Illinois Grants for Nonprofits

NOTE: For nonprofit organizations new to U.S. Bank Foundation, a Letter of Interest will be available in January 2021. Community Affairs Managers will review Letter of Interest submissions periodically to learn about new and innovative programs and organizations in their regions and markets. After reviewing a Letter of Interest, a Community Affairs Manager may reach out with a request for a full application. You can access the Letter of Interest by clicking the “Submit a letter of interest” link at the bottom of this page. Letters of Interest may be submitted at any time during the year.

Community Possible Grant

Through U.S. Bank’s Community Possible® grant program, we invest in efforts to create stable jobs, safe homes and communities.

Funding Types

Within these general guidelines, we consider the following funding request types:

Operating grants

An operating grant is given to cover an organization’s day-to-day, ongoing expenses, such as salaries, utilities, office supplies and more. We consider operating support requests from organizations where the entire mission of the organization fits a Community Possible grant focus area.

Program or project grants

A program or project grant is given to support a specific, connected set of activities, with a beginning and an end, explicit objectives and a predetermined cost. We consider highly effective and innovative programs that meet our Community Possible grant focus areas.

Capital grants

A capital grant is given to finance fixed assets. The U.S. Bank Foundation considers a small number of requests for capital support from organizations that meet all other funding criteria, whose entire mission statement fits a Community Possible grant focus area, and with which the Foundation has a funding history. All organizations requesting capital funding must also have a U.S. Bank employee on the board of directors. U.S. Bank does not fund more than 1% of the non-endowment total capital campaign fundraising goal. All capital grant requests are reviewed and approved by the national U.S. Bank Foundation Board or by the U.S. Bank Foundation President.

Focus Area: PLAY

Creating vibrant communities through play.

Play brings joy, and it’s just as necessary for adults as it is for kids. But in low-income areas there are often limited spaces for play and fewer people attending arts and cultural events. That’s why we invest in community programming that supports ways for children and adults to play and create.

Access to artistic and cultural programming and arts education

Our investments ensure economic vitality and accessibility to the arts in local communities, as well as support for arts education. Examples of grant support include:

• Programs that provide access to cultural activities, visual and performing arts, zoos and aquariums and botanic gardens for individuals and families living in underserved communities
• Funding for local arts organizations that enhance the economic vitality of the community
• Programs that provide funding for arts-focused nonprofit organizations that bring visual and performing arts programming to low- and moderate-income K-12 schools and youth centers

Supporting learning through play.

Many young people across the country do not have the resources or access to enjoy the benefits of active play. Supporting active play-based programs and projects for K-12 students located in or serving low- and moderate-income communities fosters innovation, creativity, and collaboration and impacts the overall vitality of the communities we serve. Funding support includes:

• Support for organizations that build or expand access to active play spaces and places that help K-12 students learn through play and improves the health, safety and unification of neighborhoods in low- and moderate-income communities
• Programs that focus on using active play to help young people develop cognitive, social and emotional learning skills to become vibrant and productive citizens in low- and moderate-income communities

Focus Area: WORK

Supporting workforce education and prosperity.

We know that a strong small business environment and an educated workforce ensure the prosperity of our communities and reducing the expanding wealth gap for communities of color. We provide grant support to programs and organizations that help small businesses thrive, allow people to succeed in the workforce, provide pathways to higher education and gain greater financial literacy.

Investing in the workforce.

We fund organizations that provide training for small business development, as well as programs that support individuals across all skill and experience levels, to ensure they have the capability to gain employment that supports individuals and their families. Examples of grant support include:

Small business technical assistance programs

Job-skills, career readiness training programs with comprehensive placement services for low- and moderate-income individuals entering or reentering the labor force

Providing pathways for educational success.

To address the growing requirements for post-secondary education in securing competitive jobs in the workplace, we support:

• Organizations and programs that help low- and moderate-income and at-risk middle and high school students prepare for post-secondary education at a community college, university, trade or technical school and career readiness
• Programs and initiatives at post-secondary institutions that support access to career and educational opportunities for low- and moderate-income and diverse students

Teaching financial well-being for work and life.

Financial well-being is not only critical for financial stability, it’s crucial in helping individuals be successful in the workplace. Examples of grant support include programs that positively impact:

• K-12 and college student financial literacy
• Adult and workforce financial literacy
• Senior financial fraud prevention
• Military service member and veteran financial literacy

Focus Area: HOME

Working to revitalize communities one neighborhood at a time.

