Lake County Grants for Nonprofits

The Foundation is dedicated to providing financial assistance to organizations committed to improving our world. Solutions to the problems of today's world still lie in the values of innovation, practicality, hard work, and compassion.

The Foundation considers applications for grants in the following areas:

• Education
• Social Service
• Health care
• Civic and cultural
• Environmental

The categories above are not intended to limit the interest of the Foundation from considering other worthwhile projects. In general, the Foundation guidelines are broad to give us flexibility in providing grants.

The majority of our grants are made in the U.S. However, like Dr. Scholl, we recognize the need for a global outlook. Non-U.S. grants are given to organizations where directors have knowledge of the grantee.

Community Ties Giving Program

As part of the Community Ties Giving Program, Local Grants help us achieve our mission by providing small and medium-sized grants within our priority cause areas to local organizations spread widely across Union Pacific's footprint.

Funding Priorities & Objectives

Throughout its existence, the success of Union Pacific's business has been inextricably linked to the economic and community wellbeing of cities and towns across the nation. We take pride in the role we have played in helping communities thrive and believe the impact we can have on local communities is greatest when it is authentic to our history and reflective of the diverse company we are today.

As such, we have carefully aligned our Local Grants cause areas to our company's unique heritage, strengths, and assets. Specifically, we prioritize funding for direct services and efforts that build the capacity of organizations focused on the following causes within our local operating communities. Within each focus area, we aim to support programs and organizations working to advance the diversity, equity and inclusion of underrepresented populations within the local context and issue areas addressed. Find more information about our commitment to DEI in our FAQs.

Safety

In order for communities to thrive, all residents must feel safe. Just as the safety of our employees and community members is paramount to how we operate, Union Pacific is committed to helping communities prevent and prepare for incidents and emergencies, and helping residents get home safely at the end of each day. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to: 

• Encourage safe behaviors and prevent incidents through education and awareness, particularly projects which focus on rail, driver, bike, and pedestrian safety, and ensure outreach efforts reach underserved populations.
• Eliminate risks and improve safe and equitable access to community spaces through infrastructure improvements, such as signage, proper lighting, and public trail improvements.
• Prepare and equip residents and emergency responders* to effectively respond to incidents and emergencies if or when they occur.
  • *Union Pacific supports publicly funded emergency responders through a variety of corporate programs; only independent nonprofit, 501(c)(3) emergency response organizations, such as volunteer departments, are eligible for funding through this grant program
• Prevent crime and violent incidents and support survivors of domestic violence through efforts that address the root causes of these issues and seek to mitigate their occurrence.
• Build the capacity of safety-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Workforce Development

For more than 160 years, Union Pacific has helped stimulate economic growth in cities and towns throughout the nation by training and providing employment to millions of workers. More than ever, we are committed to helping underrepresented residents in our communities achieve family-supporting careers like those offered by Union Pacific. As such, we prioritize funding for programs that seek to:

• Put youth on the right track by creating awareness of and pathways toward employment opportunities; building foundational skills, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); establishing necessary technical skills and life skills; and providing mentorship and positive role models for the future.
• Raise awareness of, educate and prepare young adults for middle skills jobs like those Union Pacific offers, for instance through community colleges, vocational and career training programs, workforce readiness initiatives, and programs that assist with job placement and/or on-the-job experience.
  • Programs that develop proficiency in areas relevant to Union Pacific operations such as welding, electrical work, machine operations, and civil and electrical engineering are given priority.
• "Up-skill" the existing workforce by providing training and resources that enable them to reach the next level of their career.
  • Programs that develop proficiency in areas of relevance to Union Pacific operations are given priority.
• Resolve barriers to employment such as transportation, childcare, acquiring necessary equipment for work, and second chance employment programs.
• Build the capacity of workforce development-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Community Vitality

Union Pacific Railroad is committed to establishing vibrant, healthy and inclusive communities for employees, customers and residents to work, visit and call home. Just as the railroad opened avenues for economic development and opportunity more than 160 years ago, we maintain this tradition by cultivating unique cultural and recreational experiences and equipping community members with opportunities to live healthy, vital lives. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to:

• Create, sustain or expand artistic and cultural experiences offered to a broad and diverse audience (e.g., museums, theaters, zoos, cultural and local heritage, visual and performing arts, etc.)
• Provide recreational opportunities that foster wellbeing, enrichment and/or an appreciation for our natural environment (e.g., parks, libraries, senior centers, recreation centers, learning centers, etc.).
• Revive neighborhoods and main street areas, especially in historically underinvested neighborhoods, to improve livability, promote commerce and attract more residents, businesses and visitors to town.
• Ensure residents’ basic needs are met and barriers are overcome (e.g., safe shelter and homelessness prevention, hunger relief, mental health and community health needs, etc.).
• Offer youth development and educational opportunities to ensure young people can thrive into healthy and productive community members (e.g., mentoring, leadership development, tutoring, services for youth in foster care, etc.).
• Build the capacity of community vitality-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Environmental Sustainability

The future of our business, communities and planet depends on bold, collective action to reduce and slow the impacts of climate change while building a more sustainable economy for the next generation. Union Pacific is taking deliberate steps to reduce our environmental impact and helping our partners improve their own. Extending this commitment to our community investments, we seek to support leading environmental nonprofits and community-based organizations to advance the health of our environment. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to:

• Preserve and restore nature, including programs focused on natural habitats, ecosystems, and biodiversity.
• Protect and enhance water, soil and air quality through innovative and proactive solutions such as water conservation, carbon sequestration and emission reduction programs.
• Reduce waste through initiatives focused on promoting recycling and circularity throughout the community, including recycling and composting programs and other efforts that reduce waste.
• Develop environmental stewards through youth programs focused on fostering environmental appreciation, responsibility, and leadership.
• Advance a sustainable economy by helping communities accelerate their transition to environmental jobs and renewable energy, as well as helping nonprofits and small businesses build their own capacity to operate more sustainably.
• Promote environmental justice through initiatives that ensure access to clean air, water, and land and protect underserved populations from disproportionate and adverse environmental effects.
• Build the capacity of sustainability-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience.

Making community possible

At U.S. Bank, we are dedicated to supporting our communities through responsive and humbled actions focused on addressing racial and economic inequities and creating lasting change in our communities. Through our Community Possible Grant Program, we are partnering with organizations that focus on economic and workforce advancement, safe and affordable housing and communities connected through arts and culture.

The U.S. Bank Foundation is committed to making Community Possible through Work, Home and Play. We advance this work through collaborative grant making to bring equitable and lasting change through our focus on sustainable, high-impact funding with 501c3 nonprofit partners.

How we partner with nonprofits

We focus on collaborative grantmaking and sustainable, high-impact funding with 501(c)(3) nonprofit partners. We partner with organizations that support:

• Economic and workforce advancement
• Safe and affordable housing
• Community arts and culture

Our strategy

Our community affairs and foundation team work closely with U.S. Bank regional leadership, business resource groups and our National Community Advisory Committee to ensure that prevailing needs are addressed in all the communities we serve.

