Search Through Grants for 501(c)(3) in Chicago, Illinois in the U.S.

Andrews Family Foundation: Board Grants

The Andrew Family Foundation is a private, philanthropic organization that will consider proposals from public, non-profit organizations under IRS Section 501(c)(3) to support projects and organizations that foster individual growth and enhance communities through education, humanitarian efforts, and the arts.

The history of the Andrew family includes a deep commitment in their community to improve the quality of life of individuals by providing the tools and opportunities that can enrich the individual’s life and help them become productive citizens. Based on this principle, Edward J. and Edith G. Andrew and their five children founded the Andrew Family Foundation in Chicago, Illinois in 1993 to continue the philanthropic legacy started by Victor J. and Aileen S. Andrew, Ed’s parents and the founders of Andrew Corporation. Through the Foundation and their personal involvement in local communities, the Andrew family is committed to continuing the legacy of creating opportunities for generations to come.

Qualified grant proposals will be reviewed by the Andrew Family Foundation Grant Making Committee prior to quarterly board meetings. The committee will make a recommendation to the Board of Directors of the Foundation.

Final grant awards are decided upon by the Board. Generally, the Board meets on a quarterly basis.

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.

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

Grand Victoria Foundation

Grand Victoria Foundation catalyzes racial justice in Illinois by cultivating the voices, power, and aspirations of Black people for collective liberation.

We envision a just and vibrant Illinois rooted in abundant health, wealth, and joy, where communities of color can flourish.

What We Fund

The central focus of our grantmaking is on investing in community power building. This involves enabling communities most affected by structural inequities to develop, sustain, and expand an organized base. These organizations work together to shape agendas, shift public discourse, influence decision-makers, and build enduring, accountable relationships that drive systemic change and advance equity and justice.

Additionally, our grantmaking is dedicated to advancing systemic change. This refers to efforts that address and improve the underlying conditions perpetuating social and economic inequities. We support nonprofits that deliver solutions responsive to, and directed by, the communities most impacted, aiming to enhance the quality of life across Illinois.

To achieve these objectives, we fund a variety of strategic actions including:

• Community organizing
• Advocacy
• Policy analysis
• Research
• Culture shifting
• Narrative change
• Coalitions and collaborations

We view these strategies as essential levers for change, playing pivotal roles in forging a robust ecosystem for racial justice and equity in Illinois.

Building Community Power

We are deeply committed to racial justice, focusing our efforts on empowering Black communities to shape the policies and practices that affect their social, economic, and political lives. Our grantmaking strategy centers on building community power, a critical lever for achieving racial justice and systemic change.

Our Strategic Approach

• Through our strategic pillar of community power-building, we direct resources towards enhancing and expanding Black-led and centered community organizations.
• These groups are at the forefront of organizing and advocacy, striving to create significant impacts in their communities and beyond.
• By promoting their influence and enhancing their agency, we aim to strengthen leadership and grassroots movements within Black communities, recognizing their essential role in advancing racial justice for all.

Key Initiatives in Community Power-Building

• Grand Victoria Foundation supports a variety of efforts aimed at advancing community power-building in Black communities:
  • Grassroots Organizing
    • We support grassroots organizations that mobilize and unify people most impacted by systemic inequities, facilitating collective strategies to enact meaningful change and transform society.
  • Policy Influence
    • We fund organizations that shape public discourse and policy decisions to advance racial equity and justice, ensuring these groups are accountable to the grassroots communities they serve.
  • Integrated Voter Engagement
    • Our support extends to grassroots organizations working towards a vibrant, multiracial democracy through comprehensive voter engagement strategies.
  • Strategic Collaboration
    • We encourage effective partnerships, collaborations, coalitions, or networks that align with grassroots efforts to promote shared community goals, particularly those focused on systemic change.

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.

The Field Foundation Of Illinois 

The Field Foundation seeks to invest in organizations working to address systemic issues in divested communities. We see our current, past and prospective grantee partners as immense sources of power that need support in achieving objectives that will serve their communities. We seek to learn more about them for potential investment of our limited dollars.

