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Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
Goldsmith Family Endowment Fund
The Goldsmith Family Endowment Fund provides scholarships to students who are graduates of East Aurora High School or West Aurora High School.
This fund, which was created in 2001, became an endowment in 2012.
The Goldsmith family has lived in Aurora for more than 100 years.
Zalmon Goldsmith, a long-time Aurora attorney, and Anne Goldsmith, his wife, were involved in numerous community activities throughout their lives.
Mr. Goldsmith served as a member and chairman of the board of Mercy Hospital and of the Heartland Blood Centers. He was also on the board of Sunnymere.
Mrs. Goldsmith was one of the founders of the Paramount Arts Centre Endowment and also served on the boards of the United Way and the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley, among others.
Mr. and Mrs. Goldsmith’s son Bruce has practiced law in Aurora for more than thirty years. Bruce’s wife Margot, a freelance editor, has served on the Aurora Public Library Board of Directors.
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
Howard E. Gillette Scholarship Endowment Fund
The Howard E. Gillette Scholarship Endowment Fund was created by the family and friends of Dr. Gillette at the time of his passing. It received further funding upon receipt of a bequest from his estate.
Dr. Howard Gillette (1915-2008) was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was a graduate of East Aurora High School, North Central College and the University of Illinois College of Dentistry.
After completing his residency in Oral Surgery at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, he spent three years in the United States Air Force.
In 1947, he started his Oral Surgery practice in Aurora. He retired in 1982.
Dr. Gillette was a member of the board of directors of the Community Foundation for twenty-two years. He also served as a senior or emeritus director for seven years.
Scholarships from Dr. Gillette’s fund are available to graduates of East Aurora and West Aurora High School for attendance at North Central College.
About Us
Our Mission
We create lasting impact through asset development, nonprofit capacity building, and community leadership.
Our Vision
To enrich the lives of Wabash County residents by fostering opportunity, inspiring generosity, and building a thriving connected community.
Our Scholarships
For High School Seniors & Non Traditional Students who are beginning college more than one year after high school.
The Community Foundation of Wabash County offers a wide variety of post-secondary education scholarships to traditional, non-traditional, and graduate students. With nearly 70 different scholarship endowments created through the generosity of our donors, many students are eligible to apply.
Roy B. Craver Scholarship Endowment
Roy B. Craver was a veteran of World War I. He established a scholarship for residents of Wabash County and graduates of a Wabash County high school who like himself are willing to serve in the armed forces even if they do not intend to enlist.
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
Philip B. Elfstrom & Peg Bond Scholarship Endowment Fund
Philip Elfstrom established this fund to provide scholarships to students who are residents of Batavia, Illinois.
Mr. Elfstrom, a Batavia businessman, was named Batavia Citizen of the Year in 1982.
He served as chairman of the Kane County Board from 1971 until 1982, after which he served as president of the Forest Preserve Commission until 1990.
Mr. Elfstrom was instrumental in acquiring many miles of Fox River shoreline for public use and in building the Kane County Trail System. He also brought Minor League Baseball to the Chicago Area.
Peg Bond (1914-1995) was an associate professor of arts. She was named Batavia Citizen of the Year in 1971.
Her civic involvement included the Batavia School Board, Batavia Planning Commission, Kane County Zoning Board and the Illinois Arts Council.
Her primary passion was teaching, through which she shared her talents and zest for learning with generations of students from Batavia Schools and Northern Illinois University.
The Peg Bond Center in Batavia was named in her honor.
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
Robert C. & Maureen A. Granger Scholarship Endowment Fund
The Robert C. and Maureen A. Granger Scholarship Endowment Fund was created to assist graduates of East Aurora High School or West Aurora High School who are furthering their studies in a four-year college or university, seeking a degree in chemistry or chemical engineering.
This scholarship fund was established by Maureen Granger to help aspiring chemists earn a degree in the profession that her husband loved.
Robert (Bob) Granger was a graduate of East Aurora High School where he developed a lifelong interest in chemistry. He graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in chemistry.