To make the most meaningful impact, we prioritize organizations that:

• Focus on economic development issues related to work, home and play
• Address more than one of the grant pillars (work, home and play)
• Are based in and serve designated U.S. Bank communities
• Advance diversity, equity and inclusion

History

The Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation was founded in 1984 with the proceeds of the sale of Chicago's Ridgeway Hospital, a nonprofit psychiatric facility focusing on low-income adolescents. One of its primary funding areas is the support of nonprofit agencies which provide medical and psychological services to economically disadvantaged children and adolescents. Since then, the Foundation has expanded its mission to support nonprofit agencies that provide vital comprehensive health care and housing (homeless) services to the economically disadvantaged of all ages. As of September 30, 2023, it has provided $42.5 million in grants and program-related investments to a variety of health care and housing (homeless) services agencies.

Funding Focus

The Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation’s funding focus is to:

• Improve the health of the uninsured, underinsured and low-income metropolitan Chicago residents and the community through increased access to community-based preventive and primary health services, such as medical, dental, vision, mental health, and case management; and
• Support housing programs and services that provide access to prevention, intervention, follow-up, supportive services, and employment training for individuals and families who are homeless or at-risk of being homeless.

Grant Amount Range

The Foundation’s typical grants are between $10,000-$15,000. Grant awards will generally not exceed $30,000.

What We Fund

• Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation will consider funding program and general operating support, and limited capital requests.
• Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation s funding focus/priority is on programs that increase access to care and provide direct services that improve conditions for low-income, underserved communities in the six-county metropolitan Chicago area.
  • Federal guidelines define lower income people as making 50% of the median income or less and moderate income people as making between 50% and 80% of the median income.
• Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation will fund Food Pantries that use food distribution as a gateway to accessing supportive services that assist and empower individuals and families, or where food assistance is part of the overall service plan.
  • For example, the Foundation supports Food Pantries that also provide case management, counseling, access to health care, job training, housing, rent and utility assistance, and information and referrals to other services, etc., which empower individuals and families to be self-sufficient.
• Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation supports programs that have measurable goals and outcomes.

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust is devoted solely to the funding of charitable, scientific, medical and educational organizations.

The Board endeavors to support soundly-managed charitable organizations that give service with a broad scope, have a substantial effect on their target populations, and contribute materially to the general welfare. The Board does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

Background

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation seeks to dramatically improve the lives of underserved communities across the globe by supporting scalable, innovative, and impact-first solutions that leverage existing systems and stakeholders. Our goal is to find social entrepreneurs with dynamic products or services that have a proven ability to positively impact the lives of underserved people, and nurture those organizations at the early stages by providing capacity, capital, and community.

Our application process is designed to be open and accessible, and we accept applications year round from across our priority geographies and sectors. Borrowing from our venture capital legacy, we find exceptional entrepreneurs and provide them with: 

Capacity

• The core of DRK’s model is deep and extensive operational and technical support for each portfolio organization, both through dedicated hands-on Board service and specialist capacity-building resources for fundraising, board and organizational development, leadership, financial support, and scaling strategy,

Capital

• DRK provides up to $300,000 USD in either unrestricted grant funding or investment capital over a three-year period, and

Community

• DRK convenes our portfolio and alumni annually, facilitating connections and community. 

What We Fund

DRK Foundation funds early-stage social impact organizations solving the world’s biggest social and environmental problems using bold, scalable approaches.

What stage of growth does DRK Foundation typically fund?

Early stage: Organizations who are early stage, which we define as post-pilot and pre-scale. This typically means: 

• Your program, product or service is already being used in the market or in the field, 
• You have early indication that your model is having its intended impact on the beneficiary populations,
• Your organization is relatively young (ideally between two and five years old, although we will consider both younger and older organizations).

Venture funding: In the case of for profits, we typically support Seed to Series A organizations, and never lead rounds; we also generally but not exclusively refrain from participating in financings exceeding a $15M USD post-money valuation.  

Mission

The DanPaul Foundation will use its resources to help train teachers and parents in early childhood development, protect children from abuse and neglect, stimulate children's personal social responsibilities, and offer them opportunities for enrichment and growth.

The Foundation will also encourage children to be concerned and informed about the environment and the underprivileged, particularly with regard to clean air and water, and adequate housing and nutrition for all.

Beliefs

The DanPaul Foundation believes that children should have ample opportunities for enrichment in their lives, and thus strives to provide many different ways to enrich and expand children's minds through direct programs and monetary support to organizations doing similar work.

We have provided or currently provide grants related to the following program areas:

• Workshops, Conferences, + Seminars: We strive to offer educational workshops, conferences, and seminars for parents and teachers on topics related to early childhood development.
• Student Scholarships: We aim to help students attending post-secondary education institutions by providing need-based and academic scholarships.
• Scientific Endeavors: We desire to advance scientific endeavors which seek to improve the quality of life for everyone in the world.
• Clean Air + Water: We hope to pass on knowledge and practical life skills to youth regarding their personal responsibility to the environment, teaching them about issues surrounding clean air and water.
• Child Advocacy: We believe in protecting children from abuse and neglect and particularly love to support programs that provide education and assistance to children as well as organizations advocating or caring for vulnerable children.
• Homelessness: We want to encourage young people to take a personal interest in seeing that adequate housing and proper nutrition, especially for the underprivileged and homeless, are available.
• Poverty + Neglect: We seek to help those in poverty as well as educate youth about their responsibility to consider the underprivileged and take care of those most in need of life's basic essentials like adequate housing and proper nutrition.
• Refugee Enrichment: We wish to help refugee youth by supporting programs that provide them enrichment and help them transition to life in a new country.

The DanPaul Foundation provides grants to 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organizations as defined by the IRS. The Foundation is interested in providing funding to programs that directly serve the health, education, development, and welfare of the world's youth.

Grants range from a few hundred dollars up to $15,000 per calendar year.

Founded in 2002, the Asian Giving Circle (AGC) is a grassroots philanthropic project that supports Asian and Pacific Islander-led (API) nonprofits in Chicagoland. AGC is composed of members (i.e. donors) that are committed to pooling and directing their financial resources to organizations that are advancing social justice. AGC is designed and dedicated to be responsive to the current issues facing API communities - a landscape of communities that is incredibly diverse, composed of more than 30 ethnic groups speaking hundreds of languages and dialects.

To date, AGC has contributed more than $750,000 to nonprofit organizations serving API communities in the Chicago region. AGC is one of the oldest active giving circles for API communities and originally started as part of the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) Giving Circle Network.

AGC believes that giving is an act that can transform ourselves and our communities to build the world we need now. While AGC intentionally directs resources to API-led organizations due to continued histories of disinvestment, we believe our work and the work we support, must support, be informed by, and add value to broader struggles for liberation. 

2024 Funding Priorities

In 2024, AGC is requesting general operating proposals from API organizations in the Chicago metropolitan region (which includes the city of Chicago as well as Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties).

Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake County Grant

Our Approach

We work to improve access to quality health care for Lake County’s low-income residents in two ways. First, we support the work of programs that target uninsured or underinsured individuals and families and underserved neighborhoods and communities. Second, we build the capacity of programs, organizations, and systems to serve those most in need.

