Search Through Grants for Education Nonprofits 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.

Charitable Contributions

Costco Wholesale’s primary charitable efforts specifically focus on programs supporting children, education, and health and human services in the communities where we do business. Throughout the year we receive a large number of requests from nonprofit organizations striving to make a positive impact, and we are thankful to be able to provide support to a variety of organizations and causes. While we would like to respond favorably to all requests, understandably, the needs are far greater than our allocated resources and we are unable to accommodate them all.

Warehouse Donations:

Warehouse donations are handled at the warehouse level - please consult your local warehouse for up-to-date information regarding their donations contacts and review process.

Grant Applications

If the request is under consideration, you may be contacted by staff for any additional information needed. Applications are reviewed within 4-6 weeks, and decisions are made based on several factors, including: type of program; identified community need not otherwise available; indication that evidenced based data will establish measurable results of intended outcomes; community collaboration; broad base of financial support; project budget and operating expenses.

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.

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

The Labcorp Charitable Foundation

We believe every person deserves equitable care and education.

In 2020 Labcorp established a private charitable 501(c)(3) foundation to advance our desire to bring quality healthcare access to all by supporting education and our local communities. 

Common grant opportunities include:

• Supporting food pantries and meal programs
• Providing healthcare and patient services for underserved populations
• Encouraging STEM programming
• Advocating for healthy lifestyles through ongoing medical research and screening

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.

PNC Foundation

Strengthening and enriching the lives of our neighbors in communities where we live and work.

Vision & Mission

For decades, we have provided resources to seed ideas, foster development initiatives and encourage leadership in nonprofit organizations where imagination and determination are at work enhancing people's lives everyday.

The PNC Foundation's priority is to form partnerships with community-based nonprofit organizations in order to enhance educational opportunities, with an emphasis on early childhood education, and to promote the growth of communities through economic development initiatives.

Foundation Grant

The PNC Foundation supports a variety of nonprofit organizations with a special emphasis on those that work to achieve sustainability and touch a diverse population, in particular, those that support early childhood education and/or economic development.

Education

The PNC Foundation supports educational programs for children and youth, particularly early childhood education initiatives that meet the criteria established through PNC Grow Up Great. Specifically, PNC Grow Up Great grants must:

• Support early education initiatives that benefit children from birth to age five; and
• Serve a majority of children (>50%) from low- to moderate-income families; and
• Adhere to all other standard PNC Foundation guidelines, as outlined on the PNC Foundation website, applicant eligibility quiz, as well as the Foundation policies and procedures; and
• Include one or a combination of the following:
  • direct services/programs for children in their classroom or community;
  • professional development/workforce development for early childhood educators;
  • family and/or community engagement in children’s early learning
• Additional considerations:
  • The grant focus should include math, science, reading, vocabulary development, the arts, financial education, or social/emotional development.
  • The grant recipient, or collaborative partner, should have early childhood education as an area of focus. If the organization’s focus is beyond birth to age five, the specific grant must be earmarked for birth to age five.
  • Incorporate opportunities for PNC volunteers in classroom or non-classroom-based activities.

Economic Development

Economic development organizations, including those which enhance the quality of life through neighborhood revitalization, cultural enrichment and human services are given support. Priority is given to community development initiatives that strategically promote the growth of low-and moderate-income communities and/or provide services to these communities.

• Affordable Housing
  • The PNC Foundation understands the critical need for affordable housing for low-and moderate-income individuals.
  • We are committed to providing support to nonprofit organizations that:
    • give counseling and services to help these individuals maintain their housing stock;
    • offer transitional housing units and programs; and/or
    • offer credit counseling assistance to individuals, helping them to prepare for homeownership.
• Community Development
  • Because small businesses are often critical components of community growth and help foster business development, the PNC Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations that
    • offer technical assistance to, or loan programs for, small businesses located in low-and moderate-income areas or
    • support small businesses that employ low-and moderate-income individuals.
• Community Services
  • Support is given to social services organizations that benefit the health, education, quality of life or provide essential services for low-and moderate-income individuals and families.
  • The PNC Foundation supports job training programs and organizations that provide essential services for their families.
• Arts & Culture
  • Support is given for cultural enrichment programs benefitting the community.
• Revitalization & Stabilization of Low-and Moderate-Income Areas
  • The PNC Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that serve low-and moderate-income neighborhoods by improving living and working conditions.
  • Support is given to organizations that help stabilize communities, eliminate blight and attract and retain businesses and residents to the community.

