Search Through Grants for the Arts 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.

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.

Advancing Leadership

In conversations with dozens of individuals and organizations across the city of Chicago, we heard a call to support leaders who reflect the city's population. In the private, public, and philanthropic sectors, many individuals who are leaders in their communities, professional fields, or interest areas are not heard in public discourse.

Structural racism has prevented many leaders from being considered for leadership roles. Other forms of discrimination and classism hinder the ability of some leaders to gain recognition for the wisdom and expertise they have earned through lived experience. Our goal is to promote and advance leaders who face or have faced adversity, discrimination, or prejudice to increase their representation across the civic sector; foster their ability to influence decisions; and use their leadership skills to advance policies and practices that contribute to a more equitable Chicago.We include leaders who represent a broad array of Chicago residents and communities and who reflect diversity across multiple dimensions. 

The Chicago Commitment supports leadership advancement within our three focus areas:

• Culture, Equity, and the Arts
• Vital Communities
• Civic Partnerships

Within these areas, we seek to advance equity by expanding access to a wide range of leadership opportunities and by fostering conditions that recognize and support people who bring diverse experiences and perspectives to leadership positions.

Our approach consists of these components:

• Support for Leadership Programs
  • Our priority is to support current and emerging leaders from historically marginalized backgrounds and disinvested communities as they pursue leadership advancement opportunities.
  • We identify and fund leadership programs that:
    • Reflect, serve, and amplify the voices of leaders across Chicago, with an emphasis on communities that have been underrepresented in civic discourse;
    • Are led by and/or predominantly staffed by individuals able to effectively represent communities most affected by structural racism, discrimination, or disinvestment;
    • Provide an in-depth, cohort-based experience over the course of several months, enhancing individual leadership skills, building resiliency in nonprofit leaders, and expanding professional networks; and
    • Demonstrate a clear connection to the arts, community and economic development, or community safety and violence prevention sectors, or substantial participation by staff members of existing grantee organizations in the Culture, Equity, and the Arts; Vital Communities; and Civic Partnerships focus areas.
  • We also consider support for efforts to develop collaborative projects and alumni networking among existing leadership programs.
• Support for Individual Leaders
  • In 2019, we launched a collaborative initiative with the Field Foundation of Illinois entitled Leaders for a New Chicago.
    • These awards support individuals who are leaders in their communities, professional fields, or interest areas and work in the Field Foundation’s focus areas of arts, justice, or media and storytelling.
    • This program advances equity and access to opportunity; it fosters conditions that recognize and promote people who bring a broad diversity of background and experience to leadership positions.
  • Leaders for a New Chicago awards $50,000 to 10 to 15 recipients a year: a no-strings attached $25,000 award to enable individuals to pursue their own self-defined goals, and a $25,000 general operating grant for the individuals' affiliated nonprofit organizations. The program supported 65 recipients during its first six years.
• Support for Leadership Advancement Within Organizations
  • Organizations with a strong infrastructure can often reduce stress on their leaders and prevent the loss of talented staff. To this end, we offer awards to organizations to improve their effectiveness through technical assistance and capacity building.

Mission

To build a strong, creative, and connected Illinois through the arts

Creative Projects Grant

Creative Projects Grant is the new name for the FY25 Creative Catalyst Grant. This grant program offers support to Illinois artists and non-profit organizations for arts-related projects, events, or professional development.

The FY26 Creative Projects Grant is an open deadline grant. Applications will be accepted until the funds have been expended. Each IAC region has its own allocation, so regions may close at different times. Applications must be submitted to the IAC’s Salesforce grant portal a minimum of 8 weeks prior to the start date of the arts project being considered for IAC funding.

The FY26 maximum award amount will be determined by IAC’s FY26 budget allocation.

IAC General Operating Support (GOS) grantees must demonstrate how the project is a unique opportunity outside of their daily operations and programming.Funding

Mission

The DanPaul Foundation will use its resources to help train teachers and parents in early childhood development, protect children from abuse and neglect, stimulate children's personal social responsibilities, and offer them opportunities for enrichment and growth.

The Foundation will also encourage children to be concerned and informed about the environment and the underprivileged, particularly with regard to clean air and water, and adequate housing and nutrition for all.

Beliefs

The DanPaul Foundation believes that children should have ample opportunities for enrichment in their lives, and thus strives to provide many different ways to enrich and expand children's minds through direct programs and monetary support to organizations doing similar work.