“Capacity building” can mean many things. We use the term to describe funding directed toward achieving the following specific goals.

• Increasing program effectiveness: We want to increase grantees’ ability to implement successful program models and strategies used elsewhere; evaluate their programs’ effectiveness; demonstrate how programs improve the health status of the persons they serve; leverage limited resources in new ways in order to gain efficiencies and reduce duplication; and build strategic partnerships and alliances.
• Ensuring organizational sustainability: We want to enable grantees to improve their managerial and governance skills and resources, for example by conducting organizational assessments of strengths and weaknesses; strengthening their board of directors; addressing the equity and diversity of the organization; diversifying revenue sources; conducting strategic planning; developing evaluation methods and tools; and building information technology infrastructure.
• Leveraging healthcare system resources: We want to give local organizations the capacity to collaborate to build and strengthen northern Lake County’s healthcare continuum of services. Examples include community needs assessments; feasibility studies; and planning and implementation of large-scale initiatives designed to improve coordination of services between systems, such as hospitals and community clinics.

Strategic Areas

We believe that concentrating our funding in the five strategic areas outlined below will lead to:

• A reduction in unnecessary treatments, hospitalizations and emergency visits;
• A reduction in healthcare costs to consumers and the community;
• Improved health status of the uninsured and underserved residents through access to comprehensive and integrated care; and
• Increased capacity of non-profit organizations and the health system/continuum of care.

Funding Strategies

• Strategy 1: Clinical care: 
  • High-quality, comprehensive, and coordinated health services are necessary to improve the health status of uninsured, underinsured, and medically underserved residents of northern Lake County.
  • Clinical Care includes medical, dental, vision, mental health, and case management service programs with the following typical characteristics:
    • Services are provided in clinical settings;
    • Clients/patients have treatment or service plans and clinical diagnoses, if applicable;
    • Clients/patients have medical or health records;
    • Services include access to specialists, diagnostic testing, medications, and equipment needed for comprehensive care, as well as case management that coordinates care or improves patients’ participation in treatment;
    • Improvements in clients/patients’ health status are measureable; and
    • Services are provided by licensed staff, if applicable.
  • Programs funded through this strategy monitor improvements in the clients’ health status, such as improved cholesterol levels, decreased depression episodes, or improved oral health.

• Strategy 2: Linkage to care:
  • Community–based outreach and education help improve residents’ access to healthcare by improving their health literacy and their ability to make informed decisions about where and when to access healthcare, reduce unhealthy behaviors, and improve their health outcomes.
  • Linkage to Care provides education about prevalent health conditions, disease screenings, and connects community members to medical homes. The programs we fund typically
    • Provide services in community (non-clinical) settings;
    • Offer individual or group education and disease screenings for prevalent health conditions; and
    • Offer one-on-one navigation assistance to access necessary health services.
  • Programs funded through this strategy monitor improvements in the clients’ health knowledge or behavior as well as linkage to care (e.g., an established medical home).

• Strategy 3: Scholarships:
• Sufficient numbers of qualified healthcare professionals, in various fields, are needed to meet the growing demand for health services in northern Lake County.
• Scholarships are awarded to post-secondary educational institutions, not directly to individuals. We seek to fund scholarship programs that include the following elements:
  • Are offered by postsecondary educational institutions and prepare local residents for careers in high–demand areas of healthcare;
  • Require recipients to demonstrate financial need and meet the requirement of being a resident of northern Lake County;
  • Require that recipients secure licensing to practice in their field; and
  • Require recipients to return to the community to work or practice for two years in an underserved area of northern Lake County.
• Programs funded through this strategy monitor student’s successful completion of their education and mandatory employment requirements.

• Strategy 4: Organizational capacity building:
  • Organizations need resources and effective leaders with vision, skills, and tools to help them thrive.
  • Current Foundation grantees (i.e., those that receive funding through our clinical care, linkage to care, or scholarship programs) may apply for organizational capacity building grants.
  • These grants help grantees address organizational needs such as board development, revenue diversification (including building endowments), strategic planning, evaluation, or information technology. We seek to fund projects that:
    • Address a well-defined organizational capacity need, one corroborated by internal assessments and literature on best practices or research;
    • Partner with outside experts to (1) develop plans to addresses the capacity need and/or (2) facilitate the implementation of an existing plan to address the capacity need;
    • Demonstrate that board members and senior staff are supportive and will remain committed both during the initiative and after; and
    • Provide (1) a timeline for the work to be done and (2) realistic outcomes.
  • Projects funded through this strategy monitor indicators of progress and sustainability.
  • Improving revenue diversification by establishing or building organization endowment funds are awarded as matching grants. To be eligible, organizations must establish a new endowment or build upon an existing endowment of $100,000 or less. Organizations are only eligible to receive these grants once.

• Strategy 5: Systems capacity building:
  • Organizations that collaborate and innovate are more likely to arrive at solutions that address persistent limitations in northern Lake County’s health services. System innovations based on best practices lead to increased effectiveness and efficiency of health services in northern Lake County.
  • System capacity building grants are available for individual organizations or organizational partnerships that provide services in northern Lake County. Initiatives must address community or population needs within northern Lake County. We seek to fund initiatives that have considered the following:
    • Relevant and current research that indicates a well-defined system capacity need;
    • Engagement of the key stakeholders necessary to address the system capacity need;
    • Leveraging available resources such as technology, knowledge and expertise, and money;
    • Clearly defined goals for the system, benchmarks to measure progress, and anticipated outcomes; and
    • A plan to collect data and an evaluation that informs the project while it progresses and ultimately demonstrates the desired healthcare delivery system improvements.
  • Initiatives funded through this strategy monitor indicators of access to services, coordination with other organizations, and effective and comprehensive service systems.

Funding

Grants typically range from $25,000 to $100,000.

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

Who We Are

The Creag Foundation is a private grant making foundation established in 2009 in Woodinville, Washington.

The founders of the Creag Foundation believe that meaningful change can only be achieved through hard work, creativity and passion. They also understand the practical mechanisms that allow charitable organizations to succeed and grow. As a group, Creag Foundation principals are dedicated to helping today’s most innovative programs improve the human condition in a wide variety of ways.

Our Focus

The broad purpose of the Foundation is to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations who are innovators in the field of human services. Our particular focus is on smaller organizations that are starting out or established organizations that are looking for funding to take their organization in a new direction.

What We Fund

/ What We Fund

The Creag Foundation is focused on innovation in the industry. We will consider proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations that are finding new ways to address societal issues facing the nonprofit community. Applicants must have held 501(c)(3) status for one year before submitting. If your organization has held 501(c)(3) status for over a year, and your believe that your organization has a new approach to an existing social problem or is addressing a previously unaddressed social issue, you are welcome to contact us and request that we consider your organization for a funding opportunity.

What We Fund

VNA Foundation awards grants to support nonprofit organizations that provide home- and community-based health services to medically underserved populations in Cook County.

We will consider funding program, operating, and capital grants, including indirect costs and salaries that support core staff. Generally, only grant requests of $40,000 or more will be considered, unless smaller grants are required due to organization size or other identifiable factors.

