutions to the problems of today's world still lie in the values of innovation, practicality, hard work, and compassion.

The Foundation considers applications for grants in the following areas:

• Education
• Social Service
• Health care
• Civic and cultural
• Environmental

The categories above are not intended to limit the interest of the Foundation from considering other worthwhile projects. In general, the Foundation guidelines are broad to give us flexibility in providing grants.

The majority of our grants are made in the U.S. However, like Dr. Scholl, we recognize the need for a global outlook. Non-U.S. grants are given to organizations where directors have knowledge of the grantee.

Awareness. Education. Prevention.  These are three key tenets of Bayer Fund’s investments in health and wellness.  With a focus on cancer and cardiovascular disease, we provide resources to organizations dedicated to educating and/or providing services to patients, caregivers and at-risk populations.

Health & Wellness Grants

Programs that Bayer Fund will support include those that focus on patients and their families needing assistance with issues to managing cardiovascular disease and cancer. This includes education, disease awareness, and supportive services for these diseases. In areas related to cardiovascular disease, priority (though not exclusivity) will be given to charitable organizations that focus on programs and support for the African American community due to the high incidence rate of disease in this population.

Giving in this category will focus on support services such as education, disease awareness, and general access to care (e.g., housing for families traveling for cancer or heart care).

All funding requests and budgets must be for program activities and expenses that start after funding decisions are made. All programs must be completed within one year of the start date, except in limited situations where longer term programs have been agreed upon. Grant award amounts vary, depending on the size of the community, the type of programming, and the reach of the organization.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

RFP: Transfer Innovation Impact Model (TIIM) – Household Wealth

Background

The Transfer Innovation Impact Model (TIIM) initiative creates a learning community for grant recipients to participate in opportunities to share data and best practices to learn from each other in pursuit of improving student outcomes. TIIM is led and supported in part by Bridges to Brighter Futures, a collaboration between the Kinship Foundation and The Chicago Community Trust funded through the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust.

The TIIM RFP invites organizations to apply for a one-year planning grant to develop and advance a transfer model that dramatically improves the bachelor’s degree completion of Chicago community college students. This model will be driven by innovation, research, reporting, and supporting partnerships to create intentional learning communities.   

Successful partnership models will:

• Uncover and address the needs of specific populations of Chicago students, including the most underserved populations and underinvested neighborhoods.
• Collect and share data to understand barriers on individual campuses and demonstrate the effects of interventions over time.
• Create bold, innovative practices that have the potential to improve outcomes for students.

Need/Opportunity Statement

While middle skills certifications provide access to quality jobs, degree attainment remains the strongest pathway to economic mobility, particularly when students pursue college majors related to in-demand fields. Given the diversity of community college students, effective transfer practices have the potential to diversify the bachelor’s degree institutions where community college students enroll after transfer, an even more important strategy for equity now that the U.S. Supreme Court has eliminated race-based admissions strategies.

Currently, 79 percent of students who start at community college in hopes of a more affordable pathway to a bachelor’s degree get their plans derailed by a fragmented system full of unexpected costs and administrative burdens that deter many students from completing the transfer process.

Goals & Outcomes

The goal of the TIIM initiative is to identify and promote strategies that improve bachelor’s degree completion within two to three years of transfer from community college programs for students who traditionally have had lower rates of completion, including Black, Latine and low-income students in Chicago. 

Grant Amounts Available & Grant Term

This grantmaking opportunity will occur in two phases.

• In Phase 1, the TIIM initiative will award five one-year planning grants of $300,000 each.
  • Successful Phase 1 grant applicants will be invited to submit an Implementation application during the planning grant phase.
• TIIM Phase 2 Implementation grants of up to $1,700,000 over three years will be awarded to support the plans created during the planning process.

Please Note: Phase 2 Implementation applications will be invited and submitted in the Winter/Spring of 2026 and will be evaluated competitively among all applying institutions. TIIM will look for plans that set dramatic targets and clear plans for improving the key program outcomes.

NEXT for AUTISM FELLOWS is a work-based scholarship program for health and human services students that combines tuition assistance with paid work experience as a Direct Support Professional (DSP) assisting neurodivergent adults.

