Search Through Grants for Youth Programs in Illinois in the U.S.

Our goal is to continually enhance the quality of life in the communities we serve.

Our contributions may support:

• Arts & Culture
• Creating vibrant, culturally diverse communities that give residents opportunities for enrichment
• Civic & Community
• Assisting organizations whose services are focused on improving the quality of life for residents and businesses in our communities
• Environment
• Supporting initiatives that preserve and protect our natural resources
• Health & Human Services
• Providing resources needed to help our most vulnerable citizens live productive, physically and socially active lives
• Youth & Education
• Delivering programming and resources that give our young people every opportunity for success

About Us

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

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

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

Education

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

Jewish Community

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

Medical Research 

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

Community Services

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

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:

Through our Building Exelon’s Future Workforce focus area, Exelon funds organizations, institutions, and programs that offer Science, Technology, Math, and Engineering (STEM) education and enrichment opportunities for students; scholarship and mentoring support to increase the number of students graduating with college degrees in STEM fields, STEM career and technical education, occupational skills training programs for older youth and adults, and assistance to remove barriers to employment. The following list includes a selection of strategies that Exelon and its operating companies support to build Exelon’s future workforce:

• Out-of-school education & enrichment programs such as summer or after school STEM programs and clubs,
• STEM career exposure opportunities for students such as career fairs and field site visits,
• Novel in-school STEM learning opportunities such as mobile labs and science outreach,
• K-12 STEM teacher training and professional development opportunities,
• STEM classroom resources and lab equipment,
• High school STEM trades career and technical education and training programs,
• Community college-based STEM trade education, training, and apprentice programs,
• Postsecondary scholarships for students majoring in STEM fields,
• STEM career mentoring and tutoring,
• STEM trade occupational skills training programs for adults and older youth, and
• Employment barrier removal assistance services.

Through our Energy Empowerment in Our Communities focus area, Exelon funds organizations and 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. Examples of programs that Exelon and its operating companies support through Energy Empowerment grants include, but are not limited to, the following strategies:

• Alternative energy development, installation, and education,  
• Vehicle electrification,
• Climate resilience or adaptation initiatives and education,
• Endangered species protection, wildlife conservation, promotion of biodiversity,
• Landscape and watershed conservation, restoration, and preservation,  
• Neighborhood beautification and green space initiatives, and
• Environmental and energy efficiency education and outreach.  

Through our Enrichment through Local Vitality focus area, Exelon funds a broad range of organizations and institutions that create local employment opportunities, support families, foster resilience, and strengthen communities. Examples of ways in which Exelon and its operating companies support Enrichment through Local Vitality include, but are not limited to, the following strategies:

• Anchor institutions such as universities, colleges, hospitals, and other organizations that provide employment opportunities, economic benefit, and enrichment in communities,
• The establishment and promotion of business districts,
• Projects carried out through community development corporations,
• Community-based programs and nonprofit organizations,
• Emergency preparedness programs, resiliency hubs, and resources that promote public safety,
• Programs that increase local economic investment and employment opportunities, and
• Local Chambers of Commerce.

Exelon believes that our lives are enriched and our communities are strengthened through individual interactions and collective experiences with the arts. Through our Equal Access to Arts and Culture focus area, Exelon funds cultural institutions with broad public exposure and programs designed to make arts and culture more accessible to a wider and more diverse audience. Exelon and its operating companies support a broad range of programs that promote Equal Access to Arts and Culture, including, but not limited to, the following strategies:

• Arts education and enrichment for all ages carried out through schools, community programs, arts institutions, and other organizations,
• Community-based exhibition spaces such as galleries, theaters, performance spaces, and specialty museums,
• The acquisition and exhibition of culturally and locally relevant arts content, and
• The establishment and promotion of theater and arts districts.

Topfer Family Foundation Grant

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

Program Areas

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

Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment 

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

Youth Enrichment 

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

Job Training and Support Services

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

Children's Health

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

Aging in Place

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

Application Process

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

Community Foundation Granting Opportunities

Since its inception in 1972, the Community Foundation’s assets have grown from $1,300 to nearly $27 million. This growth in well-managed endowed funds and other assets, along with administering grant dollars on behalf of the Marajen Stevick Foundation and in cooperation with the Lumpkin Foundation, has enabled us to make $1 million distributions annually for several years to nonprofit organizations in east central Illinois.