Within all funding areas, VNA prioritizes organizations that:

• serve uninsured populations and/or Medicaid recipients;
• demonstrate culturally competent services; and
• have staff that reflect the population served.

VNA grants generally fit within one or more of the categories listed below.

Access To Healthcare And Preventive Health

• Programs that promote access to care through community-based health care
• Preventive education and outreach that includes linkages to health services
• Health services that integrate healthy food access 
• Health + housing services that focus on health improvement and housing stability
• Timely health policy education and advancement
• Programs that improve chronic diseases as part of a broader care plan (not specific diseases)

• Individuals experiencing homelessness
• Families or communities living below the poverty threshold

Mental Health And Support Services

Mental Health And Support Services

• Efforts focused on early intervention and treatment
• Programs implementing trauma-informed care
• Support of the health and well-being of survivors of violence
• Initiatives that seek to end cycles of interpersonal or family violence
• Catalytic opportunities to improve systems and services

• Survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other acts of gender-based violence
• Children and youth
• Communities with behavioral health workforce shortages
• Individuals experiencing homelessness

Maternal And Reproductive Health

• Health and wellness services for birthing individuals and their families
• Health services that provide birthing individuals choices on reproductive health
• Education and outreach to address health disparities in maternal and reproductive health
• Workforce training and development initiatives
• Collaborative and catalytic efforts that work towards timely systems change

• Black women and birthing people, a population with high maternal mortality and morbidity rates
• BIPOC-led community-based organizations
• Organizations that provide a full range of reproductive options, including abortion care
• Organizations with a smaller budget size

Technical Assistance And Organizational Resiliency

• Initiatives to enhance the organization’s capacity to deliver on its mission; for example, staff development, technology upgrades, and sustainability efforts
• Initiatives that focus on staff retention
• Innovative approaches to improving health outcomes through systems coordination and collaboration

Generally available only for agencies that have received at least one year of VNA funding. Please have a conversation with VNA staff before submitting a request for this funding area.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Georgia-Pacific Foundation

Established in 1958, the Georgia-Pacific Foundation sets aside resources to improve life in the communities where we operate. We’ve worked with thousands of outstanding community-based programs, service projects and disaster relief efforts, focusing our investment in four areas we believe make the most impact:

• education,
• environment,
• enrichment and
• entrepreneurship.

Investment Priorities

• Aligns with GP’s mission and values
• Aligns with GP’s Four Focus Areas of giving: Education, Environment, Enrichment of Community and Entrepreneurship
• Serves communities where GP has manufacturing facilities
• Creates value by contributing to and positively impacting long term well-being and sustainability of GP communities

Crossroad Fund Grants

Crossroads Fund supports grassroots groups working for racial, social and economic justice in the greater Chicago metropolitan area (including Northwest Indiana, which we define as the area between the state border and Gary, IN. All applicants must meet the following criteria to be considered for funding:

• Working for Social Change: Crossroads Fund supports organizations working to examine and challenge the underlying causes of injustice affecting their communities. They seek to change the conditions, institutions, and policies that create and maintain inequality and oppression.
• Cross-Issue Organizing: Our grantees work with an understanding of the connectedness among the various people and issues that make up the whole community.
• Grassroots Leadership: We support groups that involve the people who are directly affected by an issue at all levels of the organization - in planning, organizing and leading, and working to continue building leadership within the grassroots community.
• Solid Plan: We fund groups whose work is driven by the following:
  • a clear purpose with well-planned goals, objectives, activities and a tool to measure outcomes and impact;
  • a timeline and budget that reflects the proposed objectives and activities;
  • a realistic fundraising plan.
• Work in the Chicago Metropolitan Area: Crossroads Fund supports organizations rooted in communities in the Chicago metropolitan area. Counties include: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and Will, along with Lake County, Indiana.
• Budget: Groups with previous year annual expenses under $500,000.

Youth Fund for Social Change

In 2007, Crossroads Fund received a legacy grant from the Girls Best Friend Foundation, supporting the formation of a special grantmaking initiative, which funds youth advocacy and activism projects in the Chicago area. The Youth Fund for Social Change enables us to have a targeted impact on the growing sector of youth organizations in the Chicago area.

The Youth Fund for Social Change provides resources to youth working on social justice issues in their communities. The Youth Fund supports youth activists who want to change and challenge existing policies and/or organized structures that prevent their communities from achieving equality. 

Projects may cover many areas ranging from community, education and schools, health, environment, incarceration, media, racism, discrimination, voting, etc.

Examples of such projects are:

• Community: youth working to find solutions to overall issues of equality like access to education, healthcare, jobs and political power: working on alternatives to detention and incarceration.
• Education and schools: youth organizing for: restorative justice programs in schools; representation on school boards; alternatives to military recruitment on campus; or programs that address sexual harassment, homophobia, gender, or ability stereotypes/oppression.
• Health: youth organizing to expand reproductive health and comprehensive sex education.
• Environment: youth organizing around: lead clean up in their community; environmental pollution; or access to cleaner and better transit.
• Violence: youth working on: alternatives to the criminal justice system; peer to peer intervention; pursuit of strategies to reduce police harassment of youth; strategies to improve public safety in your neighborhood.
• Media: youth holding corporate media accountable by demanding that the public airwaves promote justice and peace rather than hate, violence and war.

Our Mission

Our mission is to continue and further the philanthropic legacy of Gardner Cowles, Jr. and the Cowles family, which includes promotion of education, social justice, health, and the arts.

The Founder

The Cowles Charitable Trust was first established in 1948 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr. (1903-1985). Born into the Cowles publishing family of Des Moines, Iowa, Mike was the youngest of Gardner Cowles and Florence Call Cowles’ six children. A newspaper editor and publisher by trade, he was committed to his family’s traditions of responsible, public-spirited, and innovative journalism as well as philanthropy. 

The Cowles Charitable Trust supports the arts, education, the advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research.

About the Foundation

Jesse W. Couch lived a life of zeal, honor, and dedication to the betterment of his community. The Couch family now humbly stewards the foundation he created to carry on his legacy of service for future generations. We believe that impact is best accomplished through partnerships with local organizations that know the people and communities they serve. We invest in and support efforts to protect the environment, further conservation and preservation initiatives, and save historical architecture that preserves community heritage. We also support initiatives that promote wellness and mental health and organizations seeking to provide and further education for all communities.

Annual Grant Focus

Each year, we seek to partner with and support non-profit organizations making an impact in the focus areas listed here. 

The focus area for this year is Wildlife Conservation. We believe it's our duty to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. We envision a world where everyone works in harmony to protect what is important so that all life on this planet can thrive.

Palumbo Family Foundation

Sebastian (Sam) and Mary Palumbo, along with their children, Jessica, Kaitlyn, Samantha, Elizabeth, and Gabriella, founded the Palumbo Family Foundation with the desire to offer boys and girls the opportunity to thrive through education and wellness grants. The pursuit of overall well-being serves to allow them to further their education and careers.