Children and families are better positioned to thrive and succeed in a home that is safe and permanent. Access to sustainable low-income housing is increasingly challenges for low-moderate income families. In response, our giving supports efforts that connect individuals and families with sustainable housing opportunities.

Access to safe, affordable housing

We provide financial support to assist people in developing stability in their lives through access to safe, sustainable and accessible homes. Examples of grant support include:

• Organizations that preserve, rehabilitate, renovate or construct affordable housing developments for low- and moderate-income families, individuals, seniors, veterans, and special-needs populations
• Organizations that provide transitional housing as a direct steppingstone to permanent housing
• Organizations that focus on Veterans housing and homeownership
• Construction of green homes for low- and moderate-income communities
• Energy retrofit programs for low- and moderate-income housing developments

Home ownership education

Owning and maintaining a home requires significant financial knowledge, tools, and resources. We support programs that assist low- and moderate-income homebuyers and existing homeowners. Examples of grant support include:

• Homebuyer education
• Pre- and post-purchase counseling and coaching
• Homeownership-retention programs designed to provide foreclosure counseling

Charitable Investments

CSX is proud to support people and organizations that in turn honor those who serve our communities. We offer monetary and in-kind resources to nonprofit organizations advocating for the betterment of our nation’s military members or community first responders, and have additional resources available to support other community efforts.

We provide support through:

• Pride in Service Grants for organizations that honor and support veterans, active military, first responders or their families.
• Community Service Grants for organizations making an impact on their greater communities.
• In-kind donations of transportation services, equipment or materials.

Pride In Service Grants

Pride in Service grants are intended to serve those who serve, and will be available to organizations that honor and support national and local heroes – veterans, active military and first responders.

Community Service Grants

CSX Community Service Grants assist organizations that make a strong, quantifiable impact on their greater communities

In Kind Donations

Intermodal Transportation Services

Intermodal transportation services provide applicable organizations with intermodal equipment and rail service throughout the CSX rail network, and afford these organizations an opportunity to reduce or eliminate their transportation spending.

Ideally, intermodal moves work best when freight is moving 500 miles or more. However, the in-kind moves program requires only that freight have an origin and destination within a combined 250 miles’ distance to a CSX intermodal facility.

CSX’s door-to-door product is an ideal solution for the in-kind moves program, as our trained team will pick up your freight at its origin and transport it to a terminal to be placed on an intermodal train. Then, we will pick up your freight at the destination terminal and deliver it directly to its endpoint. The door-to-door network provides service across the Eastern United States with its large nationwide network and trucking capability.

CSX will also work with you to determine the type of equipment that is an ideal fit to transport your freight. CSX has a large fleet of rail-owned containers, as well as an expansive network of channel partners that can provide equipment to fit your needs.

Railroad Equipment and Materials

CSX occasionally donates materials, supplies and used railroad equipment based on availability. The online in-kind application can be used to request the donation of railroad-related items, including retired rail cars when available. Please note that rail, rail ties and spikes are not available for donation or purchase. Applicants will be contacted if the requested item becomes available within 90 days of their online submittal. At that time, arrangements will be made to transfer possession of the requested item. All applicants will be asked to re-submit their application at a later date if the requested item does not become available within the 90-day period.

Background

Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), now including the Pepco Holdings utilities, is the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with 2015 revenues of approximately $34.5 billion. Headquartered in Chicago, Exelon does business in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. Exelon is one of the largest competitive U.S. power generators, with more than 32,700 megawatts of owned capacity comprising one of the nation’s cleanest and lowest-cost power generation fleets. The company’s Constellation business unit provides energy products and services to approximately 2 million residential, public sector and business customers, including more than two-thirds of the Fortune 100. Exelon’s six utilities deliver electricity and natural gas to approximately 10 million customers in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania through its Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power, PECO and Pepco subsidiaries

Grants

One way we connect with our communities is through local grants. Exelon’s grant applications are easy to complete. You can submit online applications for program, event and sponsorship support.

Exelon Directs Corporate Giving To Four Key Areas:

We fund programs that deliver measurable, sustainable improvements in the communities we serve. We invest in organizations that have proven track records in these areas:

Education: Programs that encourage students to stay in school and develop their full potential, promote math and science, improve workforce skills, and encourage personal development through scholarships, mentoring and internships.

