Thank you to the Collectivo Funding Opportunities and Diana Alfaro from DCEO for providing us with these opportunities. Click on the pink title to visit each website related to the grants. Please review each opportunity and feel free to contact us for technical assistance with any application by calling 815-200-1065 or emailing Samantha at sante@jolietleda.org.
Funding Opportunities:
- DCEO (few highlighted below)
- Illinois Grocery Initiative – New Stores in Food Deserts Program
- Eligibility includes:
- “Eligibility for this program will be constrained by geographic location, characteristics of prospective store ownership, and the intended offerings of the store.”
- “Grants will be limited to projects that will result in a new grocery store establishment in a food desert census tract.”
- “This grant opportunity will be limited to the following types of entities:
- Units of local government
- Independent grocers or cooperatives with fewer than 500 employees and no more than four grocery locations. This includes for-profit and nonprofit entities.”
- For more information on the criteria, read the NOFO pages 2-3
- Award Range: $160,000 – $2,400,000
- Deadline: May 24, 2024 at 5:00pm
- Eligibility includes:
- Equitable Energy Future Grant Program
- Eligibility includes:
- “Equity Eligible Contractors, per the definition in the Illinois Power Agency Act”
- “An Illinois business or nonprofit or cooperative organization that meets the equity building criteria in paragraph (9.5) of subsection (g) of Section 8-103B of the Public Utilities Act”
- Please read the NOFO for full criteria, pages 4-5
- Award Range: $250,000 – $1,000,000
- Deadline: June 30, 2024 at 5:00PM
- Eligibility includes:
- Rebuild Downtowns & Main Streets & Research in Illinois to Spur Economic Recovery Implementation Grants
- Eligibility includes:
- Economic development organizations (EDOs)
- Local units of government (e.g., municipalities, counties, townships)
- Private Businesses
- Award Range: $250,000 – $2,000,000
- Deadline: July 22, 2024 at 5pm
- Eligibility includes:
- For a complete list of DCEO grants, please visit our website. Please note there are several due June 2024 that I didn’t list in case you want to go to our website and review those now.
- Illinois Works Bid Credit Program
- Eligibility: “Contractors or subcontractors that employ apprentices that have completed the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program on any project (stated or privately funded) are eligible to earn bid credits they can use to make their bids for future state-funded public works projects more competitive.”
- Bid Credit Range: varies, here is more info on bid credits
- Additional State of Illinois Entities
- Bid – Upgrade Patio Fencing, Madden Mental Health Center – Hines, Cook County
- Description: The Capital Development Board is soliciting bids to upgrade patio fencing at Madden Mental Health Center.
- Deadline: May 28, 2024 at 11am (date revised)
- Federal Government
- U.S. Department of Labor – FY 24 Fostering Access, Rights and Equity (FARE) Grant Program
- Description: Open nationwide to nonprofits “…with deep ties to underserved and marginalized women workers who are disproportionately impacted by [gender-based violence and harassment] GBVH”
- Award Range: $250,000 – $350,000
- Deadline: May 28, 2024
- Local Governments
- Kane County – Grand Victoria Riverboat Fund Program
- Description: Open to nonprofits, 501(c)(3), organizations and units of local government for eligible projects that benefit Kane County residents with a focus on education, environment or economic development.
- Award Range: “Applicants may not receive more than $100,000…per project”
- Deadline: Friday, May 17, 2024, midnight
- Private/Community Resources
- Kane County Manufacturing Grant Program from IMEC
- Description: Open to manufacturing businesses located in Kane County
- BMO – Women in Business Grant Program
- Description: Open to over 20 states, including all of Illinois, for women-owned businesses with an annual revenue of $5 million or under and has been operating for at least 2 years as a business.
- Award Range: $10,000
- Deadline: May 14, 2024
- 2024 Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant
- Description: Open nationwide to arts writers who are at least 25 years old by October 1st, applying for a project about contemporary visual art. See grant for further criteria.