Philanthropy is our commitment to communities in which we operate and broader society. We focus our resources on a limited number of key projects that can deliver valuable benefits from our contributions and those of our partners. We give priority to innovative, high-quality projects that meet the following criteria:

• promote sustainable development
• offer an opportunity for Roche to use its expertise and logistics capabilities
• involve Roche actively at an early stage with local authorities and established partners
• engage Roche employees in cultural (focus on contemporary arts), educational and social activities
• managed by an accredited charity

Our four focus areas

Humanitarian and Social

We direct the majority of our philanthropic donations to humanitarian and social development projects.

Science and education

We are dedicated to programmes that promote scientific interest and provide educational opportunities for young people around the world.

Community and Environment

We are committed to building stronger communities and responding to natural disasters sustainably.

Arts and Culture

We support groundbreaking contemporary art, cultural projects and activities that explore the parallels between innovation in art and in science. 

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.

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

About

Through its grantmaking and other policy-focused efforts, the Foundation seeks to:

• Racial Equity: Incorporate the voices of, and achieve more equitable outcomes for, Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) communities in the Great Lakes region.
• Economic Mobility: Improve the ability of individuals in the Great Lakes region to move up the economic ladder within a lifetime or from one generation to the next.
• Next Generation: Incorporate the voices of, and improve outcomes for, the next generation of Great Lakes residents, defined as young people born after 2000.

Education & Economic Mobility Grants

The mission of the Education & Economic Mobility Program is to close income and race disparities in college and career success through equitable access to high-quality education. We invest in local, state and federal policies that aim to ensure historically underserved young people 1) have effective educators; 2) graduate high school with academic and career momentum; and 3) attain affordable college credentials with economic value. In the short term, we will invest in research, policy development, and advocacy to help young people recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effective Educators

Evidence is clear that teachers and principals are the main in-school driver of student success. Yet, young people of color and those from underserved communities often have inexperienced, unqualified, or ineffective educators. To ensure historically marginalized students have top-notch and diverse educators, the Foundation invests in research, policy development, advocacy, and technical assistance to: 1) use data to better align educator supply and demand; 2) diversify the educator pipeline; 3) build strong pathways from high school into teaching; and 4) spread innovative school staffing models that attract educators, boost retention, and improve student outcomes. Our investments focus on Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and national efforts.

College and Career Readiness

There is overwhelming evidence that a college degree significantly improves life outcomes. Yet not enough high school students—especially young people of color and those from underserved communities—are prepared to succeed in post-secondary. To help students get on the right path, the Foundation supports federal and state policies to: 1) align K-12, higher education, and workforce systems; 2) increase access and success in rigorous courses; and 3) increase access to high-quality work-based learning activities connected to careers with family-sustaining wages.

Post-Secondary Success

A post-secondary degree remains the surest path to social and economic mobility. Yet colleges fail to enroll and graduate students of color and students from low-income households at the same rate as White and wealthier students. This contributes to racial and socioeconomic disparities in education and career outcomes. To address these disparities, the Joyce Foundation supports federal and state policies that: 1) scale proven student support models to improve community college outcomes; 2) preserve access for students of color and rural students to affordable, high- quality public college options and labor markets that require college degrees; 3) seek racial and family income representativeness at selective public universities; and 4) narrow gaps in post-graduate financial outcomes for students of color and low-income students.

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: 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 

About the Foundation

Jesse W. Couch lived a life of zeal, honor, and dedication to the betterment of his community. The Couch family now humbly stewards the foundation he created to carry on his legacy of service for future generations. We believe that impact is best accomplished through partnerships with local organizations that know the people and communities they serve. We invest in and support efforts to protect the environment, further conservation and preservation initiatives, and save historical architecture that preserves community heritage. We also support initiatives that promote wellness and mental health and organizations seeking to provide and further education for all communities.