As the size of our available granting dollars has grown, our granting strategy has evolved to reflect our commitment to using our donors’ dollars wisely to make sustainable differences in our area. We believe that the combination of grants we offer serve as tools that will yield measurable and lasting results from our investment in impact.

For many years, the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois has distributed, on behalf of our donors, grants to assist nonprofit organizations. These grants are for durable goods and items which will help an organization provide better service but sometimes are not a high priority in their budget.

Each proposal is evaluated on its potential value to east central Illinois, funding available for disbursement and the quality of planning, leadership, support and vision expressed in the application

Types of Projects or Programs Supported

The Community Foundation invites proposals in the areas of:

• arts and humanities,
• environment,
• education,
• health and human services,
• urban affairs, and
• youth activities.

While applications in any of these categories will be considered, awards may not be made in every category. Successful proposals will address problems to be solved or opportunities to be seized upon in the east central Illinois area. While these grants fund durable goods, you are encouraged to submit proposals that:

• Suggest practical approaches to addressing community problems
• Promote collaboration and cooperation among agencies
• Generate community support, both professional and volunteer
• Strengthen an agency’s effectiveness or stability

We are Stronger Together

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

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

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

STEM and Youth Leadership Grant

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

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

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

Community Needs Grants

The DeKalb County Community Foundation’s Community Needs Grant program supports requests for capital assets or equipment associated with various projects, renovations of existing facilities, and services throughout DeKalb County, Illinois.

Funding Areas

The Community Foundation provides Community Needs Grants in the following areas:

• Arts and Culture – Supports organizations that provide opportunities for access, participation, education, awareness, and appreciation for a variety of arts and cultural experiences.
• Community Development – Supports organizations that focus broadly on strengthening, protecting, unifying, and building the economic, cultural, and social services of a community.
• Education – Supports organizations that provide educational opportunities from birth to adulthood.
• Environment and Animal Welfare – Supports organizations whose primary purpose is to preserve, protect, conserve, and improve the environment. Animal Welfare supports organizations that promote the well-being of animals.
• Health and Human Services – Supports organizations that provide essential programs and services addressing basic human needs to children, youth, adults, and senior citizens, and/or promoting physical and mental health.

Funding

The maximum amount that can be requested in an application is $20,000.

Apply for the Exelon Foundation Green Lab Grant

The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago is proud to partner with the Exelon Foundation in championing science learning for high school students and in encouraging new thinking about our environment.

We are inviting out-of-school time (OST) providers to develop a “STEM lab of the future” aimed at tackling solutions to the environmental crisis, with a minds-on approach and hands-on science skills. Recipients of the Exelon Foundation Green Lab Grant will be provided with funding to create or modernize new or existing spaces with interactive activities grounded in science, technology, math and/or engineering.

Our Goals

• Provide high school-aged youth from traditionally under-resourced areas with access to labs with new/updated equipment.
• Encourage a deeper understanding of how technology can be leveraged to promote environmental sustainability.
• Provide opportunities to promote youth problem-solving and creativity using new technologies.
• Foster career exposure and opportunities for students in each of the Exelon Foundation’s service areas.

The Environment: Your Focus. Our Future

Climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and other environmental issues are destabilizing and challenging the life-giving systems of planet Earth. The environmental crisis multiplies the threats to humanity, amplifying and worsening existing social vulnerabilities and injustices.

At the same time, the urgency of these environmental issues creates a remarkable opportunity to develop new technologies that move us toward solutions. Our sustainable future will also require inventors, technicians and scientists with the know-how to build, use and service this technology. Success in these careers will begin with the skills developed today.

With this in mind, your Green Lab should develop STEM skills with a focus on environmental sustainability and technology, along with strategies and careers in these fields. Your Green Lab can study a specific topic, such as Energy, Water + Food, Waste, and Wild Spaces. You can also explore a combination of topics, including these or other themes related to our planet’s environmental systems.

Your proposed program must also reflect themes of environmental equity and justice, such as racial and ethnic equity, economic equity, and/or the inclusion of indigenous people’s practices.

