Program Purpose

Legislation [105 ILCS 5/2.3.80] directs ISBE to establish a state program for agricultural education as part of the curriculum of the kindergarten-through-adult public-school system. ISBE has established the Facilitating Coordination in Agricultural Education (FCAE) project to award one or more grants to facilitate and coordinate agricultural education programs in Illinois. This FCAE grant, called Curricular Resource Management, is intended to provide school-based agricultural education teachers in Illinois with high-quality, standards-aligned curricular resources for courses in agriculture, food, and natural resources in addition to immersive professional learning aligned to said resources. The successful applicant for this grant project will review existing and develop new curriculum and assessments, ensure alignment of resources to applicable and appropriate Illinois Learning Standards, disseminate said resources, and deliver professional learning.

Program Description

The successful applicant of this grant program will provide professional staff to implement activities and initiatives to accomplish the purposes outlined above. Regular activities that should result from this project are:

• Development of curricular resource review checklist to be used by program coordinator or qualified staff in the review of lessons, instructional materials, and related assessments for agricultural education. A checklist shall include at a minimum review of the following aspects:
  • Clearly defined learning objectives aligned to updated industry knowledge and skills.
  • Appropriate rigor and complexity for assigned grade level(s).
  • Correct alignment of AFNR content standards as published by the National Council for Agricultural Education and/or adopted by ISBE.
  • Correct alignment of other Illinois Learning Standards as adopted by ISBE, including, but not limited to, math, science, English language arts, social-emotional learning, and social sciences.
  • Review of all embedded resources for relevancy, accuracy, and functionality (e.g., identifying embedded links that are expired, resources that are out of date, etc.).
  • Identification of new supplemental resources that align to the content, instructional strategy, and student learning experiences for each lesson reviewed.
• Engagement with stakeholder groups (agricultural educators, administrators, state leaders, and industry experts from various AFNR pathways) to assess, review, and revise curricular resources and assessments on an ongoing and regular basis.
  • Activity may include coordination meetings, focus groups, strategic partnerships, and other methods of accomplishing this goal.
• At least monthly meetings with ISBE to coordinate the development of new curricular resources and related professional learning experiences.
  • Monthly meetings will serve as progress check-ins, opportunities for feedback, problem-solving, etc.
• Development and implementation of a process to establish and/or adopt statewide models of instruction for designated AFNR courses.
  • The process shall result in the following deliverables for each course:
    • Recommended Course Outline.
      • Course outline will include a topical outline, unit descriptions, essential understandings, and recommended labs and activities.
    • Material Purchasing List
      • List will include the names, descriptions, and quantities of items needed to teach each respective course and will be based on a standard 20-student classroom.
    • Daily Pacing Guide
      • Pacing guide will provide daily activities and material needs and should account for state and national FFA programming.
    • Extended Learning Guide will include recommendations for FFA activities and Supervised Agricultural Experience projects that relate to the course content
• Development and implementation of a process to establish and deliver immersive professional learning opportunities aligned to the adoption of statewide models of instruction. Process shall result in the following deliverables for each course:
  • Immersive Training Plan
    • Will include sequenced, immersive, and hands-on activities intended to be utilized in the respective course in agricultural education.
    • Teachers being trained through this professional learning opportunity will personally conduct all complex lab activities in the recommended sequence for each course.
    • All non-lab activities included in the model of instruction should be reviewed and discussed. Immersive training experiences should replicate the model of instruction for the agricultural educator in the role of student.
  • Certification Process for Teacher Training
    • Upon satisfactory completion of teacher training, grantee will award and monitor teacher certification in the respective course.
  • Fully Immersive and Condensed Versions of teacher Training Opportunities
    • Teachers beyond Year 5 shall be able to enroll in condensed versions of the professional learning opportunities.
    • Early career teachers (Years 1-5) will complete fully immersive trainings until beyond Year 5 or certified in at least the state model of instruction for Introduction to the Agricultural Industry.
  • Teach-the-Teacher Facilitation Training
    • Training will include comprehensive preparation for teachers intending to facilitate professional learning opportunities on behalf of the project.
    • Teachers must be certified in the respective model of instruction or have taught said course for no less than five years.
    • Training will prepare facilitators on aspects of training such as facilitating discussion, pacing, preparing lab activities, debriefing, and validating participant understanding of the essential instructional strategies and activities.
• Development and update agricultural education curriculum, assessments, and classroom resources for agricultural topics at all educational levels.
• Coordination and implementation of ISBE initiatives. such as the incorporation of the Illinois Learning Standards (including the Common Core State Standards for English language arts and mathematics and the Next Generation Science Standards), into curriculum.
• Oversight and monitoring of ISBE agricultural education curriculum contracts funded via the ISBE Agricultural Education royalty account.

