Best Monroe County Grants for Nonprofits in Illinois

Welcome to the Greater Houston Community Foundation Scholarship Application Site!   

The Greater Houston Community Foundation (GHCF) administers a variety of unique scholarship funds that grant over $5.7 million annually to college students. The scholarship funds have been established by thoughtful and generous donors and each has a unique set of eligibility criteria and award structure.

Scholarship Application Info:  

Greater Houston Community Foundation administers over 60 different scholarship programs, each with differing eligibility requirements. Eligibility for some scholarships may be dependent on employment, course of study, high school, or college. 

William A. Brookshire Foundation Scholarship

The William A. Brookshire Foundation Scholarship benefits dependents of S&B Engineers and Constructors employees.

About the Scholarship Award:

Multiple scholarships awarded for the 2026-27 academic year. Award amount varies by college/degree type:

• Bachelor's or Graduate Degree: Up to $15,000
• Associate's Degree: $5,500
• Students may reapply as long as they meet eligibility requirements

What can this scholarship be used for?

The scholarship will be mailed directly to the student's college to be used towards tuition, required academic fees, and/or book expenses.

Are there any requirements I must meet if I am selected as a scholarship recipient?

• Recipients must attend an accredited university, community college, or trade school in the United States.
• Recipients must enroll in the following hours for both the fall and spring semesters (or be enrolled full-time according to your school if it is on a different system) unless in the last semester prior to graduation
  • Minimum of 12 hours per semester for undergraduate students
  • Minimum of 9 hours per semester for graduate students
• Recipients must submit college enrollment information online through GHCF Scholar the summer before the academic year begins. This information is required in order for the scholarship check to be mailed to the student's college. Instructions will be included in the student's award letter.

Angel Post Deployment Test Program

Through a collaborative partnership with UNCF, XYZ Corporation has established a scholarship program to help STEM students get on the fast track to a rewarding career. In addition to direct financial support, Intel-sponsored scholarships offer the benefits of exposure to potential job opportunities, networking with fellow scholars, insight to other Intel scholarships, research, training opportunities, and access to Intel mentors offering support on technical, non-technical, cultural, and dissertation-related needs.

Let’s accelerate meaningful change!

Our mission is clear: to accelerate meaningful change through effective communication. We work through four core activities: capacity building, storytelling, services and grant support for NGOs. 

We believe in storytelling that inspires action, builds trust and promotes constructive narratives. 

CF strengthens organisations by building the skills and confidence needed to communicate effectively. 

Why a Communication Foundation?

Many NGOs and UN organisations operate with limited budgets and few staff trained in professional communication. Added to this, shifting politics and growing conservatism create new challenges for their work. To remain resilient and amplify their impact, organisations must strengthen their identity and invest in communication. 

When approached strategically, communication can shift from being a perceived obligation to a powerful opportunity. With the right focus, even limited budgets and capacity can be maximised to create and deliver clear, effective strategies unlocking advocacy, fundraising, and public trust, and ultimately driving meaningful, lasting change where it is most needed.

Storytelling Review – Master your mission’s story

Your story defines how people understand your organisation, its values and its impact. A Storytelling Review helps clarify and strengthen your narrative so it consistently reflects who you are, what you stand for and why your work matters.

CF’s Storytelling Review is a structured review of how your organisation communicates its story across channels and formats. We assess narrative structure, key messages, tone of voice, audience focus and coherence to understand whether your storytelling supports your mission and strategic positioning.

How it helps you

Dry data often fails to inspire action. This review helps you to find the "heart" of your work and communicate it in a way that sticks.

• Identification of missed opportunities for emotional engagement in your current content;
• Recommendations for moving from "organisational" talk to "human" stories;
• Advice on ethical storytelling that empowers beneficiaries rather than just portraying need;
• Guidance on structuring narratives for different platforms (web, social, reports).

What We Do

• A clear assessment of narrative strengths and gaps;
• Identification of inconsistencies and overlaps;
• Guidance on narrative frameworks and messaging;
• Provide actionable recommendations to master your story.

Why it matters

NGOs operate in complex and competitive environments, where clarity and credibility are essential. Strong storytelling:

• Builds trust and emotional connection with stakeholders;
• Clarifies your organisation’s identity and purpose;
• Strengthens recognition across programmes and campaigns;
• Supports consistent communication across teams and platforms.