John Deere FIRST

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

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

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

United States:

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

Canada:

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

Objective

The objective of the Social Services Grant (SSG) Program is to enhance social service activities for community benefit.

Strategy

Provision of financial support for enhancement of social services (including labor, supplies, and materials) including, but not limited to those concerned with employment, crime prevention, child care, health, drug abuse, education, fair housing counseling, energy conservation, emergency financial assistance, recreational needs, senior services, or training for local agencies and institutions. The grant year starts on January 1 and ends on December 31.

Funding Priorities

The Social Services Grant was established with five main priorities in mind. Those priorities and eligible activities are listed below. Depending on emerging community needs, Staff performs assessment each year to determine if additional funding priorities should be emphasized.

• Emergency Services
  • Provide funding for emergency shelter
  • Food and personal care items
  • Emergency assistance
• Seniors
  • Respite care
  • Meal delivery
  • Home sharing
  • Mental health counseling
• Self-Sufficiency
  • Medical care for the uninsured
  • Financial counseling
  • Childcare
  • Employment services
  • Counseling/Substance abuse services/Case management
• Special Populations: Individuals with mental, physical and developmental disabilities
  • Caregiver support/Respite services
  • Community integration/Socialization/Independent living skills
• Youth
  • Mentoring
  • Counseling
  • Pregnancy prevention/education

Transportation is a priority in each category to fund the following objectives:

• Provide subsidy for a public transit voucher program.
• Provide subsidy for a gas voucher program.
• Provide subsidy for a taxi voucher program.

Ms. Foundation for Women

The mission of the Ms. Foundation for Women is to build women’s collective power in the U.S. to advance equity and justice for all. We achieve our mission by investing in, and strengthening, the capacity of women-led movements to advance meaningful social, cultural and economic change in the lives of women.

Birth Justice Initiative

In 2022, Ms. Foundation for Women launched our first national, open call request for proposals for our Birth Justice Initiative to support Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities in addressing racial based health disparities in birth experiences and birth outcomes. Through this initiative, Ms. will mobilize funding and capacity building resources nationally to organizations implementing birth justice strategies rooted in movement building and organizing.

The Birth Justice Initiative will build upon our decades of experience supporting grassroots leaders fighting for reproductive justice. The overall goals of our initiative are to:

• Build power within the birth justice movement
• Increase connectivity and collaboration between Birth Justice Organizations and movement leaders.
• Provide philanthropic advocacy, thought partnership, and thought leadership, to influence the movement of more resources to the Birth Justice movement.

We are committed to deepening our investment in grassroots Black, Indigenous and WGOC-led organizations working toward achieving birth justice. In our first round of grant making, we will invest over $1,000,000 in support of birth justice organizations across the spectrum of movement building and organizing, and supporting our communities to advance more equitable birth outcomes.

Teaching Coping and Problem-Solving Skills for Youth NOFO (IL)

This Notice of Funding Opportunity helps meet the CDC’s goal to support implementation and evaluation of a comprehensive public health approach to suicide prevention in the U.S through implementing coping and problem-solving skills such as Youth Aware of Mental Health program and the Good Behavior Game, focusing on females aged 10-19 years. This funding opportunity also helps expand the implementation of strategies in the Illinois Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan 2020. The goal of this grant is to implement coping and problemsolving skills in communities, by choosing one of these programs Youth Aware of Mental Health and the Good Behavior Game, focusing on females aged 10-19 years. Measurable outcomes are essential for determining the extent to which the overall comprehensive approach and its component parts reduce suicide morbidity and mortality in disproportionately affected populations. 

Funding

Up to $168000

John Deere FIRST

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

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

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

United States:

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

Canada:

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

FIRST Robotics Competition

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

About the Foundation

The Kjellstrom Family Foundation was established in 2004 and sustains Janet's memory and philanthropy. With assets over $10M, the foundation contributes over $600,000 annually to local charities.

The Kjellstrom Family Foundation seeks to be flexible for grantees seeking award opportunities. Currently the Foundation will award grants which might be classified as:

• Programmatic
• Capital expenditures, or
• General administration or overhead
• Capacity Building

Challenge Grants

The Foundation will award challenge grants for endowment or capital expenditures. The Trustees have agreed to allocate no more than one-fourth of the annual grant guideline to fund these opportunities.