He worked for the Burlington Railroad as a chemist/chief chemist for fourteen years. He then took a position with Sears Roebuck in Chicago as a chemist/product engineer until he passed away in 1990 at the age of sixty-one.
He and his wife Maureen were married for forty-one years before his passing. They raised their four children in Aurora.
The intent of this scholarship fund is to assist East Aurora and West Aurora High School graduates pursue a professional career in the field of chemistry.
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
Robert L. & Joyce A. Golz Scholarship Endowment Fund
This fund was created to support scholarships for graduates of high schools in the City of Aurora or the City of Oswego.
Robert Golz (1934-2003) was born and raised in Aurora. He was the son of the late Herbert Golz, the founder of Equipto Electronics in Aurora.
Mr. Golz joined the company in 1960 as vice president of manufacturing. From 1979 to 1999, he served as the chief executive officer and later became the firm’s chairman of the board.
According to Joyce Golz, her husband placed a high value on the lives of his employees. He often changed company policies to accommodate the schedules of working mothers.
He also limited the number of business trips in a year so that salespeople could spend more time with their families.
Joyce Golz joined Equipto Electronics in 1960. As the company grew, she became the sales supervisor and assistant to the sales manager. She retired in 1999.
Mrs. Golz established this fund to honor her husband and the strong principles by which he lived his life.
The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) is inviting public community colleges in the State of Illinois to participate in the FY27 College Student Mental Health & Success Initiative Grant by applying for grants, which are GATA exempt. ICCB anticipates funding at least 22 community colleges. This project is designed to assist and support colleges in implementing, expanding, scaling, and evaluating equitable, evidence-based mental health supports based on Mental Health Early Action on Campus Act, MHEAC, requirements. This initiative prioritizes evaluation of services and the integration of mental health into broader institutional systems and student success strategies.
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
Ruby M. Frank Scholarship Endowment Fund
This fund provides scholarships to graduating high school seniors from St. Charles with preference for those who go on to attend Aurora University or a Lutheran-affiliated college.
Ruby M. Frank (1920-2009) was born in McClusky, North Dakota. She attended Mankato College in Minnesota.
In 1953, Mrs. Frank moved to St. Charles, Illinois with her husband, Bob, whom she married in 1944.
In 1957, she founded Frank’s Employment in St. Charles. She worked in the family business for forty-six years until her retirement in 2003.
Ruby Frank was a director of the Community Foundation for twelve years, serving as chairman for two of those years.
She was a director of Delnor Hospital for thirty-six years and served as president during the merger with Community Hospital.
She also was president of the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce, GSB Women’s Republican Club and LSSI Hotel Baker Living Center.
Other board service included Aurora University, St. Charles Savings and Loan, Kane County Republican Committee, Illinois Association of Personnel Consultants, Kane DuPage Human Resources Association and WFXW-AM 1480.
Mrs. Frank received St. Charles’ highest award, The Charlemagne, in 1980. She also was voted one of the top five persons for service to the community of St. Charles in the 20th Century.
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
Warren J. & Shirley J. Eggers Scholarship Fund
Warren J. Eggers, an active civic leader in the Aurora area, passed away on February 15, 2010.
To honor his life, Mr. Egger’s family and friends created a scholarship fund to provide assistance to local students with great financial need who wish to further their education upon graduation from high school.
Warren Eggers (1935-2010) was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in River Forest, Illinois.
He was a graduate of Oak Park–River Forest High School and Elmhurst College.
Upon graduation from college, he was employed as a research chemist at the Sherwin-Williams Company.
In 1966, the family moved to the Aurora area where Mr. Eggers continued his work in the paint and adhesive industry.
He and a group of colleagues purchased the former River Valley Coatings. He retired from the company in 1996.
He served as a director of the Waubonsee Community College Foundation, chairman of the Valley Industrial Association, member of the Kane County Bar Foundation and member of the Community Foundation Scholarship Committee.
Shirley Eggers was born and raised in Freeport, Illinois.
She received her R.N. from Rush-Presbyterian-Saint Lukes Hospital in Chicago and her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Northern Illinois University.