Racial Priorities

The Field Foundation is committed to investing 60% of its portfolio in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) organizations throughout the Chicago area. BIPOC organizations can be classified in the following way: By, for, and about serving BIPOC individuals, cultures, and communities. To assess whether your organization fits into this definition, please consider the following:

• BY: Your leadership and board are directed, managed, and/or led by majority BIPOC individuals.
• FOR: Your organization primarily works to improve social conditions for BIPOC cultures, communities, and individuals.
• ABOUT: Your organization’s mission references your commitment to serving BIPOC communities.

While the Field Foundation will continue to fund a range of nonprofits, we will be race explicit in our work, and focus on understanding how funding with a racial equity lens can improve outcomes for Chicagoans.

Geographic Priorities

To understand how need and race align throughout the city of Chicago, the Field Foundation created a series of maps. The maps outline a geographic study area where less than 10% of the residents are from Caucasian backgrounds. They analyze quality of life indicators such as educational outcomes, access to health insurance, commute times, violence rates, and access to arts and culture in those areas. By overlaying race with these quality of life indicators, we found there is an incredible divestment of resources leading to a nexus of poverty and trauma that align with communities of color in Chicago. 

Program Areas

Justice

The Field Foundation’s Justice portfolio seeks to support organizations working to address the root causes of inequity and systemic racism through community organizing, advocacy, and policy.

This looks like community organizing campaigns—driven by communities of color on Chicago’s South and West Sides—that engage community members directly impacted by inequities, challenge the status quo, demand changes in policy and practice, educate communities about root causes, and advocate for systemic and just solutions.

• What We Fund:
  • Field has prioritized several focus areas, including housing, immigration, and systems impacted by justice reform. While the Justice portfolio is interested in supporting and funding organizations working in these focus areas, we want to learn from communities addressing other critical issues and encourage applicants to organize and advocate outside of these issue areas.
• Things to keep in mind: 
  • Field is committed to supporting organizations strongly rooted in local communities to identify root causes of inequity.
  • We fund organizations working to address problems at both systemic and policy levels.

Media and Storytelling

The Field Foundation seeks to change how news production and storytelling reflect Chicago and create a more equitable, connected, and inclusive local media ecosystem—in which the stories of all Chicagoans are told accurately, fairly, authoritatively and contextually.

The Media & Storytelling program was created in partnership with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation following recommendations from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) journalists, media makers, and storytellers who participated in a series of salons and individual meetings organized by Field.

• What We Fund:
  • Partnerships and collaborations
  • Content creation
  • Capacity building
  • Training and leadership investment
  • Rapid response efforts
• Priorities:
  • The Field Foundation’s Journalism & Storytelling program is informed by recommendations from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) journalists, media makers and storytellers who participated in a series of salons and individual meetings organized by Field.

Funding

Grant requests have typically in the range of $15,000 to $50,000.

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.

Background

McGraw Foundation, headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, makes annual grants to not-for-profit organizations.  The Foundation’s areas of interest involve the fields of conservation, educational programs at all levels, and human services. Occasionally, grants are made in other areas such as health, medical research and cultural.

Grant requests are suggested to be within a range of $2,000 to $10,000. Grant recipients and amounts will be determined by several criteria. Naturally, availability of funds is a key factor.

The Foundation will occasionally make large grants ($25,000 or more) to support unusually promising efforts in any of its areas of interest. Innovative research, special education, and/or other activities will be considered if the Foundation’s support would assist an effort or a project in making a significant impact.

Areas of Focus

Education: Higher

The Foundation has been a pioneer in support of environmental education at the highest level by establishing three chaired professorships. 

Education: Elementary & Special

McGraw Foundation supports a wide array of organizations that focus on assisting the education and advancement of children as well as adults. McGraw Foundation also makes grants to elementary schools and organizations involved in all areas of special needs education. Funding in this arena has encompassed many organizations that provide services such as after-school tutoring, special education, and adult literacy.

In addition to F.A.I.T.H., McGraw Foundation also makes grants to elementary schools and organizations involved in all areas of special needs education. Funding in this arena has encompassed many organizations that provide services such as after-school tutoring, special education, and adult literacy.

Human Services

Since 1949, McGraw Foundation has been concerned with helping people in need. While the emphasis is on organizations serving children, funding also extends to people of all ages.