The organization defines the terms and time frame, with the challenge grant funds being awarded when the match is achieved. (i.e. match ratio of $2 raised to $1 challenge grant, etc.)

The Foundation will also consider grants which would serve as matching funds to a challenge grant. (The Foundation will not match funds toward meeting a Community Foundation Carroll H. Starr Endowment Challenge.) Particularly, the Foundation would be inclined to consider a match to challenge grants issued by an out-of-community entity or person.

Capacity Building

Capacity building grants help leverage other funding, create or sustain better systems or processes, build partnerships or efficiencies and/or enhance knowledge for improved operations or governance. Through KFF's collaborative partner, the Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence, capacity building supports can strengthen organizational systems and build competence and professionalism. Examples of fundable capacity building supports include: board and staff development, strategic action planning, fund development planning, mergers, collaborations, technology, marketing/communications, etc.

Funding

In general, individual grants will not exceed $40,000. Grant awards which match a challenge from an out-of-community entity or person will not exceed $25,000. On the other hand, the Foundation may issue challenge grants for endowment or capital expenditures in an amount not to exceed $50,000.

About the Foundation

The Kjellstrom Family Foundation was established in 2004 and sustains Janet's memory and philanthropy. With assets over $10M, the foundation contributes over $600,000 annually to local charities.

The Kjellstrom Family Foundation seeks to be flexible for grantees seeking award opportunities. Currently the Foundation will award grants which might be classified as:

• Programmatic
• Capital expenditures, or
• General administration or overhead
• Capacity Building

Interim Grants for Emergent Matters

The Foundation will consider emergent grant commitments outside of the specified grant cycle. The organization seeking the commitment should contact the Lead Trustee.

Grantmaking

The great majority of grants are given to organizations located in, and for projects to be conducted within, the state of Iowa and portions of Illinois, as well as to other organizations in which Mr. Carver had an interest during his lifetime. Generally speaking, the Carver Trust supports biomedical and scientific research, scholarships, and programs addressing the educational and recreational needs of youth. 

Program Areas

Elementary and Secondary Education

Supporting educational opportunities for youth, beginning with kindergarten and continuing through high school graduation, is a cornerstone of Carver Trust giving. Grant-making activities in this area may be divided into three, broad categories, each with the goal of enhancing access to resources and the application of innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Read more about this program area.

Higher Education

The Trust’s interests in the area of higher education extend to those projects that strengthen institutions and offer innovative learning opportunities to students enrolled in baccalaureate and graduate programs throughout the grant-making region of Iowa and parts of Illinois. Typically, funding is awarded to capital or programmatic initiatives that seek to substantively improve instruction or increase access to educational resources, with the goal of better preparing students for future academic and professional challenges. Projects incorporating interdisciplinary approaches and demonstrating the potential for lasting impact among a diverse range of students are especially encouraged. Read more about this program area.

Medical and Scientific Research

The goal of the Trust’s program in medical and scientific research is to provide support for innovative investigation that may hold great promise for advancing scientific knowledge and, in many cases, improving human health. To this end, the Trust has supported a variety of university-based scientific endeavors, most notably in the basic medical sciences, the chemical and biological sciences, and engineering. Although a majority of funding is awarded for the purpose of addressing institutional capital needs, a parallel focus of this program area is the research efforts of particular laboratories, often emphasizing multidisciplinary approaches and encouraging the development of untried, and inherently risky, specific aims. Read more about this program area.

Youth Services and Recreation

Projects receiving Trust funding under the youth program designation are typically designed to complement curriculum-based education and encourage individual development and physical well-being. Of the grants awarded within this category, a significant portion has been directed toward the efforts of organizations advocating for disadvantaged and disabled youth and their families. As an example, improving the conditions at adolescent residential facilities in Iowa, including those that offer opportunities for special-needs populations, has represented an important area of Trust charitable giving around the state.

In addition, grants to help communities establish safe and affordable recreation opportunities are also part of the youth-directed programming. The Trust offers strategic funding for the development of public recreation facilities and related activities for children, with priority given to projects in the Iowa counties of Muscatine, Cedar, Louisa and Scott, as well as Rock Island and Mercer Counties in Illinois. More information on the youth recreation program area may be found under Trust Initiated Programming & Guidelines.