We have provided or currently provide grants related to the following program areas:

• Workshops, Conferences, + Seminars: We strive to offer educational workshops, conferences, and seminars for parents and teachers on topics related to early childhood development.
• Student Scholarships: We aim to help students attending post-secondary education institutions by providing need-based and academic scholarships.
• Scientific Endeavors: We desire to advance scientific endeavors which seek to improve the quality of life for everyone in the world.
• Clean Air + Water: We hope to pass on knowledge and practical life skills to youth regarding their personal responsibility to the environment, teaching them about issues surrounding clean air and water.
• Child Advocacy: We believe in protecting children from abuse and neglect and particularly love to support programs that provide education and assistance to children as well as organizations advocating or caring for vulnerable children.
• Homelessness: We want to encourage young people to take a personal interest in seeing that adequate housing and proper nutrition, especially for the underprivileged and homeless, are available.
• Poverty + Neglect: We seek to help those in poverty as well as educate youth about their responsibility to consider the underprivileged and take care of those most in need of life's basic essentials like adequate housing and proper nutrition.
• Refugee Enrichment: We wish to help refugee youth by supporting programs that provide them enrichment and help them transition to life in a new country.

The DanPaul Foundation provides grants to 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organizations as defined by the IRS. The Foundation is interested in providing funding to programs that directly serve the health, education, development, and welfare of the world's youth.

Grants range from a few hundred dollars up to $15,000 per calendar year.

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.

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

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. 

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust is devoted solely to the funding of charitable, scientific, medical and educational organizations.

The Board endeavors to support soundly-managed charitable organizations that give service with a broad scope, have a substantial effect on their target populations, and contribute materially to the general welfare. The Board does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

We have strong partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country that are working to advance economic mobility and social progress in low- and moderate-income communities. Our focus areas include basic needs like food and housing, workforce development and education, and community development. In addition to our philanthropic investments, we also encourage our employees to make a difference by offering robust employee giving and volunteering programs, including the opportunity to direct funds to organizations they support through volunteer efforts, and a matching gifts program that doubles their individual giving to causes they care about. Last year, we invested $350 million in the communities we serve, and employees contributed more than 1 million volunteer hours and directed $65 million through individual giving and matching gifts to support nonprofits.Through our regional U.S. sponsorships, we support the economic, social and cultural life of the places we live and work. We provide an extensive program of arts and sports sponsorships to help maintain vibrant, healthy communities.Sponsorships supporting communitiesBank of America welcomes your sponsorship proposal for opportunities that make our communities a better place to live and work. We are particularly interested in providing support to address needs vital to the health of our communities through a focus on:

• preserving neighborhoods;
• educating the workforce for 21st century jobs;
• addressing critical needs such as hunger and emergency shelter;
• arts and culture;
• the environment; and
• diversity and inclusion programs.

Grants are made at the Foundation’s discretion based on our current funding strategies focused on housing, jobs and hunger. 

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.

Our Mission

Our mission is to continue and further the philanthropic legacy of Gardner Cowles, Jr. and the Cowles family, which includes promotion of education, social justice, health, and the arts.

The Founder

The Cowles Charitable Trust was first established in 1948 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr. (1903-1985). Born into the Cowles publishing family of Des Moines, Iowa, Mike was the youngest of Gardner Cowles and Florence Call Cowles’ six children. A newspaper editor and publisher by trade, he was committed to his family’s traditions of responsible, public-spirited, and innovative journalism as well as philanthropy. 

The Cowles Charitable Trust supports the arts, education, the advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research.

The Newberry

Founded in 1887, the Newberry is one of Chicago’s most historic cultural institutions. Curious people from all over visit to research topics of interest, discover their family history, take classes, or learn something new and unexpected. Our collections, programs, and exhibitions are a portal to more than six centuries of human history, from the 15th century to the present. The Newberry welcomes anyone who is eager to learn about who we are, where we came from, and where we are going. Our community of learning includes historians, genealogists, visual and performing artists, writers, graphic designers, teachers, students, and many, many others.

Short-Term Fellowships

Researchers with short-term fellowships spend one to two months investigating specific collection items that are essential to their scholarship. These fellowship opportunities are open to scholars at the ABD stage and beyond.

The Jan and Frank Cicero Fellowship

Offering one month of support for a person working in the visual and performing arts who wishes to advance their artistic practice through the use of the Newberry collection.

Stipend: $3,000/month

Length: 1 month

Route 66 Grant Program

Since 1926, Route 66 defined a remarkable era in our nation's history and it lives on today in Illinois' many Route 66 roadside attractions, museums, and restaurants. Route 66 is one of the most famous roads in America. Generations of travelers have romanticized this highway as a symbol of unlimited mobility and freedom of the road. Its iconic status is enhanced by the unprecedented volume of music, books, films, and other art forms that depict it as the essence of America's highway culture.

It was born in 1926 as part of the new numbered highway network and quickly grew to be the preferred road west for a nation on the move. US Highway 66 was not as old or as long as some other transcontinental routes like the Yellowstone or the Lincoln Highway, but it quickly gained fame as the shortest, year-round route between the Midwest and the coast as it passed through the fabled landscape of the American Southwest. The construction of this thin, ribbon of the road helped to transform the American West from an isolated frontier to an economically vital region of the country and made it accessible to anyone with a car.