- Award Range: $15,000 to $50,000
- Deadline: May 15, 2024
- A Road Together (ART)
- Description: “the Field Foundation, in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation, launched A Road Together (ART), a new grantmaking program designed specifically for small and mid-sized arts and culture organizations with annual operating budgets up to $1 million and with a strong commitment to equity that are reflective and inclusive of Chicago’s diverse and historically underserved communities.”
- Deadline: May 17, 2024, portal now open
- Cécred x BeyGOOD Salon Business Grant
- Description: Open to licensed cosmetologists in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New Jersey.
- Award Range: $10,000
- Deadline: May 20, 2024
- Improving Youth Mental Health by The Cigna Group Foundation
- Description: Open to 10 states within the U.S. including Illinois, organization must be a 501(c)3 nonprofit. This Request for Proposal targets “… to improve the mental health of youth (ages 5–18) as it relates to post-pandemic stress and distress. This commitment includes support for those who care for youth in everyday settings and interactions, including their parents, caregivers, and youth service professionals, such as educators and therapists.”
- Award Range: $100,000 – $150,000 one year term
- Deadline: May 22, 2024
- Amazon Business Small Business Grants
- Description: Open to Amazon business customers who are headquartered in the U.S. and have an annual revenue of less than or equal to $1,000,000
- Award Range: varies
- Deadline: May 24, 2024
- Backing the B.A.R. from NAACP and BACARDI
- Description: Open nationwide to minority owned businesses who have a liquor license or working towards one. Example of businesses are restaurants, bars, nightclubs, lounges, liquor stores. See criteria for more information. Note, preference will be given to Black Entrepreneurs
- Award Range: $10,000
- Deadline: May 24, 2024 at 5pm
- Fund Her Future, H&R Block’s Business Grant for Women
- Description: Open nationwide to women owned (majority owned, 51% or more) businesses in the U.S. 5 women owned businesses will be selected for awards. See rules for full criteria.
- Award Range: $12,500 – $50,000 plus services from H&R block
- Deadline: May 26, 2024, 11:59 pm
- National Pride Grant for LGBTQIA+ Small Businesses
- Description: Open nationwide to LGBTQIA+ owned businesses, must have between 2 to 100 employees, make $5 million in annual revenue or less and been in business for at least 1 year. Grant opens on April 30, 2024 but businesses can already pre-register.
- Deadline: May 28, 2024
- 2024 Ignite Fund
- Description: “grants for community centered, public-facing visual arts projects that represent experimental, unconventional, and accessible practices by Chicago-area artists and artist-led collectives.” Individual artists and artist-led collectives are eligible to apply.
- Award Range: $6,000
- Deadline: May 29, 2024
- Seeding the Future Grants
- Description: Open to nonprofit organizations, 501(c)3, in Eastern Missouri (St. Louis City, St. Louis, Jefferson, St. Charles, and Franklin Counties) and Southern Illinois (Madison, St. Clair, and Monroe counties specifically) who are working on improving the health and well being of people in those areas.
- Award Range: $20,000
- Deadline: May 31, 2024
- We Rise Together Grant
- Description: “The program will connect vacant property owners with entrepreneurs in Auburn Gresham, Austin, Back of the Yards, Englewood, Gage Park, North Lawndale, South Lawndale, South Shore, Washington Park, and West Lawn. The program will also provide small business owners with funding to help them transition into brick-and-mortar spaces.”
- Award Range: up to $12,500
- Deadline: May 31, 2024
- EquityTech Fellowship
- Description: “This fellowship empowers entrepreneurs across the United States and the globe leveraging technology to increase social and financial inclusion and close equity gaps in wealth, education, and accessibility.”