Miscellaneous

Grants listed under this designation are those that, for various reasons, do not fall within the Trust’s primary program classifications. Many grants classified as miscellaneous are for projects receiving special consideration for their direct impact on the local Muscatine region.

Awards in this category of Trust giving may, for example, provide support to organizations mobilizing to help area residents following a natural disaster or emergency, such as flooding or storm damage. Other assistance of this type has been directed to local first-responder and law enforcement agencies, which have received occasional support for specialized medical, firefighting and policing equipment, as well as situations whereby certain area nonprofits are seeking one-time support for urgent capital or programming needs.

Still other miscellaneous grants celebrate special events and aspects of Muscatine and its history, as well as organizations and projects that share a unique connection to the life and interests of Roy Carver. Additionally, occasional grants in this program area may serve to emphasize important natural resources throughout the local area and the upper Mississippi River region, with a focus on projects that help to guide children and youth toward a deeper understanding of, and respect for, the ecosystem and surrounding environment.

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

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

Background

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

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

Goals & Outcomes

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

Priority Strategies & Activities

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

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

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

Funding

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

Illinois Youth Investment Program

The Illinois Youth Investment Program (IYIP) was established to provide Illinois’ at-risk youth ages 16-24, with the opportunity to participate in the employment recovery of the State following the COVID-19 pandemic. This IYIP NOFO (CSFA# 444-80-3473) is being offered to build upon the successes of the program, offering short-term, long-term and career development employment programming in the following counties: 

• Champaign County
• Cook County
• Lake County
• Peoria County
• Sangamon County
• St Clair County
• Winnebago County

John Deere FIRST

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

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

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

United States:

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

Canada:

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

John Deere FIRST

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

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

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

United States:

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

Canada:

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

Illinois Prairie Community Foundation offers grant opportunities to area nonprofit organizations providing community services in a wide variety of areas including arts and culture, education, music education, environment, health and wellness, youth, women and girls, and Jewish life and education.

General Grants

IPCF General Grants are open to programs and projects that focus on education, health and wellness, and youth.

Background

The Citi Foundation’s Global Innovation Challenge is an open call for applications or request for proposals (RFP) designed to provide catalytic grant funding to community organizations across the world. This year, the Foundation invites proposals from community organizations developing innovative employment solutions for low-income youth primarily between the ages of 15 and 24.

Funding Overview

Despite recent progress, young people globally continue to experience challenges in their pursuit of employment, including skills mismatch and gaining access to quality jobs. According to the International Labour Organization, 65 million young people globally are unemployed. Since the Citi Foundation’s inception, advancing youth employability has been integral to our mission of supporting low-income communities globally. The Citi Foundation invested more than $300 million over the last decade alone in programs that supported over one million young people in expanding their skills, experience and networks through its Pathways to Progress initiative. Building on our funding journey, this year’s Global Innovation Challenge is focused on youth employability, and we invite proposals from community organizations developing innovative employment solutions for low-income youth primarily between the ages of 15 and 24

These innovative solutions could include, but are not limited to:

• Technical and vocational training programs that upskill or reskill low-income youth and move them into employment, which could include paid internships, apprenticeships or formal employment.
• Entrepreneurship programming that specifically focuses on the incubation or scaling of youth-led enterprises to increase job creation and access to selfgenerated income.
• Efforts to embed financial education programming into workforce development initiatives equipping low-income youth with financial skills and access to safe and affordable financials tools. 

RFP: Together Fund (Workforce) – We Rise Together

Background

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

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

Need/Opportunity Statement

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

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

Goals & Outcomes

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

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

Outcomes include up to three of the following:

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

Grant Amounts Available & Grant Term

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

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

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

About IDHS/SUPR

The mission of the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (IDHS/SUPR) is to provide a recovery-oriented system of care along the continuum of prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery support where individuals with SUD, those in recovery, and those at risk are valued and treated with dignity and where stigma, accompanying attitudes, discrimination, and other barriers to recovery are eliminated. IDHS/SUPR is firmly committed to addressing the opioid epidemic through prevention, education, harm reduction (response), and treatment. 