Grant Award/Cost Sharing or Matching

One grant for $216,000 is expected to be awarded. This grant can be renewed for up to two subsequent years. No match is required.

Guidelines

Grants from National Trust Preservation Funds (NTPF) are intended to encourage preservation at the local level by supporting on-going preservation work and by providing seed money for preservation projects. These grants help stimulate public discussion, enable local groups to gain the technical expertise needed for preservation projects, introduce the public to preservation concepts and techniques, and encourage financial participation by the private sector.

A small grant at the right time can go a long way and is often the catalyst that inspires a community to take action on a preservation project. Grants generally start at $2,500 and range up to $5,000. The selection process is very competitive.

Eligible Activities

National Trust Preservation Fund grants are awarded for planning activities and education efforts focused on preservation. Grant funds can be used to launch new initiatives or to provide additional support to on-going efforts.

Planning: Supporting existing staff (nonprofit applicants only) or obtaining professional expertise in areas such as architecture, archaeology, engineering, preservation planning, land-use planning, and law. Eligible planning activities include, but are not limited to:

• Hiring a preservation architect or landscape architect, or funding existing staff with expertise in these areas, to produce a historic structure report or historic landscape master plan.
• Hiring a preservation planner, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce design guidelines for a historic district.
• Hiring a real estate development consultant, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce an economic feasibility study for the reuse of a threatened structure.
• Sponsoring a community forum to develop a shared vision for the future of a historic neighborhood.
• Organizational capacity building activities such as hiring fundraising consultants, conducting board training, etc.

Education and Outreach: Support for preservation education activities aimed at the public. The National Trust is particularly interested in programs aimed at reaching new audiences. Funding will be provided to projects that employ innovative techniques and formats aimed at introducing new audiences to the preservation movement, whether that be through education programming or conference sessions.

NOTE: The Retirement Research Foundation acknowledges the time and effort needed to submit a proposal and invites  interested applicants to submit a brief Letter of Inquiry (LOI).This step is optional, but may offer valuable feedback as you prepare a full proposal.

The Retirement Research Foundation’s Organizational Capacity Building (OCB) Grants program provides support for improvements in key management and governance functions within nonprofit organizations that serve older persons in the Chicago area.

Standard OCB Grants

The Retirement Research Foundation provides Standard OCB Grants to help Illinois nonprofits make long-term improvements in their management, governance, or organizational capacity. These grants may be used to support capacity building activities that include, but are not limited to:

• Strategic planning
• Financial management, including cash flow, budget development, financial controls
• Program evaluation planning
• Communications and marketing, including Website development, public relations, use of social media
• Resource development and fundraising
• Human resources, including professional development, succession planning, staffing structure, assessment, and retention
• Information systems management, including technology enhancements
• Board development including assessment, recruitment, training, and structuring
• Restructuring and building relationships with other nonprofit organizations to strengthen service delivery, reduce costs, share resources, etc.

Standard OCB funds generally support consulting, training fees, information technology, staffing, and other costs directly related to capacity building activities. Additional funding is available to OCB grantees for technical assistance support for seminars, workshops, short-term courses, publications, or other training related to organizational capacity building.

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.

NOTE: All applicants must be invited to apply for a grant from Bayer Fund. Invitation codes can be requested from the Bayer site in your community or through the Contact Us page.