Children's issues such as these have been supported throughout the years:

• child welfare
• foster care and adoption
• family counseling
• enriching summer camps
• crisis intervention

Funding for quality-of-life issues for people of all ages has included:

• developmental disabilities
• health clinics
• domestic violence
• housing and homelessness
• job training and continued support
• seniors needs

Health & Medical 

Since its inception, McGraw Foundation has made grants in the health and medical fields.  Health and medical funding has included:

• specific medical research
• rehabilitation
• support programs for patients and their families
• medical attention for people without health insurance
• palliative care and hospice organizations

Civic & Cultural

Complimenting it's main focus on education and the environment, McGraw Foundation has supported some of Chicago's distinctive cultural and arts organizations.

Areas of interest include zoological societies' animal conservation, public communication, musical organizations, and civic organizations' promotion of science and the general welfare of society.

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.

Non-Enforcement Programs

This funding opportunity houses most of the non-enforcement programs. Please see the specifications for each program explained below. Please note that applications are not limited to these programs.

• Child Passenger Safety Resource Center (CPSRC)
• DUI Court Program
• Impaired Driving Prevention Program (IDP)
• Injury Prevention Program (IP)
• Law Enforcement Liaison Program (LEL)
• Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor (TSRP)

This grant is administered by the Bureau of Safety Programs and Engineering (BSPE) within the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). IDOT serves as the federally-required State Highway Safety Office for the state of Illinois.

Funding amount: $8,000,000.00

Child Passenger Safety Resource Center (CPSRC)

To aid local communities in reducing the death and injury rates on Illinois roads, BSPE established the Child Passenger Safety Resource Centers (CPSRC). The CPSRCs are designed to conduct public information and education campaigns focusing on child passenger safety (CPS) and other highway safety issues. They serve as regional resources providing education, training, and support in promoting CPS programs. The CPSRC program shall also focus on the Strategic Highway Safety Plan priorities areas for their region.

Five (5) CPSRCs are planned to be funded in Illinois and will be staffed by a Child Passenger Safety Liaison. Each CPSRC covers a specific region in the state and coordinates and supports, CPS training, CPS seat distribution, and traffic safety initiatives within that region.

The five regions are:

• Chicago
  • City of Chicago
• Cook and Collar Counties
  • Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Kendall, Grundy, Will, Kankakee, Iroquois
• Northwest
  • Lee, Ogle, Whiteside, Boone, DeKalb, Rock Island, Carrol, Jo Daviess, Winnebago, Stephenson, Henry, Bureau, Stark, Marshall, Putnam, LaSalle, Mercer, Henderson, Warren, Knox, Livingston, Ford
• Central
  • Hancock, McDonough, Adams, Schuyler, Brown, Pike, Fulton, Cass, Morgan, Scott, Mason, Menard, Sangamon, Christian, Logan, Tazewell, McLean, DeWitt, Macon, Piatt, Moultrie, Shelby, Champaign, Douglas, Coles, Vermillion, Edgar, Peoria, Woodford, Macoupin, and Montgomery
• Southern
  • Calhoun, Green, Jersey, Madison, Bond, Fayette, Effingham, Jasper, Crawford, Saint Clair, Monroe, Randolph, Clinton, Washington, Marion, Jefferson, Clay, Wayne, Richland, Lawrence, Edwards, Wabash, Perry, Jackson, Franklin, Hamilton, White, Williamson, Saline, Gallatin, Union, Johnson, Pope, Hardin, Alexander, Pulaski, Massac, Cumberland, and Clark.

Project Goal

To create a coordinated effort to address CPS and other local highway safety issues within the designated region through outreach and education.