The Palumbo Family Foundation strives to make a difference in two sectors of our communities in the Chicagoland area. One is providing scholarships to well deserving students of lower income families. Without scholarships, many of these students would not realize their dream of furthering their education. The other is providing medical grants to organizations that serve the needs of local medically challenged children.

The Palumbo Family Foundation is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit charitable organization. The administration of the foundation is all volunteers; a 100% of the net proceeds of donations and fundraising events give hope and inspiration to young adults looking for financial help to continue their education after high school; as well as children with medical needs.

The Palumbo Family Foundation encourages suggestions for local charities that you feel would benefit from our support and would like us to consider for future grants or donations.

Mission Sustainability Initiative

The Mission Sustainability Initiative (MSI) at Forefront is dedicated to helping nonprofits thrive by providing the resources for leaders to regularly and thoughtfully explore collaboration and partnership strategies. Strategic partnerships and collaborations may take the form of a co-location, a back office collaborative, a joint venture, a merger or acquisition, or other long-term or permanent partnership that changes the way of doing business of the organizations involved. The MSI provides holistic support solutions to nonprofits, including confidential conversations, educational programming, community convening, vetted consultant lists, toolkits, and opportunities to apply for funding.

Grant Project Types

The MSI looks at partnership development in three phases: Pre-Exploratory, Exploratory, and Implementation.

Pre-Exploratory

Pre-Exploratory projects are opportunities for single organizations to explore their partnership goals and readiness. These projects often include organizational assessments and meeting facilitation. The core goal for pre-exploratory projects is the articulation of an organization’s priorities and capacity for strategic partnership, which may or may not include specific plans for developing a partnership in the near future. A possible outcome of a pre-exploratory project is a Letter of Intent to begin an exploratory process.

The maximum amount available for a pre-exploratory grant is $5,000.

Exploratory

Exploratory projects are opportunities for two or more organizations to develop a strategic partnership strategy, build trust between organizations, conduct due diligence, determine mission/vision values alignment, and build a plan for partnership implementation. These projects typically include strategic partnership consulting, accounting, and legal support (if not available pro bono), and meeting facilitation. The core goal for exploratory projects is all partners gaining sufficient understanding and knowledge to move forward in the way that best serves the goals of the organization, which may or may not involve the specific partnership under consideration. A possible outcome of an exploratory project is a Memorandum of Understanding or Partnership Agreement.

Exploratory grants range from $5,000 to $75,000.

Implementation

Implementation projects are opportunities to build the infrastructure that a partnership needs to thrive. The nature of this infrastructure will vary significantly based on the type of partnership. MSI Grants are not currently available for implementation projects, but partnerships in this stage of development are encouraged to contact the MSI Director to discuss other options for support.

Implementation grants range from $5,000 to $75,000.

Calling to Serve

Since its inception in 2016, the Robinson Foundation has sought to demonstrate God’s love through sharing the gifts we have received. We understand the often unspoken hardships and struggles that people in and outside of our community face everyday. As such, our contributions are focused on relieving these hardships for the betterment of our world.

As a family-operated foundation, we pray that our small efforts will not only create immediate change in the lives of our neighbors, but will help set those lives on a course for success in the future. We are thankful for each and every day we have on this earth to use what God has granted us to make a difference.

Areas of Interest

• Animal Welfare
• Children & Families
• Disaster Relief
• Education
• Medical Assistance
• Nature & Wildlife Conservation
• Poverty Relief
• Religious & Spiritual Endeavors
• Veterans' Issues

Grant Considerations

We take many different aspects of applications into account when making grant issuing decisions, however these are some of the high-level questions we ask ourselves during the process:

• How does the organization serve their key audience goals?
• Is the organization fiscally responsible?
• Will a grant have a tangible, meaningful impact?
• Will we see direct results from this grant?
• Does the organization have other financial contributors?

About

The new Green Infrastructure Grant Opportunities (GIGO) Program funds projects to construct green infrastructure best management practices (BMPs) that prevent, eliminate, or reduce water quality impairments by decreasing stormwater runoff into Illinois' rivers, streams, and lakes. Projects that implement treatment trains (multiple BMPs in a series) and/or multiple BMPs within the same watershed may be more effective and efficient than a single large green infrastructure BMP.

Green Infrastructure

For the purpose of Green Infrastructure Grant Opportunities (GIGO), green infrastructure means any stormwater management technique or practice employed with the primary goal to preserve, restore, mimic, or enhance natural hydrology. Green Infrastructure includes, but is not limited to, methods of using soil and vegetation to promote soil percolation, evapotranspiration, and filtering or the harvesting and reuse of precipitation.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, localized and riverine flooding will likely become more frequent. Localized flooding happens when rainfall overwhelms the capacity of the urban drainage systems, while riverine flooding happens when river flows exceed the capacity of a river channel. By reducing stormwater runoff in urban areas, detaining water away from impacted areas, and reconnecting streams to their floodplains, GIGO can improve water quality through the reduction of the number and duration of both localized and riverine flood events.

Eligible Projects

Eligible projects will provide water quality improvement through the construction of BMPs to decrease stormwater runoff prior to release into rivers, streams, and lakes, and include:

• Reconnection of a stream with its floodplain (e.g., two-stage ditch, daylighting);
• Treatment and flow control of stormwater runoff at sites directly upstream or downstream of an impervious area that currently impacts river, stream, or lake water quality through stormwater runoff discharge; and/or
• Treatment and flow control of water generated from impervious surfaces associated with urban development (such as roads and buildings).

Examples of Project Types/BMPs that may be funded through the GIGO are provided below. The list is not all inclusive, and inclusion of a BMP here does not equate to an automatic eligibility for funding under the GIGO.

• Bioinfiltration
  • Vegetated practices designed to facilitate the infiltration of stormwater and remove pollutants through infiltration media and/or vegetation uptake (e.g., bioretention areas, swales, infiltration basins, and green roofs
• Retention/Infiltration
  • Practices which allow stormwater to infiltrate into underlying soil; filter some pollutants (e.g., permeable pavement/pavers (roadway, alleys, and parking lots); underground infiltration, and retention areas)
• Detention Pond Creation/Retrofit
  • Projects which create a new wet detention basin;
  • Projects which retrofit an existing dry retention basin into a wet detention basin;
  • Projects which modify an existing wet detention basin to increase its stormwater retention and treatment capacity (e.g., additional freeboard).
• Wetland Creation/Modification
  • Projects which create a wetland to intercept runoff, reduce peak flows, decrease runoff volume, and mitigate pollution to rivers, streams, and lakes
  • Projects which modify an existing wetland (within limits of State and federal law) to improve its stormwater retention and treatment capacity
• Floodplain Reconnection
  • Projects which reconnect a river, stream, or lake to its floodplain to increase water infiltration through access to larger water retention area and/or for a longer water retention period o A two stage ditch includes a ‘floodplain’ within its channel design.
    • Daylighting restores an originally open-air watercourse previously diverted below-ground back into an above-ground channel to allow the watercourse to reconnect with its floodplain.
    • A levee retrofit allows water access back to a specific area within its floodplain.
•  Watershed-Wide Projects
  • Smaller BMPs (e.g., rain gardens, green walls, trees, tree boxes, infiltration planters, dry wells, pocket wetlands, etc.) and the BMPs listed above that are constructed throughout the watershed. This type of project benefits communities without access to large tracts of land to convert into green infrastructure.
    • Applicant must describe the ranking process used for watershed-wide projects to confirm that the BMP sites proposed address the most critical areas with structural and non-structural practices that, if properly managed, will provide the greatest protection or improvement in water quality for the longest duration.
• Rainwater Harvesting
  • Projects that capture, divert, and store rainwater for later use (e.g., rain barrels and cisterns)
• Downspout Disconnections
  • Projects which redirect flow from a roof, currently connected to a sewer system, into a rain barrel or to another area, usually a lawn or rain garden, where it can soak into the ground
• BMP Design and Construction
  • Projects including both BMP design and its construction (See Section D.4. for funding restrictions for design costs.)