Build, Amplify, Support, Empower (BASE) Prevention Program

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) sets forth application requirements for evidence-informed substance use prevention programming geared toward youth and emerging adults that reduces stigma and substance use, increases awareness, supports recovery, and empowers the populations of focus (RISE Programs).

Scope of Services

BASE subrecipients will establish or expand innovative and evidence-informed programs for preventing, delaying, and reducing substance use among youth and emerging adults (ages 6–25), specifically those who:

• Identify as non-Hispanic Black,
• Do not consistently attend school, or
• Are more likely to use or misuse substances due to factors such as ACEs, mental health symptoms or conditions, familial history of OUD, and neurodiversity.

BASE prevention programs should seek to reduce or prevent one or more of the following:

• Substance use and misuse
• Stigma associated with SUD, treatment, and recovery
• Social and physical access to substances
• Harms associated with substance use and misuse, including overdose

To accomplish that goal, programs will fulfill one or more of the following objectives:

• Build awareness of substance use and associated risks and/or risk and protective factors
• Amplify access to evidence-informed community supports or to recovery and treatment
• Support capacity of regional and community groups
• Empower youth and their families, community members and school employees, or other individuals who engage with youth or communities.

With the aim of enhancing the current prevention continuum of care in Illinois, IDHS/SUPR is prioritizing “Indicated” and “Selective” programming. These are two of three domains set forth in the Institute of Prevention Model and described by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine thusly:

• Indicated programs, interventions, and activities are for individuals who are already beginning to experience the effects of a specific health outcome.
  • Example: Developing or promoting technology designed to help youth in recovery stay connected to their peer coaches, build meaningful connections, and overcome feelings of isolation.
• Selective programs and interventions are geared toward a subset of the population that may be considered at risk.
  • Example: Partnering with child welfare programs to develop and implement interventions for supporting healthy transitions of youth aging out of the foster care system.
• Universal prevention programs and interventions are tailored to an entire population, regardless of its members’ levels of risk.
  • Example: Cultivating social and peer resistance skills among college students.

Strategies

• Strategy 1: BASE Coalitions
• Strategy 2: BASE Schools and Communities
• Strategy 3: BASE Youth
• Strategy 4: BASE Pathways

Funding

A total of $15 million is available to be awarded over a period of 3 years to a minimum of 7 organizations. The anticipated award range is $100,000-$500,000 per period of performance. 

About

The Illinois Department of Human Services was created in 1997 to provide our state's residents with streamlined access to integrated services, especially those who are striving for economic independence, and others who face multiple challenges to self-sufficiency.

Teen REACH (Responsibility, Education, Achievement, Caring, and Hope)

Program Summary

Illinois' youth and families face a staggering array of economic demands and social challenges that often make it difficult for young people to reach their full potential.

With so many parents working away from home, many young people lack adult supervision during the late afternoon and early evening hours on school days - hours during which, research has shown, most risk-taking behavior by youth takes place.

There are increased pressures to address gaps in academic achievement and high rates of crime and violence in many of our communities. Out-of-school-time programming has been identified as a key strategy for addressing these challenges and helping our young people to build upon their assets and become productive members of society.

Many youths live in communities with high rates of crime and violence both in and outside of the home. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, in 2019 there were 7,064 deaths by accidents and homicides. The leading causes of death for youths ages 1-17 were, accidents, assault and intentional self-harm.

COVID-19 continues to be an extremely disruptive force in education, with some schools opting for full remote learning while others are choosing some combination of in-person and remote learning. This crisis will exacerbate persistent educational achievement disparities across income levels as lower-income students are less likely to have access to the resources necessary for effective remote learning such as high-speed internet access, tablets or computers and adequate academic supervision. This is especially true for low-income students and students of black and Hispanic heritage, with one study estimating that low-income youth may lose over 12 months of learning and that the current, disparate achievement gap could increase by 15% to 20%.2.

A growing body of literature suggests that out-of-school-time programs are effective in addressing many of these challenges and provide youth with enrichment opportunities to build positive life skills. Research has shown that out-of-school-time programs can make a difference in areas such as academic achievement, social-emotional development, and the avoidance of delinquent or high-risk behavior. Parents support these programs in part because the programs are addressing their most basic need - that is, the need for safe environments for their children and youth during the otherwise unsupervised after-school hours.