Financial & Personal Benefits

• Pay starts at $16 per hour
• Receive a $5,000 annual tuition scholarship
• Opportunity for annual scholarship increase, based on program retention
• Gain paid, hands-on work experience and directly impact lives
• Complete 800 hours annually working as a DSP, supporting community organizations in need
• Develop highly sought-after skills for health and human services

RFP: Together Fund (Workforce) – We Rise Together

Background

We Rise Together: For an Equitable & Just Recovery is a coalition of public and private funders and communities accelerating equity in the Chicago region’s economic recovery so everyone who lives here can reach their full potential. To catalyze an equitable economic recovery from the COVID recession, We Rise focuses on grantmaking and engagement in communities hardest hit by COVID and those that are a majority Black and Latine because they are the places and people disproportionately affected by the pandemic. 

Community advisors through the Together Fund, an opportunity for local residents to shape $1.6 million in grantmaking, determined for this funding program that a particular focus on youth* is where our investments should be directed through this opportunity. 

Need/Opportunity Statement

Youth unemployment remains a critical challenge across Chicago’s economically disenfranchised communities. Many young individuals face obstacles such as limited access to competency-building programs, inadequate training opportunities, and systemic barriers that prevent entry into sustainable employment. This issue is compounded by gaps in wraparound services, such as childcare, transportation, and mentorship, which are critical to successful workforce development. 

There is a significant opportunity to invest in solutions that equip young people with the competencies, resources, and connections needed to secure meaningful employment. While this RFP invites existing youth-focused strategies and organizations that serve young people, We Rise Together also values innovation and encourages applicants to propose bold, novel approaches to addressing youth workforce needs in transformative and impactful ways. 

Goals & Outcomes

While this is a one-year grant, the activities supported through this funding should be designed to contribute to the broader, long-term goals of improving youth workforce development and creating sustainable organizations that serve youth. Work completed during the grant period should build a strong foundation for continued progress toward the following goals:  

• Increase youth access to competency-building opportunities, including certifications, apprenticeships, and quality job placements that lead to a livable wage. 
• Enhance youth financial independence through job retention, soft skill development (e.g., communication, teamwork, problem-solving), and readiness for employment. 
• Reduce barriers to employment by addressing systemic challenges such as transportation, childcare, housing support, and digital access. 
• Foster economic resilience by creating pathways for long-term career growth and strengthening partnerships with local businesses, educational institutions, and community organizations. 
• Improve stakeholder engagement to build stronger community relationships and increase retention of youth in programming. 
• Strengthen the financial resilience of youth-serving organizations by diversifying funding streams, collecting impact data, and demonstrating measurable outcomes. 
• Cultivate supportive organizational cultures by investing in staff retention, leadership development, and competitive compensation. 

Outcomes include up to three of the following:

• Strengthen the Organizational Infrastructure to Provide Services 
• Strengthen Workforce 
• Expand economic opportunities for Black and Latinx Chicagoans to access careers 
• Expand Partnerships Opportunities 
• Increase Organizational Effectiveness 

Grant Amounts Available & Grant Term

The funding structure includes two tiers to ensure both local organizations with strong connections to hard-to-reach youth and more established organizations with evidence-based youth workforce development programs have the opportunity to participate in the grant opportunity. All grants are for a 12-month grant term in this funding program: 

• For organizations with operating budgets under $1,000,000: Grants of up to $75,000 are available to support smaller, community-based organizations that are deeply embedded within the communities they serve and have strong relationships with youth who are often hard to reach. 
• For organizations with operating budgets over $1,000,000: Grants of up to $200,000 are available to support larger, established organizations with proven track records of delivering evidence-based workforce development programs for youth. 

This tiered approach aims to balance equitable access to resources while recognizing the diverse needs and capacities of organizations working to empower youth in workforce development. 

Our Mission

We are committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world.

The world is more just when actions are inclusive, and fair, where past and present barriers are removed to provide equitable access, treatment, consideration, and opportunity.

The world is more verdant and abundant when the planet and its people flourish.

The world is more peaceful when people are free from fear, conflict, violence, and war.

We believe that the people closest to the ground know best how to respond to the pressing challenges of the communities we seek to serve. Our support is centered on mutual respect, learning, and relationship building. We follow the lead of individuals and organizations rooted in spaces, communities, and experiences, investing in their ideas and giving them space to grow.

We focus resources on promising solutions to pressing challenges and embrace creative thinking to increase the odds of meaningful change.