Annual Grant Focus

Each year, we seek to partner with and support non-profit organizations making an impact in the focus areas listed here.  The focus areas for 2025 are:

• Animal Wellbeing: We are dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations that nurture compassion and respect for all living animals. We must have animal-focused organizations that advocate for animal rights and provide humane treatment across all spectrums.
• Early Childhood Education: We are looking for schools that are providing young children with a creative and balanced approach to education. Things we love in early childhood curriculums:
  • Life Skills
  • Collaboration With Their Peers and Teachers   
  • Having Fun   
  • Montessori Teachings   
  • Project Based Teachings   
  • Diversity   
  • More Time Outside   
  • Less Screen Time
• Teachers: Teachers are essential to providing children with the best possible education. We must invest in their future and are always looking for teams that help them succeed in educating future generations.
• Get Outside: Being outside can improve memory, fight depression, lower blood pressure, and more! We support organizations that facilitate and encourage more outdoor activities that help create healthier communities. 

How and Why Giving Back to Communities is Important to O’Reilly

From O’Reilly Auto Parts’ inception, O’Reilly co-founder C.H. “Chub” O’Reilly instilled the culture of maintaining high standards for every endeavor, including the area of building civic pride. With Chub’s good example to guide them, all four of his children adopted a business and family philosophy of “giving back” to the community as the Company grew and prospered. Supporting a large number of charitable organizations in all communities in which we operate has long been a focal point for O’Reilly Auto Parts. In order to make an even greater impact, the O’Reilly Automotive Foundation was established in 2020.

O’Reilly Automotive Foundation, Inc.

Impact

The O’Reilly Automotive Foundation complements O’Reilly Auto Parts’ role as the Friendliest Parts Store in Town. The Foundation serves as an additional conduit to connect with, support, and strengthen the communities in which O’Reilly Auto Parts’ team members and customers live and work. The Foundation continues the philanthropic legacy of the O’Reilly family as dependable community partners, seeking to support critical services in times of need to build stronger communities.

Mission

The O’Reilly Automotive Foundation strives to have a lasting, positive impact in the communities where O’Reilly Auto Parts’ team members and customers live and work by supporting organizations and programs which address issues critical to improving the quality of life for underserved and underrepresented individuals and families. In particular, the Foundation will concentrate its giving in support of organizations and programs addressing economic stability and mobility, workforce development, health and social services, and disaster relief.

Economic Stability and Mobility

Advocating for and endowing programs which provide assistance with issues including hunger, homelessness, and poverty for the economic betterment of the communities in which we operate.

Workforce Development

Promoting programs which aid in workforce readiness, technical training, and literacy, including children’s literacy, to ensure the continuance of an educated society and a capable, innovative workforce.

Health and Social Services

Championing and prioritizing matters of health, including mental and behavioral health, access to basic needs such as medical and dental care for underprivileged communities, and providing funding for organizations focused on childhood development and children’s advocacy as well as care and support for victims of domestic violence.

Disaster Relief

Providing funding and visibility to organizations specializing in providing relief from natural disasters and state of emergency, including providing temporary shelter, food, water, and hygiene or sanitation products to those affected and aiding in cleanup efforts.

Application Requirements

We will consider three principal types of grants:

Project Support Grants support specific projects or programs aligned with our mission. These requests may include some funds earmarked for the overhead costs associated with running a project.

General Operating Support Grants provide limited general operating support for the core operations or organizations whose missions and activities are aligned with our mission. These grants will often help the grantee build organizational, programmatic, and fundraising capacity. Operating support is not intended to help organizations in fiscal crisis. Applicants must have a current strategic or business plan that clearly outlines the organization’s goals and presents a plan for achieving results. Operating support grants must not exceed 15% of an organization’s total agency budget.

Capital Support Grants provide limited support for capital campaigns to fund the acquisition and construction of facilities, existing property renovation, or the purchase of major equipment. The program has a comprehensive approach to funding capital initiatives, which also includes funding for increased program capacity. A feasibility study may be required for capital initiatives to be considered.

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.

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.

Pew Biomedical Scholars 

The Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences provides funding to young investigators of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of human health. The program makes grants to selected academic institutions to support the independent research of outstanding individuals who are in their first few years of their appointment at the assistant professor level.

Based on their performance during their education and training, candidates should demonstrate outstanding promise as contributors in science relevant to human health. Strong proposals will incorporate particularly creative and pioneering approaches to basic, translational, and applied biomedical research. Candidates whose work is based on biomedical principles but who bring in concepts and theories from more diverse fields are encouraged to apply.