Funding

Illinois EPA expects to award a total of $5,000,000 annually and anticipates distributing this amount across two (2) to ten (10) awards per year. GIGO has a set maximum total grant award of $2,500,000 with a minimum grant award of $75,000. No more than 50 percent of the program total, per funding cycle, shall be allocated to any one applicant or project.

Green Infrastructure Grant (IL)

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to advise potential applicants of the availability of grant funds through the Green Infrastructure Grant Opportunities (GIGO). The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) is seeking proposals for projects to construct green infrastructure best management practices (BMPs) that prevent, eliminate, or reduce stormwater runoff, reducing localized or riverine flooding in Illinois’ rivers, streams, and lakes. Projects that implement treatment trains (multiple BMPs in series) and/or multiple BMPs within the same watershed are encouraged as they may be more effective and efficient than a single large green infrastructure BMP. BMPs may be located on public or private land.

For the purposes of GIGO, Green Infrastructure means any stormwater management technique or practice employed with the primary goal to preserve, restore, mimic, or enhance natural hydrology. Green Infrastructure includes, but is not limited to, methods of using soil and vegetation to promote soil percolation, evapotranspiration, and filtering or the harvesting and reuse of precipitation.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), localized and riverine flooding will likely become more frequent. Localized flooding happens when rainfall overwhelms the capacity of the drainage systems, while riverine flooding happens when river flows exceed the capacity of a river channel. By reducing stormwater runoff, detaining water away from impacted areas, and reconnecting streams to their floodplains, GIGO can help reduce the number and duration of both localized and riverine flood events.

Project Types

Eligible GIGO projects, through the construction of BMPs, will decrease stormwater runoff prior to release into rivers, streams, and lakes, and include:

•  reconnection of a stream with its floodplain (e.g., two-stage ditch, daylighting);
• flow control of stormwater runoff at sites directly upstream or downstream of an impervious area that currently impacts rivers, streams, or lakes through stormwater runoff discharge; and/or
• flow control of water generated from impervious surfaces associated with existing urban land use (such as roads and buildings).

Examples of Project Types/BMPs that may be funded through GIGO are provided below. The list is not all-inclusive, and inclusion of a BMP here does not equate to an automatic eligibility for funding under GIGO.

• Bioinfiltration -
  • Vegetated practices designed to facilitate the infiltration of stormwater through infiltration media and/or vegetation uptake (e.g., bioretention areas, swales, infiltration basins, and green roofs)
• Retention/Infiltration -
  • Practices which allow stormwater to infiltrate into underlying soil; (e.g., permeable pavement/pavers (roadway, alleys, and parking lots)); underground infiltration; and retention areas)
• Detention Pond Creation/Retrofit - 
  • Projects which create a new wet detention basin
  • Projects which retrofit an existing dry retention basin into a wet detention basin
  • Projects which modify an existing wet detention basin to increase its stormwater retention capacity (e.g., additional freeboard)
• Wetland Creation/Modification -
  • Projects which create a wetland to intercept runoff, reduce peak flows, decrease runoff volume to rivers, streams, and lakes
  • Projects which modify an existing wetland (within limits of State and federal law) to improve its stormwater retention capacity
• Floodplain Reconnection -
  • Projects which reconnect a river, stream, or lake to its floodplain to increase water infiltration through access to larger water retention area and/or for a longer water retention period such as:
  • A two-stage ditch includes a ‘floodplain’ within its channel design.
  • Daylighting restores an open-air watercourse that was previously diverted below ground to an above-ground channel, allowing it to reconnect with its floodplain.
  • A levee retrofit allows water access back to a specific area within its floodplain.
• Watershed-Wide Projects -
  • Smaller BMPs (e.g., rain gardens, green walls, trees, tree boxes, infiltration planters, dry wells, pocket wetlands, etc.) and the BMPs listed above that are constructed throughout the watershed. This type of project benefits communities that do not have large tracts of land to convert into green infrastructure.
    • Applicant must describe the ranking process used for watershed-wide projects to confirm that the BMP sites proposed address the most critical areas with structural and non-structural practices that, if properly managed, will provide the greatest stormwater runoff control for the longest duration.
• Rainwater Harvesting -
  • Projects that capture, divert, and store rainwater for later use (e.g., rain barrels and cisterns)
• BMP Design and Construction - 
  • Projects including both BMP design and its construction (See Funding Source Description for funding restrictions for design costs.)
    • Illinois EPA will prioritize and select projects, according to the ranking criteria outlined in the Evaluation and Scoring Section, that are most cost-effective and yield the largest potential for stormwater runoff control. BMPs proven effective to reconnect a waterbody to its floodplain or BMPs proven effective at reducing impacts from stormwater runoff will receive priority. Project match requirements and selection criteria are provided later in this NOFO.

Funding

GIGO has a set maximum total grant award of $2,500,000 with a minimum grant award of $75,000. No more than 50% of the program total, per funding cycle, shall be allocated to any one applicant or project.

GIGO may provide up to 75% of the approved project costs. The remaining 25% is the responsibility of the grantee and constitutes the match. Match may include money spent or in-kind services utilized to complete the approved project tasks. Match can be provided by the grantee, sub-contractor, or project partners (e.g., State programs, private foundations, landowners). A grantee may match greater than 25%.

Proposed projects that benefit an environmental justice (EJ) area may be eligible for up to 85% of GIGO assistance, with the applicant responsible for 15% of the costs as match. Design costs, up to $50,000 or 15% of the total BMP costs, whichever is less, are eligible for grant funds and/or as match.

The Amy Heryford Ousley and James Heryford Ousley Educational Fund

The Amy Heryford Ousley and James Heryford Ousley Educational Fund was created in 2005 on the passing of James Heryford Ousley. Mr. Ousley grew up in Lakeview, Oregon, and went to college at the University of Oregon on the Daly Fund, a scholarship available to Lake County high school graduates. He lived most of his life in Los Angeles where he was a successful representative for a downtown Los Angeles office equipment company. Interested in investing, Mr. Ousley very deftly participated in the stock market which contributed to his estate substantially. Ousley, who was single, left his entire estate to benefit Lake County and Klamath County college-bound students.