Chicago Commitment

Chicago is a global city with vibrant, diverse neighborhoods and a strong civic culture. And yet historical and current systemic racism creates unequal access to resources and opportunities for Black, Latine, Indigenous, Asian, LGBTQIA+, and disabled people and communities—especially when these multiple identities intersect. A resilient and dynamic Chicago region is dependent upon a more equitable Chicago, where every Chicagoan has the opportunity to prosper and contribute to their community and where Chicago’s diverse voices are elevated, recognized, respected, and included.

We focus on strengthening local organizations including the creative sector; supporting civic partnerships on timely issues; investing in vital communities; and advancing influential leaders with a diversity of experiences and a commitment to racial equity.

Our Areas of Focus

Our focus areas were designed with the priorities of Chicagoans in mind—taking heed of what residents and leaders believe are the most urgent concerns and promising solutions.

• Civic Partnerships
  • Leading or participating in partnerships to address critical or timely challenges with the goal of advancing racial equity and building a more inclusive Chicago.
• Vital Communities
  • Investing targeted resources in a small number of place-based initiatives and organizations that provide infrastructure support to neighborhoods.
• Advancing Leadership
  • Promoting and advancing leaders committed to diversity whose influence will inform and improve decision making across the city.
• Culture, Equity, and the Arts
  • Reflecting diverse creative sector voices and sustaining the creative life of the city.

Culture, Equity, and the Arts Grant

The Culture, Equity, and the Arts (CEA) program is based on the ideal that arts and culture are essential to furthering the Chicago Commitment’s goal: To invest in people, places, and partnerships to advance racial equity and build a more inclusive Chicago.

The arts help to introduce people to diverse perspectives, build bridges across social boundary lines, expose people to culturally relevant experiences, and develop human empathy.

Through this program, we offer unrestricted general operating support, directly and through regranting partners, to large, mid-sized, and small organizations. These resources provide flexible, reliable funding that helps organizations maintain stability, plan ahead, pursue new ideas, and invest in new artistic directions.

We offer multi-year, general operating support directly to organizations with budgets above $1 million. Grant sizes range from $55,000 to $80,000 per year, typically for three years.

What We Fund

The Illinois Equal Justice Foundation supports innovative, cost-effective civil legal aid programs that help people in crisis address life-changing problems and improve their lives. These programs offer:

• Legal representation to people who can’t afford a lawyer
• Easy to understand legal forms and information
• Easy to access legal aid hotlines
• Legal self-help centers that help people understand their rights
• Mediation services that help people resolve conflicts and avoid court

New Leaf Illinois Grant

The IEJF awards grants to organizations to provide legal services to help people clear cannabis convictions off their record as part of New Leaf Illinois. New Leaf Illinois is a statewide network of nonprofit organizations who are committed to equal justice for all those who were previously arrested or convicted for cannabis use, production and sale.

The Illinois Equal Justice Foundation will make New Leaf Illinois grants in four categories:

Telephone Advice & Referral Services

Grants will be made to support the operating expenses of legal services hotlines. These operating expenses include staff salaries and benefits, as well as other costs directly related to providing advice and referral services to callers, including technological infrastructure costs or maintenance.

Legal Services

Grants will be made to support direct service staff positions at eligible legal services providers, including attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants, intake staff, and/or pro bono coordinators. Grant funds can be used to pay for salaries, benefits, and limited overhead, including administrative costs, not to exceed10%. The applicant must demonstrate how the proposed staff position(s) will help the organization provide efficient and effective legal assistance to persons seeking cannabis expungement. Grant funds may also be used for client costs associated with accessing cannabis expungement relief, such as criminal history reports, required court documents, or other necessary expenses to determine eligibility or file for relief.

Community Outreach

In the Community Outreach category, the IEJF will make grants to support:

• Operating costs for community outreach projects, including personnel costs, marketing, and related events costs.
• Technology investments to provide for the registration of individuals for New Leaf Illinois.
• The creation, distribution and delivery of legal information and self-help materials.
• Marketing materials for events and other associated costs related to public forums.
• Projects that will offer printed, video and/or web-based materials on cannabis expungement and related topics and how individuals access services through New Leaf Illinois.
• Projects can include the preparation and distribution of materials; targeted outreach to community organizations and members; legal information classes taught by attorneys or under the supervision of a licensed attorney; know your rights or community education events conducted by staff with approved materials; and/or other creative efforts to help give Illinois residents the information and resources to seek legal relief through cannabis expungement.