Purpose

The purpose of the Operations and Program Grant program (formerly known as the Coordinated Field of Interest Grant program) is to provide general operating support or program support for successful ongoing efforts. General operating support is crucial to the long-term success of nonprofit organizations. This grant program aligns with the Community Foundation’s strategic effort to use effective grantmaking practices including:

Flexible Funding: requests for general operating support are eligible for funding, and are given preference.

Reliable Funding: One-year or Two-year requests will be considered.

Nonprofit organizations may apply for a grant from several different Community Foundation funds through the Operations and Program Grant program. To save time and effort, applicants submit one application and are considered for multiple funding sources.

The Operations and Program Grant program continues to follow the original purposes of each fund and the intent set up by its donors. All specific fund purposes fall into one or more fields of interest: Animals & Environment; Arts & Culture; Community Development; Education; Health; and Youth Development.

Fund Focus Areas:

• Amy Helpenstell Foundation Fund - General Operating and Program requests only.
• Basic Human Needs—Iowa
• Chip Sunderbruch Memorial Risk Management Fund: Focuses on risk management and safety
• Children at Risk Fund: Focuses on youth programs.
• Health & Wellness Fund: Focuses on health and wellness.
• John J. Quail Fund: Focuses on arts and culture.
• Judith Berger Endowment: Focuses on education, poverty & children in need.
• Nell C. Brennan Fund: Focuses on educational opportunities for underserved children.
• Roy E. Murray Fund: Focuses on youth.
• Sekharan Family Fund: Focuses on hospice and homelessness.

Background

Since 1953, the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois has made more than $72,500,000 in grants and scholarships to nonprofits and students. This is possible through the generosity of CFNIL’s donors—individuals, families, and organizations committed to improving the region’s quality of life. Endowed gifts create reliable funding for current needs and future opportunities. That’s the power of endowment.

Some donors choose to support specific organizations, while others provide scholarship funding that helps students get to and through school. Some donors decide that they want their legacy gifts to address the challenges and opportunities of future generations. These endowed gifts support Community Grants, CFNIL’s largest and broadest grantmaking program.

CFNIL is pleased to continue its tradition of grantmaking with the fall Community Grants cycle. Community Grants are made in six Focus Areas: Arts & Humanities, Education, Health, Human Services, Sustainable Communities, and Youth & Families. Within Education, CFNIL’s strategy is to invest in complementary education and career pathways, and to support a regional education system that continually produces healthy and productive citizens. More information on Education Works is available here.

Proposals requesting more than $75,000 will be evaluated for their alignment with Education Works. The more you request, the greater scrutiny your proposal will receive.

Focus Areas

CFNIL accepts proposals in the following Focus Areas. Generally, 50% of CFNIL’s grants will be allocated for Education, while 10% will be for each of the following Focus Areas: Arts & Humanities, Health, Human Services, Sustainable Communities, and Youth & Families.

Arts & Humanities

Funding priorities are for those proposals that:

• Increase the availability and access to artistic and cultural experiences, especially those that represent the diversity of our community’s culture.
• Celebrate the region’s history and preserve historical integrity.

Education

Funding priorities are for those proposals that:

• Provide creative and systemic approaches to educational improvement.
• Support the education of current and future medical professionals.
• Fit under CFNIL’s Education Works grant strategy.

Health

Funding priorities are for those proposals that:

• Improve the quality of and access to health services.
• Support wellness.
• Conduct research to promote the health and well-being of our community.

Human Services

CFNIL funding priorities are for those proposals that:

• Serve the basic needs of individuals and families.
• Provide services to persons with disabilities, especially those that promote inclusion.

Sustainable Development

CFNIL funding priorities are for those proposals that:

• Promote neighborhood and economic development.
• Support efforts to ensure safety and access to quality, affordable housing.
• Preserve our natural environment, especially those projects that increase the region’s understanding and appreciation of the environment.

Youth & Families

CFNIL funding priorities are for those proposals that:

• Provide pathways to self-sufficiency.
• Strengthen families.
• Support intellectual, emotional, physical, and social development.

Multi-Year Grants

An organization can only apply for a multi-year grant if seeking funding for projects, programs, or events that align with the following criteria:

• Education Works.
• Medical education.
• Medical research.