At the time of Mr. Ousley’s death, the fund was estimated at $6.5 million. Since that time, it has grown appreciably. Income from the fund is used to provide scholarships for graduates of Klamath and Lake County high schools attending any nonprofit college or university in the United States. Scholarship committees for Klamath and Lake County were created in 2011 to commence the selection of Ousley scholarship awardees. In the ten PLUS years of scholarship awards, more than $2.5 million has been given to Klamath County college students. Students awarded scholarships from the Ousley Educational Fund can receive up to $3,000 per year for 4 years of college and sometimes up to 5 years for specific programs.

NM Community Impact Grant

Northwestern Medicine provides financial support to designated nonprofit organizations and governmental and public entities that are working to address identified community health priorities. Two types of financial support may be requested:

• Community sponsorship and donation requests are considered on a rolling basis. Donation requests are considered in amounts up to $9,999.
• Grant awards need to be requested within a specific timeframe. Grants range from $10,000 to $50,000.

Organizations are encouraged to apply for either type of funding, but they are only eligible to receive one grant or one community donation per calendar year. Applicants should bundle their needs and request sufficient funds for the year. Multiple applications from one organization in a calendar year will not be considered unless the previous applications were denied, and the new application is sufficiently different to better align with required criteria. 

The Minneapolis Foundation

The Minneapolis Foundation drives collective action to realize strong, vibrant communities. We cultivate generosity by taking action on the greatest civic, social, and economic needs—partnering with nonprofits, facilitating grantmaking, driving research and advocacy, and providing services to donors seeking to make a difference in their communities.

Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program

In partnership with the Midwest Environmental Justice Network, NDN Collective, and RE-AMP Network, the Minneapolis Foundation will award environmental justice grants to organizations working in and for underserved communities throughout the Great Lakes region.

Grants will be awarded to community-based nonprofits and other eligible organizations in the following three tiers:

• Tier 1: Assessment and Engagement
• Tier 2: Community Education and Planning
• Tier 3: Project Development and Implementation

We aim to distribute 30% of grant funding to federally recognized tribes and Native American organizations, 25% to rural communities, and 45% to urban communities. The partnership anticipates making 206 grants: 83 in Year 1, 85 in Year 2, and 38 in Year 3.

You may submit an application for multiple tiers at the same time, in any order.

Program Goal

The Great Lakes TCGM Partnership will distribute $40 million to organizations working in and for underserved communities throughout the Great Lakes region. The partnership was selected by the EPA as one of 11 grantmakers around the nation in its new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program.

The program’s goal is to lift up community-led innovation and strengthen community-based groups by breaking down barriers to federal funding. All grants will be given to environmental and public health efforts in underserved communities as defined by the EPA.

Issue Areas

Grants will support projects that focus on issues including, but not limited to:

• Environmental health
• Air, soil, and water quality
• Healthy homes
• Access to healthy food
• Stormwater and green infrastructure
• Emergency preparedness
• Disaster resilience
• Environmental job training

Tier 1: Assessment and Engagement

Tier 1 awards are one-year grants of up to $150,000 for assessment and engagement efforts that increase understanding of the breadth, depth, or impact of local environmental or public health issues. These grants are limited to capacity-constrained and entry-level applicants, as determined by the information you submit in the intake form. These grants will be paid on a milestone basis: 50% up front and 50% at the midway point, upon completion of agreed-upon milestones.

Eligible activities include, but are not limited to:

• GIS mapping
• Air quality sensor purchasing and siting
• Air, water, or soil sampling, testing, and monitoring
• Research, surveys, and studies
• Power mapping, public engagement, and public education to improve collective understanding of community challenges, needs, and opportunities.

Through a noncompetitive process, we will also award grants of up to $75,000 to capacity constrained communities and community-based organizations under Tier One.

You need not develop a new project to receive a grant. These one-time grants are well suited to support existing work that is currently not funded by another source or to complement other projects for which you already have funding. We also welcome proposals for high-priority new projects. 

The Minneapolis Foundation

The Minneapolis Foundation drives collective action to realize strong, vibrant communities. We cultivate generosity by taking action on the greatest civic, social, and economic needs—partnering with nonprofits, facilitating grantmaking, driving research and advocacy, and providing services to donors seeking to make a difference in their communities.

Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program

In partnership with the Midwest Environmental Justice Network, NDN Collective, and RE-AMP Network, the Minneapolis Foundation will award environmental justice grants to organizations working in and for underserved communities throughout the Great Lakes region.

Grants will be awarded to community-based nonprofits and other eligible organizations in the following three tiers:

• Tier 1: Assessment and Engagement
• Tier 2: Community Education and Planning
• Tier 3: Project Development and Implementation

We aim to distribute 30% of grant funding to federally recognized tribes and Native American organizations, 25% to rural communities, and 45% to urban communities. The partnership anticipates making 206 grants: 83 in Year 1, 85 in Year 2, and 38 in Year 3.

You may submit an application for multiple tiers at the same time, in any order.

Program Goal

The Great Lakes TCGM Partnership will distribute $40 million to organizations working in and for underserved communities throughout the Great Lakes region. The partnership was selected by the EPA as one of 11 grantmakers around the nation in its new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program.

The program’s goal is to lift up community-led innovation and strengthen community-based groups by breaking down barriers to federal funding. All grants will be given to environmental and public health efforts in underserved communities as defined by the EPA.

Issue Areas

Grants will support projects that focus on issues including, but not limited to:

• Environmental health
• Air, soil, and water quality
• Healthy homes
• Access to healthy food
• Stormwater and green infrastructure
• Emergency preparedness
• Disaster resilience
• Environmental job training

Tier 2: Community Education and Planning

Tier 2 awards are one- to two-year grants of up to $250,000 for community-focused efforts that design, inform, and highlight solutions to local environmental or public health priorities. Up to 50% of the grant can be used for relevant property acquisition. Grants will be paid on a reimbursement basis, with a small number of grantees eligible for one advance payment of up to 10% of the total grant.

Eligible activities include, but are not limited to:

• Developing project plans
• Developing communications and outreach plans
• Conducting workshops and trainings
• Developing curricula, toolkits, or guidelines; developing social media content
• Producing videos or printed materials
• Hosting events and gatherings
• Building or strengthening partnerships and collaboration
• Creating local advisory committees
• Engaging in public review or comment periods
• Developing or updating disaster resilience plans, emergency preparedness plans, or other community planning and visioning efforts

You need not develop a new project to receive a grant. These one-time grants are well suited to support existing work that is currently not funded by another source or to complement other projects for which you already have funding. We also welcome proposals for high-priority new projects. 

The Minneapolis Foundation

The Minneapolis Foundation drives collective action to realize strong, vibrant communities. We cultivate generosity by taking action on the greatest civic, social, and economic needs—partnering with nonprofits, facilitating grantmaking, driving research and advocacy, and providing services to donors seeking to make a difference in their communities.

Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program

In partnership with the Midwest Environmental Justice Network, NDN Collective, and RE-AMP Network, the Minneapolis Foundation will award environmental justice grants to organizations working in and for underserved communities throughout the Great Lakes region.