Technical Assistance

In the Technical Assistance category, the IEJF will make grants to support:

• Training and supportive materials for New Leaf Illinois grantees.
• Consultation services for network organizations.
• Communication to network grantees on status of cannabis-related
• Personnel costs to provide technical assistance, in addition to travel, meeting and other associated training costs.

Background

African American Legacy (AAL), an initiative of The Chicago Community Trust, is a philanthropic and educational initiative led by Black civic and community leaders who share the common goal of improving the quality of life among Black people throughout metropolitan Chicago. AAL engages leaders in philanthropy, collectively and individually, and provides support to non profit organizations that work at the community level to educate and engage communities, and to provide neighborhood-based services and solutions to address community problems. Grounded in the philosophies of collective giving, community engagement, and grant making, AAL serves as a convener and catalyst to promote significant impact in Black communities through the organizations that it supports.

Focus Areas

AAL will support community organizations who share the common goal of improving the quality of life among Black people throughout metropolitan Chicago working in working in the following areas:

Community Wealth Building:

We seek to support organizations focused on the shared wealth of their communities, as connected groups of people. It is the shared wealth, not the sum of wealth, of multiple households or whole communities. For this focus area, successful applicants approach economic development in a manner that promotes the local, democratic, and shared ownership and control of community assets. Such initiatives include:

• Worker-Owned Cooperatives: Values-driven businesses that are collectively owned and democratically operated by their employees. Worker Cooperatives generate worker and community benefits.
• Limited Equity Housing Cooperatives: Housing that is collectively owned and democratically managed by residents and that aims to maintain permanent affordability, accessibility, and stability.
• Community Land Trusts: Community-based nonprofits that acquire and steward community land and assets for the explicit purpose of preserving affordability and mitigating displacement from residential and commercial properties.
• Community Investment Vehicles: Legal mechanisms for community investment in neighborhood assets based on shared values and development goals. In its ideal form, CIVs are designed, majority-owned, and majority-controlled by residents or local members.

Community Mobilization

We seek to support organizations doing work in the areas of voting rights/access activism, immigration reform, education inequity, and fighting the erasure of Black people, Black history, and Black stories.

Community Care

We seek to support organizations that actively respond to the disproportionate impact of issues such as employment instability, housing instability, and trauma on Black people and Black communities through the delivery of mental health and wellness services as their primary service.

Grantmaking Criteria

• Black-Led or Black-Serving. AAL is committed to supporting Black leaders in organizations or organizations that serve underinvested communities whose residents or constituents are predominately Black. Black-serving means constituents are predominantly (51%) Black and/or from the African Diaspora (Africans brought primarily to the Americas as slaves who live around the globe—Brazil, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Europe, and Asia). Organizations that are older than five years will not be considered if the Executive Director and Board Chair are the same individual.
• Place-based. Primarily located in the Chicago metropolitan region (which includes Cook, DuPage, Kane, McHenry and/or Will Counties, Illinois), and accessed by Black people living in this region.
• People-driven. Program direction and design are grounded in the needs of the constituency and the community served. Using an asset-based approach means that the organization’s work is done not only for the people involved but also by them.

Funding Amount

Community Wealth Building Applicants Only:

Grants under these priority area for 2025 will range in size between $50,000 to $75,000 based on the scope of the applicant’s general operations or project-based needs. Community Mobilization and Community Care Applicants Only:

Grants under these priority areas for 2025 will range in size between $15,000 to $25,000 based on the scope of the applicants general operations or project-based needs.

Founded in 2002, the Asian Giving Circle (AGC) is a grassroots philanthropic project that supports Asian and Pacific Islander (API) nonprofits in the Chicago region. AGC is composed of members (i.e. donors) that are committed to pooling and directing their financial resources to organizations that are advancing social justice. AGC is designed and dedicated to being responsive to the current issues facing API communities - a landscape of communities that is incredibly diverse, composed of more than 30 ethnic groups speaking hundreds of languages and dialects.

To date, AGC has contributed more than $800,000 to nonprofit organizations serving API communities in the Chicago region. AGC is one of the oldest active giving circles for API communities and originally started as part of the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) Giving Circle Network. 

AGC believes that giving is an act that can transform ourselves and our communities to build the world we need now. While AGC supports organizations that serve the API community due to continued histories of disinvestment, we believe our work and the work we support must support, be informed by, and add value to broader struggles for liberation.