Part of the charm of Route 66 is its idiosyncratic personality. Like a giant carnival Midway, this corridor of neon signs and gaudy roadside attractions was embraced by the traveling public as an exciting diversion from ordinary life. A trip on Route 66 promised an exhilarating pilgrimage where one might discover the unknown and experience the unusual. Route 66 is synonymous with fun and adventure.

Route 66 is also synonymous with endless opportunity. As our transportation sector evolves and electrifies, more drivers will be choosing electric vehicles (EVs) to traverse our state’s roads and highways. Embracing future tourism trends like electrified transportation and promoting the state’s tourism areas as EV destinations will unlock all Route 66 has to offer for EV drivers who want to shop, dine, and explore Route 66’s local attractions.

In Illinois, we have over 300 miles of Route 66 to travel from its starting point in Chicago to the Chain of Rocks Bridge. This funding opportunity provides the certified convention and visitors bureaus along the route to partner and develop projects that will enhance the Route 66 experience in Illinois. 

Funding

• $20000 - $150000

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

The Foundation considers applications for grants in the following areas:

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

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

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

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.

About the Foundation

The Kosciuszko Foundation is dedicated to promote educational and cultural exchanges between the United States and Poland and to increase American understanding of Polish culture and history.

Founded in 1925, on the eve of the 150th anniversary of Thaddeus Kosciuszko's enlistment in the American revolutionary cause, the Foundation is a national not-for-profit, nonpartisan, and nonsectarian organization.

The Foundation's work reaches audiences throughout the United States, through its headquarters in New York City and its regional Chapters in Chicago, Denver (Rocky Mountain), Houston (Texas), Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Springfield (New England), Buffalo (Western New York State), Ohio (Cleveland) as well as through its National Advisory Council.

The Kosciuszko Foundation is a membership organization, which is supported by contributions from foundations, corporations, and individuals who share the Foundation's mission of fostering the relations and understanding between the United States and Poland.

Program Description

Kosciuszko Foundation Tuition Scholarships support American students of Polish descent for graduate level studies, such as masters and Ph.D. studies, at colleges and universities in the United States. Scholarships are up to $12,000. Funding is only for full-time studies in the United States and English Schools of Medicine in Poland.  

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.

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. 

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.

A Road Together (ART) Grant

In April 2023, the Field Foundation, in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation, launched A Road Together (ART), a new grantmaking program designed specifically for small and mid-sized arts and culture organizations with annual operating budgets up to $1 million and with a strong commitment to equity that are reflective and inclusive of Chicago’s diverse and historically underserved communities. Through this initiative, there are opportunities to apply for multi-year general operating grants using a participatory grantmaking process, as well as single-year general operating grants outside of the participatory process. 

The ART grant program provides general operating funds, meaning organizations receiving ART funding may use the grant dollars as appropriate for their organization’s needs, including organizational programming, capacity needs, staffing, etc.

Grant Amounts

• 1-Year ART Grants will range between $10,000 and $50,000.
• 3-Year ART Grants will range between $25,000 and $100,000 per year. This means the total grant amount over the 3 years will be between $75,000 and $300,000.

JCCC Foundation

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

Grants Program

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

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

Student Development and Achievement Grants

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

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

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

Potential Projects

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

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

Organizations may wish to seek grants for these purposes:

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

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

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.

The Big Ten Academic Alliance established in 1958, is a consortium of research universities that collaborate on a wide range of academic and administrative initiatives to advance their academic missions, generate unique opportunities for students and faculty, and serve the common good by sharing expertise, leveraging campus resources, and collaborating on innovative programs.

The current members of the Big Ten Academic Alliance are:

• University of Illinois
• Michigan State University
• Pennsylvania State University
• Indiana University
• University of Minnesota
• Purdue University
• University of Iowa
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Rutgers University-New Brunswick
• University of Maryland
• Northwestern University
• University of Wisconsin Madison
• University of Michigan
• Ohio State University
• University of Chicago (participating in this program as an affiliate).

Big Ten Academic Alliance applicants must propose research that is conducted at the Smithsonian in one of the following areas of research:

• Animal behavior, ecology, and environmental science, including an emphasis on the tropics
• Anthropology, including archaeology, cultural anthropology, linguistics, and physical anthropology
• Earth sciences and paleobiology
• Evolutionary & systematic biology
• Folklife
• History of science and technology
• History of art, especially American, contemporary, African, and Asian art, twentieth-century American crafts, and decorative arts
• Materials research
• Molecular biology
• Social and cultural history of the United States

Award

• Term: 3 to 12 months
• Stipend: Stipend: $45,000 per year
• Research Allowance: up to $5,000 per year
• Stipends are prorated for periods of less than twelve months.

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.