Mrs. Eggers retired after fifteen years as a school nurse at East Aurora High School.
Mr. and Mrs. Eggers were active members of Bethany Lutheran Church in Batavia.
Enterprise Community Partners
Enterprise Community Partners (Enterprise) is a national nonprofit that exists to make a good home possible for the millions of families without one. We support community development organizations on the ground, aggregate and invest capital for impact, advance housing policy at every level of government, and build and manage communities ourselves. Since 1982, we have invested $80.9 billion and created 1 million homes across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands – all to make home and community places of pride, power and belonging.
Midwest Asset Management University Program
Operating, maintaining, and preserving affordable housing is complex and requires a specialized set of skills and a deep organizational commitment to asset management. Today, affordable housing providers face a variety of economic, operational, and compliance challenges, including rising operating costs, rental arrears, staffing shortages, and an aging portfolio.
Enterprise is launching its first Asset Management University (AMU) Program in the Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, and/or Minnesota) in March 2026 to support mission-aligned, affordable housing providers in meeting these challenges in their efforts to provide housing stability to residents and preserve the long-term affordability of properties.
The Midwest AMU is a comprehensive, five-month training program that seeks to strengthen the asset and property management capabilities of participating housing providers, improving organizations’ capacity to oversee the financial, physical, and operational health of their housing portfolios.
Midwest Asset Management University Cohort
Enterprise is excited to offer this application for participation in the Asset Management University (AMU) Cohort (the “Cohort”). Up to fifteen (15) eligible organizations will be selected for this Cohort and will receive access to online training offered by the Consortium of Housing and Asset Management (CHAM), peer learning opportunities, and post-training technical assistance.
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
Myron L. & Frances B. Wormley Scholarship Endowment Fund
This fund provides scholarships to students who have been active participants in the Kendall County 4-H Program.
Myron Wormley (1914-2006) was a graduate of East Aurora High School and the University of Illinois.
He farmed on the Wormley Farm near Oswego until 1959. He then began a career in real estate, retiring in the mid 1980’s.
Mr. Wormley also was the Oswego Township Supervisor for twenty-five years.
Frances Wormley (1918-2010) grew up on a farm in Millbrook.
She was a graduate of Yorkville High School and attended the University of Illinois.
Mrs. Wormley was an elder at the Oswego Presbyterian Church, where she also was the organist for many years.
She served on the board of directors of the YWCA Aurora and on the organizing board of what became Waubonsee Community College.
She also was a member of PEO, Republican Women, Eastern Star and the Grove Road Farmers Club.
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
Jack Desha Witt Education Endowment Fund
This endowment was created by a bequest received from the estate of Jack Desha Witt (1907-1990) as a memorial to his father Dr. John D. Witt (1874-1938). Dr. Witt was a physician and surgeon who practiced in Aurora during the early 1900’s.
The Jack Desha Witt Education Endowment Fund provides income to Aurora students entering a pre-medicine course of study, including nursing. Mr. Witt chose the Foundation as a meaningful and permanent way to honor the memory of his father.
Looking for higher education grants in Illinois?
Read more about each grant below or start your 14-day free trial to see all higher education grants in Illinois recommended for your specific programs.
What's the typical amount funded for Illinois?
Grants are most commonly $104,222.
What's the total number of grants in Higher Education Grants in Illinois year over year?
In 2024, funders in Illinois awarded a total of 104,158 grants.
Among all the Higher Education Grants in Illinois given out in Illinois, the most popular focus areas that receive funding are Education, Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations, and Human Services.
1. Education
2. Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations
3. Human Services
How is funding for Higher Education Grants in Illinois changing over time?
Funding has increased by 16.08%.
How does grant funding vary by county?
Cook County, Lake County, and Macon County receive the most funding.
| County | Total Grant Funding in 2024 |
|---|---|
| Cook County | $6,893,460,213 |
| Lake County | $720,580,526 |
| Macon County | $544,478,272 |
| Champaign County | $541,704,331 |
| Dupage County | $496,099,366 |