Over time, stories can get fragmented or can lose their meaning. 

Different projects may tell different versions of your mission, diluting impact. 

A Storytelling Review restores focus and alignment within your communication.

This Community Foundation was created by and for the people of Washington County MD, and exists to improve the quality of life for all of our citizens, now and for generations to come, by building community endowments, addressing needs through grant making and providing leadership on key community issues.

Washington Goes Purple Scholarship

This scholarship is open to students that reside in Washington County, MD, are continuing their education, and have been affected by substance use.

About BlackRock

We’re a global asset manager and technology provider dedicated to helping more and more people experience financial well-being. We help millions of people invest to build savings that serve them throughout their lives. The BlackRock Foundation which funds and partners with organizations that strengthen financial security for more people,

BlackRock Future Builders

BlackRock Future Builders is a $100 million philanthropic initiative funded by The BlackRock Foundation to expand economic opportunity and power the next generation of America’s skilled trades workers. Through this Request for Proposals (RFP) process, The Foundation seeks to support U.S. nonprofit organizations (i.e., registered 501(c)3 organizations) delivering or supporting high‑quality skilled trades training.

This competitive grant opportunity operates in parallel to other BlackRock Future Builders partnerships and is intended to surface additional, regionally grounded solutions across the skilled trades ecosystem. Organizations may propose direct worker training programs or capacity‑building efforts that enable systems to function more effectively and at greater scale. This first round RFP will be administered by Jobs for the Future (JFF), a national nonprofit that transforms U.S. education and workforce systems.

Focus Areas and Solutions

Applicants may propose worker training or capacity‑building solutions aligned to skilled trades workforce development.

• Worker training interventions may include direct service proposals such as pre-apprenticeship or career navigation programs, workforce training programs, apprenticeship programs, or wraparound participant supports that are supportive of training persistence and completion.
• Capacity-building interventions are organizational and system-focused, rather than in direct service of participants, and may include, but are not limited to, proposals such as ecosystem-building, demonstration projects, technology or tool adoptions, or research, among others.

About Us

As the largest Secretary of State's office in the nation, the Illinois Secretary of State processes more transactions and is visited by more residents than any other. 

From issuing driver’s licenses and registering vehicles to maintaining the organ donor registry, incorporating business entities, and administering the state's literacy efforts, our office directly touches the lives of nearly everyone in Illinois. 

We are dedicated to transforming the office to best serve Illinoisans by redefining public service, streamlining operations, improving customer service, and reducing wait times at DMVs.

Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grants

Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant projects engage Illinois residents through library technology, programs and services for lifelong learning, and services to persons having difficulty using libraries.

Use of the federal funds is outlined in Illinois' Long Range Plan for the Use of LSTA for a sustainable impact on library services for residents of Illinois:

• Extend library services for all Illinois residents by providing access to information and ideas.
• Provide experiences supporting lifelong learning and information fluency to address the diverse needs of Illinois residents.
• Provide quality library and information services through innovation in collection development, community engagement, and best practices.

Range of Award

Awards vary based on the offering and as justified by local community need identified by the applicant.

Annual Appropriation

$7,000,000 Library Services – LSTA

About Us

Wisconsin Sea Grant is a statewide program of basic and applied research, education, outreach and technology transfer dedicated to the stewardship and sustainable use of the nation’s Great Lakes and ocean resources.

Headquartered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the institute is housed in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research’s Aquatic Sciences Center. (See our Water and Land Acknowledgement.) Wisconsin Sea Grant is part of a national network of 34 university-based programs funded through the National Sea Grant College Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce and through matching contributions from participating states and the private sector. 

John A. Knauss Marine (and Great Lakes) Policy Fellowship

The University of Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program is accepting applications from graduate students statewide for the National Sea Grant College Program’s John A. Knauss Marine (and Great Lakes) Policy Fellowship Program. The program, established in 1979, provides a unique educational experience to applicants who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. The program matches highly qualified graduate students with “hosts” in the legislative and executive branch of government located in the Washington, D.C. area, for a one year paid internship. Placement opportunities are numerous and very diverse and have typically included offices within Congress, the Executive Office of the President, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Departments of State, Treasury, Transportation, and Energy, in addition to others. Applicants from a variety of backgrounds including natural and social sciences, law, engineering, and communications can be competitive for this fellowship. Fellowships begin June 1, 2027.