Requirements of CPSRC

• Serve as a regional point of contact for CPS programs, trainings, and community events. Additional emphasis areas would be heat stroke/overheating awareness, pedestrian, bicycle, motorcycle, older driver, teen, alcohol, drugged, and distracted driving programs;
• Promote and educate the public regarding the risks of leaving a child or unattended passenger in a vehicle.
• Participate in the development CPS continuing education unit (CEU) opportunities with CPSRCs from all five regions.
• Offer, promote, and teach a minimum of five (5) standardized CPS certification courses and two (2) renewal courses in the region. The CPSRC's Child Passenger Safety Liaison must be the lead on at least 50% of the classes taught in their region.
• CPS courses funded by IDOT should be listed as “open to the public” unless prior approval is granted by IDOT. Reimbursement of technician certification fees are only allowed for Illinois residents.
• Provide public information, educational materials, and technical tools designed to foster community level approaches to highway safety issues, specifically: proper car seat usage, seat belt usage, Illinois’ Seat Belt Law and Child Passenger Safety Protection Act.
• Participate in Statewide CPS Week/Seat Check Saturday promotions and conduct a minimum of one (1) car seat check event during that time.
• Grantees must utilize the electronic car seat check form – www.carseatcheckform.org – to track all car seat checks using IDOT funds including seats that are given to local agencies.
• Distribution of car seats to individuals needing financial assistance.
• Must be able to ensure car seats are being issued to individuals in need. Established need process must be submitted to IDOT with the application.
• Assist local agencies with setting up a minimum of two (2) car seat checks a month.
• Assist local agencies with teen safety fairs, traffic safety presentations and other community events, preferably with focus in communities that are overrepresented and underserved.
• Provide education to the public about child passenger safety and general traffic safety by staffing informational booths at community events.
• Use data-driven approaches to evaluate and address local highway safety issues.
• Participate in local traffic safety networks of law enforcement and local organizations dedicated to highway safety.
• If requested, assist IDOT with the annual statewide seat belt survey.
• If requested, assist with and IDOT motorcycle helmet survey.
• If a CPSRC would like to facilitate training outside of its regional boundaries, the CPSRC must contact the CPSRC that covers that area and discuss a collaborative effort.
• Create meaningful public participation and engagement to ensure diverse views are heard and considered.

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.

RFP: Together Fund (Local Business) – 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. 

Need/Opportunity Statement

In historically underserved, low-income neighborhoods across the Chicago area, mid-stage businesses and worker-owned cooperatives play a critical role in fostering economic vitality, creating jobs, and strengthening social connections. However, many of these businesses face persistent challenges in scaling their operations, securing the tools and resources necessary for growth, and effectively harnessing growth opportunities.  

We know that mid-stage businesses are uniquely positioned to drive inclusive economic growth. However, they often operate with constrained resources and limited access to the capital, vendors, and infrastructure needed to achieve their full potential. Similarly, worker-owned co-ops offer a powerful model for shared ownership and wealth-building, empowering employees with a direct stake in the success of their enterprises. Yet, co-ops face unique challenges in securing resources for infrastructure, awareness, and technical support, particularly in sectors like retail, manufacturing, and trucking that are traditionally underfunded. 

By moving resources directly to nonprofits working alongside these businesses, we aim to catalyze their ability to grow revenue, expand capacity, and invest in transformative initiatives like acquiring commercial spaces, adopting advanced tools, and strengthening their operational resilience. This RFP invites applications that present strategic approaches to strengthen these enterprises, supporting a sustainable recovery and fostering a resilient economic foundation across the region.

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 local economic resilience. Work completed during the grant period should build a strong foundation for continued progress toward the following goals:  

• By supporting business growth and cooperative development, projects should create stable job opportunities, increase local spending, and increase economic resilience within low-income neighborhoods. 
• Through cooperative models and local business growth, projects should promote shared wealth-building, economic autonomy, and the growth of the local economy. 
• Programs should enable businesses to scale effectively, increasing their capacity to serve and uplift their communities. 
• Measure changes in access to capital, financial literacy, and use of business management tools. 
• Track the number of new jobs created or maintained, particularly full-time roles with family-sustaining wages. 
• Monitor improvements in operational resilience, such as enhanced access to infrastructure, technology, or technical assistance.

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 local economic resilience. Work completed during the grant period should build a strong foundation for continued progress toward the following goals:  

• By supporting business growth and cooperative development, projects should create stable job opportunities, increase local spending, and increase economic resilience within low-income neighborhoods. 
• Through cooperative models and local business growth, projects should promote shared wealth-building, economic autonomy, and the growth of the local economy. 
• Programs should enable businesses to scale effectively, increasing their capacity to serve and uplift their communities. 
• Measure changes in access to capital, financial literacy, and use of business management tools. 
• Track the number of new jobs created or maintained, particularly full-time roles with family-sustaining wages. 