Environment: Programs that improve the quality of our environment; promote environmental education, conservation and preservation; develop cleaner sources of energy; protect endangered species; and beautify neighborhoods.

Arts & Culture:  Cultural institutions with broad public exposure and programs designed to make arts and culture more accessible to a wider and more diverse audience.

Neighborhood Development:  Programs and nonprofit organizations that support a range of offerings from health and human services to after-school programming. We contribute to many of these organizations through our Exelon employee United Way campaign, but we also make a limited amount of grants to local nonprofit organizations.​

The Gladys Brooks Foundation was created under the will of Gladys Brooks Thayer of New York. 

Its purpose is to provide for the intellectual, moral and physical welfare of the people of this country by establishing and  supporting non-profit libraries, educational institutions, hospitals and clinics.

Scope of Grants Considered

The Foundation will consider major grant applications for innovative projects in the fields of libraries, education, hospitals and clinics.

Grants for Libraries 

Grant applications will be considered generally for resource Endowments (print, film, electronic database, speakers/workshops) capital construction and innovative equipment. Projects fostering broader public access to global information sources utilizing collaborative efforts, pioneering technologies and equipment are encouraged.

Grants for Educational Institutions

Grant applications from universities, colleges and secondary schools will be considered generally for:

• educational endowments to fund scholarships based solely on educational achievements, leadership and academic ability of the student; 
• endowments to support fellowships and teaching chairs for educators who confine their activities primarily to classroom instruction in the liberal arts, mathematics and the sciences during the academic year; and 
• erection or endowment of buildings, wings or additions thereto of buildings, and equipment for educational purposes.

Grants for Hospitals & Clinics

Grant applications from hospitals and clinics will be considered generally where  the proposal demonstrates one or more of the following: 

• a new health need; 
• an improvement in the quality of health care; or 
• reduced health costs with better patient outcomes.

The Disney Conservation Fund, founded in 1995, is a key pillar in Disney’s efforts to protect the planet and help kids develop lifelong conservation values. The fund supports the study of wildlife; the protection of habitats; the development of community conservation and education programs in critical ecosystems; and experiences that connect kids to nature across the globe.

The wellbeing of people is deeply connected to the health of the planet. That’s why the Disney Conservation Fund grants support projects with a holistic approach to conservation – blending both scientific research and community engagement to protect wildlife and their habitats.

Funding Priorities

The Disney Conservation Fund gives priority consideration to holistic programs addressing a significant conservation need (or projects that are part of a program) which reflect:

• Education and community engagement, including measuring results 
• Sustainable development programs directly connected to protecting species and habitat
• Scientific field studies on species and habitats

The Disney Conservation Fund supports programs and projects around the world, with programs in 115 different countries receiving support thus far.

The fund also seeks to support projects taking place in areas where Disney has a significant business focus, including the regions and priority areas below:

• Africa: Egypt, South Africa
• Asia:  Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Vietnam
• Central/South America: Antigua, Argentina, Bahamas (Castaway Cay, Nassau), Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Galapagos Islands, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela
• Europe/Middle East/Australia: Albania, Austria, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Jordan, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom
• Marine: Australia, China, Indo-Pacific, U.S. Pacific (Alaska, California, Hawaii), Western Atlantic (Antigua, Bahamas (Castaway Cay, Nassau), Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Eastern Gulf of Mexico (especially in/near Florida), Grenada, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, St. Maarten, St. Thomas); will also consider marine projects occurring near other priority areas listed
• any projects focused on fully aquatic species (freshwater or marine) will be considered by this committee
• North America:
• USA: Alaska, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Washington; Mexico;
• Canada: Alberta, British Columbia (Vancouver), New Brunswick, Nova Scotia

We will also consider support for projects focused on species/habitats featured at Disney’s Animal Kingdom or The Seas with Nemo and Friends at Epcot.

If you are interested in applying for conservation funding but your project takes place outside of the above priority areas, please contact the DCF team to share the country where your project takes place and the species you are focused on to see if it may be considered.

McGraw Foundation, headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, makes annual grants to not-for-profit organizations.  The primary focus is education at all levels, with an emphasis on higher education in the fields of science and environment.  In addition, grants are made to social service agencies, emphasizing those dealing with children.  The Foundation also occasionally makes grants in the areas of health, medical research and the arts.  

Grant requests are suggested to be within a range of $2,500 (or less) to $15,000. 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 ($50,000 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 benefiting mankind.

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.

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.