2025 Funding Priorities

In 2025, AGC is requesting general operating proposals from API organizations in the Chicago metropolitan region (which includes the city of Chicago as well as Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties).

JCCC Foundation

Established in 1991, the JCCC Foundation and its programs are the formalized expression of friendship and community involvement of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Chicago (JCCC). As funding for the JCCC Foundation grants program is derived entirely through JCCC member contributions and fund raising events, the JCCC Foundation allows the Japanese business community as a whole to come together and support Chicago area communities. 

Grants Program

The mission of the JCCC Foundation grants program is to support innovative projects that work with students to enhance learning, build capacity, and increase learning opportunities both inside and outside the school. We look for programs and projects that convert educational theory into concrete actions that foster personal initiative, development of adult values, and development of higher-order thinking skills and real-life problem solving.

Each year, the Foundation awards approximately $100,000 in grants of up to $10,000 to schools and non-profit organizations that provide education-related programming. These grants are known as Student Development and Achievement Grants, Japanese Language Education Grants, and U.S. Japan Partnership Grants.

Student Development and Achievement Grants

Education in Chicago and Illinois is in the midst of a significant transformation. Schools and teachers are experimenting with innovative, student-oriented programs that encourage the development of independent, critical thinking, strong personal values and an enhanced understanding of science, math, literature, art, the social sciences and cultural diversity. These are not theoretical initiatives but rather concrete programs that bring into play all of the natural curiosity, creativity, energy, and initiative of young people. In the process, they encourage self-esteem, personal and social well being, and a deepened understanding of our multicultural world.

To encourage and support these initiatives, the JCCC Foundation is offering Student Development and Achievement Grants for the next school year.

The mission of this grant program is to support projects that work with students to enhance learning and increase learning opportunities both inside and outside of school. 

Potential Projects

Program goals and objectives should support the current Illinois Learning Standards for pre-school, elementary and secondary students in one or more of the following subject areas: Computer Science, Early Learning and Development, English Language Arts, English Language Learning / Bilingual Education, Fine Arts, Mathematics, Physical Development and Health, Science, Sexual Health Education, Social and Emotional Learning, Social Science, and World Languages.

The JCCC Foundation’s aim is to encourage the broadest range of activities and projects. Any initiative that promises it will have a direct impact on students will be considered.

Organizations may wish to seek grants for these purposes:

• To fund projects that demonstrate the educational and student development value of a specific course of study
• To support demonstration projects that illustrate the value of classroom learning in the context of real-life situations
• To encourage greater family participation in school and community activities
• To expand the use of technology for teaching and learning

With these grants, the Chamber and the JCCC Foundation declare their intention to support innovative programs that convert educational theory to concrete actions that foster student development and achievement.

FY26 Chicago Racial Justice Pooled Fund 

Chicago has a deep history of community organizing, continually evolving to address emerging ideas and shifting challenges. The Chicago Racial Justice Pooled Fund provides unrestricted grants to nonprofits that are Black-led and use grassroots community organizing as a primary strategy, as well as ally-led community organizing groups addressing anti-Blackness.

Racial justice community organizing builds movements and collective power to dismantle the systems, structures, and institutions that are rooted in white supremacy and perpetuate anti-Blackness.This Fund will only accept proposals from organizations, alliances, and coalitions that focus on community organizing. Please note that this Fund is not for direct service organizations; any proposals from direct service organizations will not be reviewed.

Below are examples of community organizing work that the Fund would consider:

• Organizing to end abusive policing in neighborhoods, schools, streets, and communities
• Addressing the historic disinvestment that results in a lack of economic opportunities
• Organizing against the criminal justice system that criminalizes black people
• Organizations organizing around: housing, education, health, workers’ justice
• Allied community organizing groups to specifically address anti-Blackness in their organization, community or sector. In this instance, “allied” is defined as one that is not Black-led.

We understand that some organizations have been doing this work for years while others are now emerging in this critical moment. We seek to be responsive to the needs of all organizations in this liberation movement, as well as the dynamics and contours of the movement itself.

The Fund will review applications monthly beginning in mid-October. Grants will be approved on a rolling basis as funds are available. While we try to process applications as quickly as possible, it normally takes about three months for the entire process. Requests can be for general operating support or for a specific project. Grants will be in the range of $25,000 - $50,000.

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.