Monitor improvements in operational resilience, such as enhanced access to infrastructure, technology, or technical assistance. 

Outcomes include up to three of the following:

• Build Knowledge and Narrative 
• Improve Overall Financial Health 
• Increase Fundamental Business Finance Knowledge and Application 
• Strengthen Workforce 

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. 

IL Armed Forces Legal Aid Network

The IEJF awards grants to organizations providing legal assistance and information as part of the IL Armed Forces Legal Aid Network (IL-AFLAN). IL-AFLAN is a one-stop shop where veterans, military members, and their dependents can obtain free legal help to:

• access hard-earned benefits
• obtain discharge upgrades
• solve other urgent problems like family law and housing issues

Available Funding

Public Act 99-0281 creates the Access to Justice Fund in the State treasury, financed by a fee of $2 on the filing of the first pleading, paper, or other appearance by each party in all civil cases. The money available in the Fund therefore fluctuates with the volume of civil filings. The current amount available for FY24/Year 8  grants is approximately $900,000.

Important Note Regarding the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act

These funds are subject to the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act (30 ILCS 705/5). Please familiarize yourself with the Act before applying.

Chicago Region Artistic Vitality

We support over 175 small, professional arts organizations of all disciplines. We provide general operations grants, technical assistance, and other support to help our arts partners sustain their artistry and strengthen their operations. We call this Gen Ops Plus.

To Value Small Arts Organizations

The ecosystem of arts in the Chicago region is big and diverse, yet most nonprofit arts groups operate on small budgets. Together, small arts groups produce most of the art in our region. They reach beyond downtown into nearly every neighborhood. They ensure a perpetual wellspring of new and emerging talent. They challenge. They risk. They fail. They try again. They blow us away.

Many small arts groups – especially the smallest of the small – tend to have fewer options for grants. That’s why we make it our business to support professional arts groups, of all disciplines, that operate on less than $1 million per year.

To Support With Few Restrictions

Unrestricted general operating grants are the life blood of small arts groups, big or small. It allows them the flexibility to spend those dollars where they see fit. Multi-year general operating support provides an extra measure of stability.

To Grow Stronger

It takes training, discipline and often years of experience to master one’s art. Just as challenging, just as important, is mastering the art of running an arts organization. Stronger, more efficient operations tend to allow more time, attention and resources to go toward the art itself. We support the Arts Work Fund and several other technical assistance providers to help organizations grow stronger.

Grant Amounts

Organizations are eligible for grant amounts based on annual expenses for the most recently-completed calendar or fiscal year, ranging from $2,500 to $13,500.

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.

We are Stronger Together

2020 was a year like no other. It offered us a unique opportunity to demonstrate the strength of H.B. Fuller’s values, particularly the power of collaboration and courage. Our focus on taking care of employees, solving customers’ challenges in new ways, and supporting our communities when they need us most never faltered.

Our commitment to STEM education and youth leadership development did not waver, and we created a new funding focus to address racial inequities in the areas of employment, education and safety. Additionally, employees around the world took part in company-sponsored matching programs and a variety of virtual or socially-distanced volunteer opportunities to amplify their impact on issues they care about.

Overall, the gifts of time, talent and financial resources provided by H.B. Fuller and its employees in 2020 had an immeasurable effect on communities around the world.

STEM and Youth Leadership Grant

H.B. Fuller’s philanthropic vision is to help young people grow into productive, successful adults.

H.B. Fuller Company Foundation grants are strategically focused in two areas:

• STEM education – youth education initiatives in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)
• Leadership development for youth – organizations and programs that help young people become successful, productive adults

Mission

The A. Montgomery Ward Foundation was established by his daughter, Marjorie Montgomery Ward Baker, in 1959 to support and strengthen charitable institutions that provide quality educational and cultural programming for the current and future residents of Chicago, Illinois, and its surrounding communities.

Program Type:

• Arts, Culture, & Humanities; Education

The majority of grants from the Montgomery Ward Foundation are 1 year in duration.

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.

Eviction Help Illinois Grants

In response to the housing crisis fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, the IEJF provides grants to nonprofit organizations delivering free legal help and information to people facing eviction and housing stability. These services are provided through Eviction Help Illinois, a statewide network people can access via phone, text or web chat.