We support high-quality educational programming by schools and nonprofit organizations that enable access to knowledge and information and empower students and teachers in communities around the nation, with a focus on furthering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) education. Priority is given to programs that take place during the school day, but also includes after school and summer programs, technical training programs, and academic programs that enrich or supplement school programs.

The in-school educational programs we support target grades K-12 and under-served students (50%+ students qualify for free/reduced lunch) and take place during the school day. The after school and summer programs we support include those offered by youth development organizations that take place outside of the regular school day and provide students in grades K-12 with opportunities to enhance their skills and interests through exposure to STEM fields.

All funding requests and budgets must be for program activities and expenses that start after funding decisions are made. All programs must be completed within one year of the start date, except in limited situations where longer term programs have been agreed upon. Grant award amounts vary, depending on the size of the community, the type of programming, and the reach/impact of the organization.

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.

Our Mission

The DRA, through its gaming and entertainment facilities provides for social, economic and community betterment and lessens the burden of Dubuque city and area government, while contributing to the growth and viability of Dubuque area tourism.

Core Grant

• Focus on People Attraction: Population growth, retention, and tourism
• Coaching opportunities provided by the DRA and community partners throughout the grant cycle

Focus for Grant Applications

Applications should tie to the mission of People Attraction: Population Growth, Retention and Tourism. This aligns with the DRA’s mission of providing social, economic and community betterment and lessening the burden of Dubuque city and area government, as well as our vision of being a dynamic community resource, acting as a catalyst to enhance the quality of life and financial well-being of the tri-state community. 

Capacity Building vs Material Purchases

Historically, the DRA has funded mostly material items, in 2022 we shifted this model and funding preference will be given to applications with capacity building alongside of material purchases.

What is Capacity Building?

Capacity building is the process of developing and strengthening the skills, instincts, processes and resources that organizations and communities need to survive, adapt and thrive in a fast-changing world.

Examples of capacity building activities and potential projects:

• Planning Activities: Organizational assessments, strategic planning, creating a development plan/strategy.
• Donor Development: Marketing/communications, online donor portals, improvements to the donor experience.
• Strategic Relationships: Strengthening relationships with professional advisors and/or nonprofit partners.
• Internal Operations: Improvements to donor database/financial management system, volunteer management, organization website.
• Professional Development: Staff, contractor, or affiliate volunteer(s) attendance at regional/national conferences, local or online trainings.
• Financial Audits: First time audits which can open additional funding opportunities for the organization.
• Organization Marketing: Website creation/design, marketing materials, materials to help promote the organization externally.

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.

About the Illinois Arts Council Agency

The Illinois Arts Council Agency was created as a state agency by the Illinois General Assembly in 1965 through legislation sponsored by Senators Paul Simon, Thomas McGloon, and Alan Dixon. The agency is governed by up to twenty-one private citizens chosen for their demonstrated commitment to the arts and appointed by the Governor. Council members serve in a voluntary, non-paid capacity and are charged with developing the state’s public arts policy, fostering quality culturally diverse programs, and approving grants expenditures. A small professional staff with in-depth knowledge of the arts develops and administers the agency’s programs, provides technical assistance, and ensures the responsible and impactful distribution of all funds. Resources to support the Illinois Arts Council Agency are provided by the Governor and General Assembly of Illinois and the National Endowment for the Arts.

About GIG Fund

The GIG Fund provides flexible grants for nonprofit organizations to support programs and activities featuring professional artists. GIG Fund grants help cover fees for touring or local artists. Funds may also be used for project costs such as accessibility accommodations and marketing. We work with a panel to help us review applications and distribute grants annually.Sample activities include:

• A rural community hosting a short artist residency at a local school.
• An artist hosting a creative writing program with justice-impacted citizens.
• An artist talkback or meet & greet in an exhibition featuring the work of LGBTQ+ photographers.
• Presenting a concert series focused on the music of BIPOC composers.
• Initiating a new partnership to provide art classes with people with disabilities.