Grants will be awarded to community-based nonprofits and other eligible organizations in the following three tiers:

• Tier 1: Assessment and Engagement
• Tier 2: Community Education and Planning
• Tier 3: Project Development and Implementation

We aim to distribute 30% of grant funding to federally recognized tribes and Native American organizations, 25% to rural communities, and 45% to urban communities. The partnership anticipates making 206 grants: 83 in Year 1, 85 in Year 2, and 38 in Year 3.

You may submit an application for multiple tiers at the same time, in any order.

Program Goal

The Great Lakes TCGM Partnership will distribute $40 million to organizations working in and for underserved communities throughout the Great Lakes region. The partnership was selected by the EPA as one of 11 grantmakers around the nation in its new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program.

The program’s goal is to lift up community-led innovation and strengthen community-based groups by breaking down barriers to federal funding. All grants will be given to environmental and public health efforts in underserved communities as defined by the EPA.

Issue Areas

Grants will support projects that focus on issues including, but not limited to:

• Environmental health
• Air, soil, and water quality
• Healthy homes
• Access to healthy food
• Stormwater and green infrastructure
• Emergency preparedness
• Disaster resilience
• Environmental job training

Tier 3: Project Development and Implementation

Tier 3 awards are one- to two-year grants of up to $350,000 to pilot or implement project plans. Projects may have educational and outreach components, but must focus on developing tangible community assets or providing environmental or public health benefits to one or more disadvantaged communities. Up to 50% of the grant can be used for relevant property acquisition or purchase. Grants will be paid on a reimbursement basis, with a small number of grantees eligible for one advance payment of up to 10% of the total grant.

Eligible activities include, but are not limited to:

• Strengthening cumulative impact, public health, or environmental protections
• Increasing access to healthy food
• Reducing the use of pesticides or toxic substances
• Cleaning up contaminated sites
• Conducting healthy home assessments
• Increasing energy or water efficiency in homes or buildings
• Launching community energy or water efficiency programs
• Installing water filters; developing community gardens
• Creating community resilience hubs
• Installing green infrastructure projects
• Creating internships or implementing workforce development programs

You need not develop a new project to receive a grant. These one-time grants are well suited to support existing work that is currently not funded by another source or to complement other projects for which you already have funding. We also welcome proposals for high-priority new projects. 

Non-Enforcement Programs

This funding opportunity houses most of the non-enforcement programs. Please see the specifications for each program explained below. Please note that applications are not limited to these programs.

• Child Passenger Safety Resource Center (CPSRC)
• DUI Court Program
• Impaired Driving Prevention Program (IDP)
• Injury Prevention Program (IP)
• Law Enforcement Liaison Program (LEL)
• Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor (TSRP)

This grant is administered by the Bureau of Safety Programs and Engineering (BSPE) within the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). IDOT serves as the federally-required State Highway Safety Office for the state of Illinois.

Funding amount: $8,000,000.00

Child Passenger Safety Resource Center (CPSRC)

To aid local communities in reducing the death and injury rates on Illinois roads, BSPE established the Child Passenger Safety Resource Centers (CPSRC). The CPSRCs are designed to conduct public information and education campaigns focusing on child passenger safety (CPS) and other highway safety issues. They serve as regional resources providing education, training, and support in promoting CPS programs. The CPSRC program shall also focus on the Strategic Highway Safety Plan priorities areas for their region.

Five (5) CPSRCs are planned to be funded in Illinois and will be staffed by a Child Passenger Safety Liaison. Each CPSRC covers a specific region in the state and coordinates and supports, CPS training, CPS seat distribution, and traffic safety initiatives within that region.

The five regions are:

• Chicago
  • City of Chicago
• Cook and Collar Counties
  • Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Kendall, Grundy, Will, Kankakee, Iroquois
• Northwest
  • Lee, Ogle, Whiteside, Boone, DeKalb, Rock Island, Carrol, Jo Daviess, Winnebago, Stephenson, Henry, Bureau, Stark, Marshall, Putnam, LaSalle, Mercer, Henderson, Warren, Knox, Livingston, Ford
• Central
  • Hancock, McDonough, Adams, Schuyler, Brown, Pike, Fulton, Cass, Morgan, Scott, Mason, Menard, Sangamon, Christian, Logan, Tazewell, McLean, DeWitt, Macon, Piatt, Moultrie, Shelby, Champaign, Douglas, Coles, Vermillion, Edgar, Peoria, Woodford, Macoupin, and Montgomery
• Southern
  • Calhoun, Green, Jersey, Madison, Bond, Fayette, Effingham, Jasper, Crawford, Saint Clair, Monroe, Randolph, Clinton, Washington, Marion, Jefferson, Clay, Wayne, Richland, Lawrence, Edwards, Wabash, Perry, Jackson, Franklin, Hamilton, White, Williamson, Saline, Gallatin, Union, Johnson, Pope, Hardin, Alexander, Pulaski, Massac, Cumberland, and Clark.

Project Goal

To create a coordinated effort to address CPS and other local highway safety issues within the designated region through outreach and education.

Requirements of CPSRC

• Serve as a regional point of contact for CPS programs, trainings, and community events. Additional emphasis areas would be heat stroke/overheating awareness, pedestrian, bicycle, motorcycle, older driver, teen, alcohol, drugged, and distracted driving programs;
• Promote and educate the public regarding the risks of leaving a child or unattended passenger in a vehicle.
• Participate in the development CPS continuing education unit (CEU) opportunities with CPSRCs from all five regions.
• Offer, promote, and teach a minimum of five (5) standardized CPS certification courses and two (2) renewal courses in the region. The CPSRC's Child Passenger Safety Liaison must be the lead on at least 50% of the classes taught in their region.
• CPS courses funded by IDOT should be listed as “open to the public” unless prior approval is granted by IDOT. Reimbursement of technician certification fees are only allowed for Illinois residents.
• Provide public information, educational materials, and technical tools designed to foster community level approaches to highway safety issues, specifically: proper car seat usage, seat belt usage, Illinois’ Seat Belt Law and Child Passenger Safety Protection Act.
• Participate in Statewide CPS Week/Seat Check Saturday promotions and conduct a minimum of one (1) car seat check event during that time.
• Grantees must utilize the electronic car seat check form – www.carseatcheckform.org – to track all car seat checks using IDOT funds including seats that are given to local agencies.
• Distribution of car seats to individuals needing financial assistance.
• Must be able to ensure car seats are being issued to individuals in need. Established need process must be submitted to IDOT with the application.
• Assist local agencies with setting up a minimum of two (2) car seat checks a month.
• Assist local agencies with teen safety fairs, traffic safety presentations and other community events, preferably with focus in communities that are overrepresented and underserved.
• Provide education to the public about child passenger safety and general traffic safety by staffing informational booths at community events.
• Use data-driven approaches to evaluate and address local highway safety issues.
• Participate in local traffic safety networks of law enforcement and local organizations dedicated to highway safety.
• If requested, assist IDOT with the annual statewide seat belt survey.
• If requested, assist with and IDOT motorcycle helmet survey.
• If a CPSRC would like to facilitate training outside of its regional boundaries, the CPSRC must contact the CPSRC that covers that area and discuss a collaborative effort.
• Create meaningful public participation and engagement to ensure diverse views are heard and considered.