For FY 24, the IEJF is focused on funding organizations that provide services in suburban Cook County and/or downstate counties.

The Illinois Equal Justice Foundation will make Eviction Help Illinois grants in the following two categories:

Civil Legal Assistance Grants

The IEJF makes grants to provide legal assistance to low-income Illinois residents who cannot afford to hire an attorney. The IEJF Eviction Response grants will focus on the following two priority areas:

• Eviction Response Legal Services: This includes legal advice, consultations, limited services, full representation, and telephone hotline services in eviction and housing matters. 
• Online Legal Information and Triage Services. These services enable Illinois residents to receive online legal information, triage, and referral services for eviction and housing matters, mediation and available rental assistance.

Mediation Services

The IEJF makes grants to provide mediation services to Illinois residents, as an efficient and cost-effective alternative to traditional legal processes. The IEJF will support selected mediation programs whose purpose is to improve access to just resolutions of disputes for those who might not otherwise have such access.

Grants to support mediation services will be made to dispute resolution centers, which are not-for-profit organizations that offer free mediation services to the public that are provided by trained volunteers.

For the purposes of these guidelines, mediation is defined as a voluntary process in which an impartial mediator actively assists disputants in identifying and clarifying issues of concern and in designing and agreeing to solutions for those issues. A mediator is defined as a person who has received at least 30 hours of training in the areas of negotiation, nonverbal communication, agreement writing, neutrality and ethics.

In the Mediation Services category, the IEJF will consider support for:

• New Dispute Resolution Centers: To increase the availability of mediation services throughout Illinois, the IEJF will consider applications for “start-up” grants to new dispute resolution centers – including those that have begun operation and those that will begin offering services during the grant period – that can demonstrate the ability to provide mediation services in accordance with these guidelines.
• Existing Dispute Resolution Centers: The IEJF will consider applications for operating support from existing dispute resolution centers to expand services in response to the eviction crisis. These operating expenses include staff salaries and benefits, as well as other costs directly related to providing mediation services.
• Mediator Training: The IEJF will consider applications for operating support from existing dispute resolution centers aiming to increase the State’s capacity to provide mediation services through training of new mediators or Eviction Response training for existing mediators.

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).

Midwest Grant Applications 2025-2026 Grantmaking 

Purpose

Through this Request for Proposals (RFP), the Elea Institute is seeking proposals to provide charity care, integrative therapy, and end of life care within 13 counties of Illinois. This grant program will provide funding for up to two years of care and programming. This RFP is meant to identify and provide financial support to non-profit organizations that meet the following criteria. To that end, three below-listed grant programs have been developed.

Background

Elea Institute is a nonprofit charitable organization created out of the proceeds from the 2022 sale of JourneyCare, a nonprofit hospice agency that stood at the forefront of hospice and palliative care in the greater Chicago metropolitan area. The organization’s name is inspired by the mythological figure Elea, who was the personification of mercy and compassion in ancient Athens.

The primary goal of Elea Institute is to honor our heritage and advance the missions that guided JourneyCare and its predecessor organizations: to ensure that all people have access to high-quality hospice and palliative care.

Elea Institute is dedicated to improving care and comfort for people with serious illnesses by awarding grants for innovative programs and initiatives, funding research, and advancing policies to promote high quality, widely accessible hospice and palliative care.

Education Grants Program

Additional Details

Designed to fund education for health care providers, patients, families, and community members related to hospice and palliative care. Staff professional development may qualify if it helps staff provide better care to patients.

Midwest Grant Applications 2025-2026 Grantmaking 

Purpose

Through this Request for Proposals (RFP), the Elea Institute is seeking proposals to provide charity care, integrative therapy, and end of life care within 13 counties of Illinois. This grant program will provide funding for up to two years of care and programming. This RFP is meant to identify and provide financial support to non-profit organizations that meet the following criteria. To that end, three below-listed grant programs have been developed.

Background

Elea Institute is a nonprofit charitable organization created out of the proceeds from the 2022 sale of JourneyCare, a nonprofit hospice agency that stood at the forefront of hospice and palliative care in the greater Chicago metropolitan area. The organization’s name is inspired by the mythological figure Elea, who was the personification of mercy and compassion in ancient Athens.