- Award Range: “$10,000 per venture equity free stipend to use toward travel expenses to attend the residencies”
- Deadline: May 31, 2024
- 2024 AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund
- Description: “In partnership with Grubhub Community Fund, the AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund by National ACE provides help to under-resourced AAPI-owned restaurants to respond to supply chain disruptions, increased inventory costs, workforce development, and safety for their employees. 170 grants will be given to small business owners…”
- Award Range: $5,000 to $25,000
- Deadline May 31, 2024, or first 5,000 applications, whichever comes first.
- eBay Up & Running Grant
- Description: Open to ebay business sellers. 50 eBay business sellers will be awarded.
- Award Range: $10,000
- Deadline: June 7, 2024
- Jobber Grants
- Eligibility: “Any home service business owner or aspiring business owner 18 years old or older, residing in the U.S. and Canada, excluding Québec.”
- Award Range: $10,000
- Deadline: June 12, 2024
- Open Call on Closing Local Coverage Gaps
- Description: “Press Forward’s first open call will address longstanding inequities in journalism coverage and practice in the U.S. by investing in small, local newsrooms that provide original reporting to underserved communities”. This is open to for-profit, nonprofit, and university/college student newsrooms.
- Award Range: $100,000
- Deadline: June 12, 2024
- Progressive Driving Small Business Forward
- Description: Open nationwide to businesses who have 10 or fewer employees, have an annual revenue of less than 5 million annual and “have a demonstrated need for a qualifying commercial vehicle to run your business and a clear plan for growth as a result of this vehicle purchase”.
- Award Range: $50,000
- Deadline: June 14, 2024 at 5:00pm
- 2024 mPOWER Women Black Founders cohort
- Description: “To be eligible for the next mPOWER cohort, you must be a Black innovator and/or founder, have a clear problem that you are solving with a physical product, and can dedicate 7-10 hours a week during the 6-month program beginning in August 2024”
- Award Range: $5,000 microgrant, plus other benefits see webpage for complete list
- Deadline: June 20, 2024
- 2025 Here to Be Grant
- Description: Open globally to registered nonprofits, or charities, or fiscally sponsored by one who work to advance wellbeing outcomes through physical, mental, and/or social programming,have an annual budget of less than $2 million, have diverse and representative leadership, and serve populations most impacted by systemic inequity..
- Award Range: up to $50,000
- Deadline: June 28, 2024 (opens June 3, 2024)
- 2024 She’s Connected by AT&T
- Description: Open nationwide to women owned businesses who have 50 or less employees
- Award Range: $50,000, 1 year AT&T service with a brand new device, etc. (see webpage for more info)
- Deadline: July 10, 2024
- Envisioning Justice Grants for Organizations
- Description: “Illinois Humanities partners with groups throughout the state to use the arts and humanities to spark statewide conversations about the impact of mass incarceration, envision community-based solutions, and facilitate healing.” Open to nonprofits in Illinois. “Based anywhere in Illinois; individuals from the following areas are particularly encouraged to apply: East St. Louis, Decatur, Carbondale, Galesburg, Urbana-Champaign, and the Bloomington-Normal Metro Area. However, applicants from anywhere in Illinois are eligible”
- Award Range: up to $10,000
- Deadline: July 16, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. (opens May 15, 2024 at 9am)
- South Side Pitch by IJ Clinic on Entrepreneurship
- Description: Open to businesses in the South Side of Chicago, who have less than 50 employees, not part of a franchise, and make less than $1 million in annual revenue. For more info on criteria, click HERE.
- Award Range: varies
- Deadline: August 5, 2024 (portal doesn’t open until June 17, 2024)
- Midland States Bank Foundation Fall Awards
- Description: “[Midland States Bank Foundation] are proud to offer grants to non-profit organizations and initiatives that align with [their] key focus areas: education, work force development, financial empowerment, housing, small business development and health & wellness.” This grant is open to 501(c)3 or 501(c)6 organizations serving the communities in the geographic areas of Midland.
- Award Range: $7,500+
- Deadline: September 30, 2024 (opens on July 1, 2024)