Ideas with the potential to produce an unusually high impact are encouraged. Selection of the successful candidates will be based on a detailed description of the work that the applicant proposes to undertake, evaluations of the candidate’s performance, and notable past accomplishments, including honors, awards, and publications. In evaluating the candidates, the National Advisory Committee gives considerable weight to both the project proposal and the researcher, including evidence that the candidate is a successful independent investigator and has the skill set needed to carry out their high-impact proposal.

Funding from the NIH, other government sources, and project grants from nonprofit associations do not pose a conflict with the Pew scholars program.

Funding

The current grant level is $300,000.

An award of $75,000 per year for four years will be provided to the sponsoring institution for use by the scholar, subject to annual review of the scholar’s progress. Grant agreements will be issued in August of the award year. The awarded funds may be used at the discretion of the Pew scholar, for personnel, equipment, supplies, or travel directly related to the scholar's research and as to best advance his or her research and career.

• The amount of the award that may be used for the principal investigator’s salary is limited to $12,500 per year (including benefits) or $50,000 over the duration of the grant. There are no limits on student or postdoctoral salaries.
• Not more than 8 percent ($24,000) of the total award value may be allocated for facilities and administration (F&A) charges or indirect costs (IDCs).
• Should the funds not be immediately required, they may be accumulated and carried over through the grant period and, with written approval of the program office, the grant may receive a no-cost extension for one additional year (without additional funds).
• Subawards are allowed.

During the four-year grant term, program participants are required to attend an annual meeting held in March or April. All eligible expenses for attendees’ travel, lodging, and meals are paid by Pew. The meeting provides Pew scholars with an opportunity to present their research and for scientific collaboration and exchange with other scholars and members of the National Advisory Committee.

Gupta Family Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, USA. Our mission is to support organizations that provide focused intervention in the lives of people who have been disadvantaged in some way to help them become self-reliant. We take a very broad view of “disadvantage” to include anything that holds a person back from realizing their potential, such as poverty, physical or mental disability, social alienation, etc. The foundation also supports relief agencies that serve people affected by emergencies such as natural disasters.

The foundation evaluates and awards annual and multi-year grants ranging from $5,000 to over $250,000 (USD). Our focus is on funding smaller organizations all around the world that are led by individuals with a deep personal commitment to their missions. 

Our selection criteria include:

• Mission alignment
• The organization is run by the founder or, if not, by a successor who embodies the original inspiration, passion and commitment of the founder.
• At least 90% of grant monies reaches the intended beneficiaries.
• The organization is non-sectarian, i.e.,
  • It does not, directly or indirectly, support or condone the proselytization of any religion,
  • It is not supported by or affiliated to a religious organization.

Corporate Contributions

Community involvement and corporate citizenship are an example of Insperity’s mission in action. We are committed to helping the communities where we live and work because together, we know we can make great things happen.

Grants

Philanthropic grants are a strong part of our community outreach and aid institutions needing financial support to meet important service goals.

Event Sponsorship

Fundraising events are an important part of nonprofit support. Insperity provides event sponsorships to approved charities to assist them in meeting their financial and community goals.

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

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation Vision

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation, "A Foundation for All", was established in 2002. It was begun in order to give a clear voice for those who wish to be a part of the many, worthy, forces for change in our world.

We are a foundation whose purpose is to look ahead towards the future, giving the past its due by remembering where we came from, and how much we can all accomplish together. We aim to make the critical difference on our planet by recognizing and having respect for our ever changing world. We respect all Life, the Environment, and all People, no matter who they are.

Georgia-Pacific Foundation

Established in 1958, the Georgia-Pacific Foundation sets aside resources to improve life in the communities where we operate. We’ve worked with thousands of outstanding community-based programs, service projects and disaster relief efforts, focusing our investment in four areas we believe make the most impact:

• education
• entrepreneurship
• enrichment of community
• environment

Investment Priorities

• Aligns with GP’s mission and values
• Aligns with GP’s Four Focus Areas of giving: Education, Environment, Enrichment of Community and Entrepreneurship
• Serves communities where GP has manufacturing facilities
• Creates value by contributing to and positively impacting long term well-being and sustainability of GP communities