The primary goal of Elea Institute is to honor our heritage and advance the missions that guided JourneyCare and its predecessor organizations: to ensure that all people have access to high-quality hospice and palliative care.

Elea Institute is dedicated to improving care and comfort for people with serious illnesses by awarding grants for innovative programs and initiatives, funding research, and advancing policies to promote high quality, widely accessible hospice and palliative care.

Integrative Therapy Grants Program

Additional Details

Designed to fund integrative therapy for patients, families, and community members related to hospice and palliative care. Staff professional development may qualify if it helps staff provide better care to patients.

$50,000 – $100,000

1 – 3 projects

up to 2 years

Midwest Grant Applications 2025-2026 Grantmaking 

Purpose

Through this Request for Proposals (RFP), the Elea Institute is seeking proposals to provide charity care, integrative therapy, and end of life care within 13 counties of Illinois. This grant program will provide funding for up to two years of care and programming. This RFP is meant to identify and provide financial support to non-profit organizations that meet the following criteria. To that end, three below-listed grant programs have been developed.

Background

Elea Institute is a nonprofit charitable organization created out of the proceeds from the 2022 sale of JourneyCare, a nonprofit hospice agency that stood at the forefront of hospice and palliative care in the greater Chicago metropolitan area. The organization’s name is inspired by the mythological figure Elea, who was the personification of mercy and compassion in ancient Athens.

The primary goal of Elea Institute is to honor our heritage and advance the missions that guided JourneyCare and its predecessor organizations: to ensure that all people have access to high-quality hospice and palliative care.

Elea Institute is dedicated to improving care and comfort for people with serious illnesses by awarding grants for innovative programs and initiatives, funding research, and advancing policies to promote high quality, widely accessible hospice and palliative care.

Charity Care Grants Program

Additional details

Designed to help patients receive hospice and palliative care by providing financial assistance for those who do not have insurance or cannot afford care. Program will provide funding for the care typically offered by a hospice or palliative care provider. Grants will be for care to be provided in the future, and not charity care that has previously been made available.

$100,000 – $300,000

2 – 5 projects

up to 2 years

The Mead Montgomery Charity Care Grant

In recognition of Mead Montgomery’s dedicated service to Elea Institute, this grant is established to honor his leadership, stewardship, and unwavering commitment to expanding access to compassionate care. Mead’s guidance strengthened Elea Institute’s financial vision, ensuring resources could reach patients and families at their most vulnerable moments. His prior leadership with JourneyCare and Midwest Hospice and Palliative CareCenter further underscored his lifelong commitment to advancing hospice and palliative care.

The Mead Montgomery Charity Care Grant supports nonprofit hospice and palliative care providers in delivering essential services to patients who are uninsured or unable to afford care. By investing in organizations that exemplify financial responsibility, quality care, and equitable access, Elea Institute celebrates Mead’s legacy of ensuring that no one is left without comfort and dignity at the end of life

John Deere FIRST

John Deere and FIRST are together committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion which encourages teams to be more innovation, creative, and make better decisions. We encourage your team to support and encourage diversity within your team.

John Deere grants are focused on increasing the participation and positive outcomes for students in John Deere home communities who historically have been underserved and underrepresented in STEM (Engineering, Computer Science/IT, and Manufacturing). This focus is supporting John Deere’s Bold Commitment of reaching at least one million underserved/underrepresented youth by 2030.

Current U.S. & Canada John Deere Inspire Home Communities

United States:

• California - Torrance
• Georgia - Augusta
• Illinois - Champaign & Quad Cities
• Iowa - Des Moines, Dubuque, Paton, Ottumwa, Quad Cities, & Waterloo
• Kansas - Coffeyville
• Louisiana - Thibodaux
• Missouri - Springfield
• North Carolina - Raleigh-Durham
• North Dakota - Fargo & Valley City
• Tennessee - Greeneville
• Wisconsin – Horicon

Canada:

• Alberta - Edmonton 
• Manitoba - Altona
• Ontario - Grimsby
• Ontario - Oakville
• Saskatchewan - Regina

FIRST Robotics Competition

Combining the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology