Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

• • • Description: “Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to support income eligible households with utility costs. LIHEAP will begin accepting applications on October 1, 2024, through August 15, 2025, or until funds are exhausted.”
    • Deadline: August 15, 2025

• Additional State of Illinois

• • Illinois Environmental Protection Agency – Energy Efficiency Assessment Program
    • Description: “The Energy Efficiency Assessment Program provides funding to public housing authorities, local governments, or nonprofit organizations to conduct energy efficiency assessments at properties benefiting residents receiving housing assistance from a state or federal program.”
    • Award Range: $5,000 to $25,000
    • Deadline: No specified due date. Note this has been open for a while.

• • Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS)
    • Title: FY 2024 Urban Area Nonprofit Security Grant Program National Security Supplemental (NSGP-NSS-UASI)
    • Description: “will provide a total of $105 million nationally to eligible 501(c) (3) organizations who are deemed at high-risk of a potential terrorist attack and are located in one of the FY 2024 UASI-eligible urban areas. The designated urban area for Illinois is Cook County.”
    • Award Range: $200,000 per nonprofit site, nonprofits with multiple sites max is $600,000
    • Deadline: December 18, 2024 at 5:00pm

• • • Title: FY 2024 Statewide Nonprofit Security Grant Program National Security Supplemental (NSGP-NSS-S)
    • Description: “will provide a total of $105 million nationally to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations who are deemed at high-risk of a potential terrorist attack located outside of Cook County.”
    • Award Range: $200,000 per nonprofit site, nonprofits with multiple sites max is $600,000
    • Deadline: December 18, 2024 at 5:00pm

• Federal Government

• • Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program in Illinois from USDA
    • Description: “To help microenterprises startup and growth through a Rural Microloan Revolving Fund.” Those eligible for the loan are “Businesses located in an eligible area with 10 or fewer full-time employees.”
    • Range: Up to $50,000
    • Deadline: December 31, 2024 at 10:59pm

• • Tribal Management Grant Program
    • Description: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) are eligible for this program. The purpose of this program is to: Enhance and develop health management infrastructure. Help T/TOs in assuming all or part of existing IHS PFSAs through a title I ISDEAA contract.  Help established title I ISDEAA contractors and title V ISDEAA compactors to further develop and improve management capability.”
    • Award Range: $50,000 – $150,000
    • Deadline: January 13, 2025

• Local Governments

• • City of Chicago – Community Development Grants (CDG)
    • Description:
      • Medium CDG: “Medium grants…are intended to support eligible commercial, cultural, industrial, institutional, social service and mixed-use projects”
      • Large CDG: “Large grants…are intended to support eligible commercial, cultural, industrial, institutional, social service and mixed-use projects”
    • Award Range: Small CDG – up to $250,000; Medium CDG – between $300,001 – $5 million; Large CDG – $5 million and above
    • Deadline:
      • Medium CDG:  February 14, 2025 at 11:59pm
      • Large CDG: Rolling

• • City of Chicago – Neighborhood Opportunity Fund
    • Description: “The Neighborhood Opportunity Fund (NOF) provides grants up to $250,000 for small business and cultural projects located along West, Southwest, and South Side commercial corridors. NOF grants are provided as reimbursement for up to 75% of eligible project expenses with a maximum grant of $250,000. Applicants may qualify for additional funding for Technical Assistance.”
    • Award Range: up to $250,000
    • Deadline: February 14, 2025 at 11:59pm

• • Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability’s (DES) free Businesses Reducing Impact on the Environment (BRITE) program
    • Description: Open to businesses in suburban Cook County who have 500 or less employees, were negatively impacted by COVID-19 pandemic, were in operation prior to January 1, 2020 and are in the following industries:
      • Dry cleaning facility
      • Auto body or auto repair shop
      • Metal finisher
      • Metal fabricator
      • Food and beverage manufacturer
    • Award Range: up to $300,000 (please note, “To receive a BRITE grant, small businesses must complete the interest survey by DES or must have had a similar environmental assessment conducted by a DES partner or third party.)

• • Jo Daviess County Small Business Development Grant
    • Description: “Eligible applicants include any [Jo Daviess County]-based or to be based private sector small business retailer, manufacturer, service provider, wholesaler, those in the hospitality industry, along with farmers and food processors.”
    • Award Range: up to $25,000
    • Deadline: May 30, 2025

• • Village of Gurnee – Impact Grant
    • Description: “This is a 1:1 matching grant open to a business of any size located within the Village of Gurnee corporate limits, generate sales tax, in good standing with the Village and compliant with all obligations, & a building owner of a qualifying business. No minimum project size with a rolling application period.”
    • Award Range: $10,000 – $20,000

• Private/Community Resources

• • Girls Opportunity Alliance – Storytelling Videographer – Request for Qualifications from Obama Foundation
    • Description: “The Barack Obama Foundation is seeking Request for Qualifications from a vend specializing in videography. More information and the deadline for proposals will be provided upon execution of a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).” “The Videographer will film and edit short storytelling videos for use on social media and online with corresponding still photography featuring the work of organizations supported by the Girls Opportunity Alliance in Chicago and around the world.”

• • Small Certified Supplier Innovative Finance Program
    • Description: Open to certified minority-, women-, veteran-, and LGBTQ+ owned businesses (certified by national or state organizations) in the following states California, Georgia, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Pennsylvania, or New Jersey. The annual revenue of the business should be between $250,000 to $10 million.
    • Award Range: $5,000

• • Advance McHenry County grant from IMEC
    • Description: Open to manufacturing businesses located in McHenry County

• • VNA Foundation
    • Description: “VNA Foundation awards grants to support nonprofit organizations that provide home- and community-based health services to medically underserved populations in Cook County. Organizations in the surrounding collar counties (Lake, McHenry, DuPage, Kane and Will) are also eligible for funding, if serving HRSA-designated medically underserved populations in Health Workforce Shortage Areas.”
    • Award Range: $40,000- $80,000
    • Deadline: December 16, 2024 (letter of intent due)  by 5:00pm

• • Chicago Prize from Pritzker Traubert Foundation
    • Description: “…supports real estate development plans on Chicago’s South and West sides. These plans must be envisioned by and for the community.” Open to 501(c)3 nonprofits and the project must be focused in Chicago’s South and/or West side.
    • Award Range: $10 million grant
    • Deadline: December 18, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.

• • Bob Woodruff Foundation (grant focused on veterans)
    • Description: Open to nonprofits. “…fund programs and services that serve the military and veteran community. [They] focus on programs that improve the health and wellbeing of service members, veterans, their families, and caregivers, and those that:
      • Improve social determinants of health
      • Decrease barriers to accessing physical and mental healthcare
      • Increase accessibility to programming that fosters a healthy lifestyle
      • Enhance opportunities for veterans to thrive after service”
    • Award Range: undisclosed
    • Deadline: January 6, 2025

• • Vanguard Charitable – Philanthropic Impact Fund
    • Title: Philanthropic Impact Fund
    • Description: Open to nonprofits, 501(c)3. “The Philanthropic Impact Fund (PIF) issues grants that elevate the philanthropic industry. PIF works to help donors make informed granting decisions and educates nonprofits on providing effective and efficient solutions to increase capacity and capability.”
    • Award Range: $30,000 – $50,000
    • Deadline: January 15, 2025

• • • Title: Sustainable Disaster Relief Fund
    • Description: “The Sustainable Disaster-Relief Fund (SDRF) was established in 2006 to aid communities hit by natural disasters. This fund supports communities as they rebuild and establish necessary infrastructure to better handle the impact of a repeat disaster.”
    • Award Range: $10,000 – $30,000
    • Deadline: January 15, 2025

• • The Racial Equity and Community Partnership Grant Program by Northwestern University
    • Description: “…goal is to foster mutually beneficial partnerships between community-based organizations and Northwestern University representatives that address the root causes of racial inequities and work toward structural changes.” Target geographic areas are Evanston and Chicago.
    • Award Range: $25,000-$75,000
    • Deadline: January 24, 2025 (letter of interest due)

• • 2025 Hillman Prize Nominations from Sidney Hillman Foundation
    • Description: Open nationwide to journalists and writers in the following categories:
      • “Book (nonfiction)
      • Newspaper Journalism (story, series or multimedia; print or online)
      • Magazine Journalism (longform; print or online)
      • Broadcast Journalism (television, radio or podcast; at least 20 minutes in total package length)
      • Opinion & Analysis Journalism (commentary and analysis in any medium)”
    • Award Range: $5,000 honorarium
    • Deadline: January 30, 2025 at 10:59pm

• • Asphalt Art Initiative from Bloomberg Philanthropies
    • Description: “The Asphalt Art Initiative grant program is designed to fund visual art on roadways, pedestrian spaces, and public infrastructure in cities with the following primary goals: Improving street and pedestrian safety; Revitalizing and activating underutilized public space; Promoting collaboration and civic engagement in local communities.” “This grant program is open to cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States with populations of 50,000 or more. Each city may only submit one application; multiple applications from one city will not be considered.”
    • Award Range: up to $100,000
    • Deadline: January 31, 2025 at 10:59pm

• • Youth Engagement Philanthropy (YEP) Grant Program from Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
    • Description: “The YEP Program provides grants to verified nonprofit agencies in the Community Foundation’s service area.” Service area includes: City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County.
    • Award Range: $500 – $5,000
    • Deadline: February 1, 2025

• • RRF Foundation for Aging
    • Description: “…focuses on improving the quality of life for older people. In an effort to strengthen the Foundation’s impact, RRF has established Priority Areas. These Priority Areas are specific topics in aging that will be given higher priority within the Foundation’s grantmaking program. While these reflect RRF’s primary funding interests, the Foundation will remain open to considering compelling applications on other topics.
      • Caregiving: Ensuring care partners are informed, well-trained, and supported while providing care to older people in community settings.
      • Economic Security in Later Life: Valuing the dignity of older people through efforts that ensure and protect their economic security and well-being.
      • Housing: Promoting efforts to make housing more affordable and provide coordinated services that enable older people to live safely in community settings.
      • Social and Intergenerational Connectedness: Strengthening social bonds through efforts that promote meaningful connections, including those that span generations.
      • Organizational Capacity Building: Improve management and governance of organizations in Illinois.”

Open to nonprofits or “OR nonprofit organizations that are not required to have a 501(c)(3) designation, such as state-funded universities and Area Agencies on Aging.” Open nationwide with a focus on Midwest.

• • • Award Range: undisclosed but awardees from last year received $15,000 – $574,000
    • Deadline: February 1, 2025 (letters of inquiry is due)

• • Vilcek Foundation (grant to support orgs who support immigrant artists)
    • Description: “…invites applications for grants to support nonprofit organizations that work with immigrant artists and communities, and that promote diversity in the arts, sciences, education, and humanities.” Open nationwide and U.S. territories nonprofits with 501(c)3 status.
    • Award Range: $5,000 and $20,000
    • Deadline: June 30, 2025

• • Illinois Grocery Initiative – Equipment Upgrade Program (Round 2) (Notice of Funding Opportunity 3295-2956)
    • Description: “The Illinois Grocery Initiative Equipment Upgrades Program, authorized by Public Act 103-0561, will provide grants for new energy-efficient equipment upgrades for existing independently-owned for-profit grocery stores, cooperative grocery stores, or not-for-profit grocery stores.” “DCEO has contracted with Chicago State University (CSU) and Western Illinois University (WIU) to provide technical assistance services for Illinois Grocery Initiative applicants and grantees.” (page 1-2 of NOFO). There is a matching component please read the NOFO.
    • Eligibility includes:
      • “Grants will be limited to projects making energy-efficient investments in existing bricks[1]and-mortar operations in Illinois.
      • This grant opportunity will be limited to independently-owned grocers or cooperatives with fewer than 500 employees and no more than 4 grocery stores.
      • Grocery locations must be consistent with the following to be eligible:
        • The store is or will be classified as a supermarket or other grocery retailer in the 2022 North American Industry Classification System under code 445110, a meat retailer under code 44524, a fruit and vegetable retailer under code 44523, or a fish and seafood retailer under 44525.
        • The store cannot derive more than 30% of its revenue from alcohol and tobacco sales.
        • The store must accept or will accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children benefits.
        • The store must contribute to diversity of fresh foods available in the community by selling fresh foods such as meats, fruits and vegetables that have not been processed in any manner”
    • Award Range: $25,000 – $250,000
    • Deadline: December 15, 2025 at 5:00PM or until funds are exhausted (applications accepted on rolling basis)
      • Technical Assistance Webinar: Date: 01/08/2025: 10:00AM, Registration link: https://illinois.webex.com/weblink/register/r88a0de3109f9d80233d673e22bbe4365

• Additional DCEO funding

• • Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
    • Description: “Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to support income eligible households with utility costs. LIHEAP will begin accepting applications on October 1, 2024, through August 15, 2025, or until funds are exhausted.”
    • Deadline: August 15, 2025

• • Illinois Environmental Protection Agency – Energy Efficiency Assessment Program
    • Description: “The Energy Efficiency Assessment Program provides funding to public housing authorities, local governments, or nonprofit organizations to conduct energy efficiency assessments at properties benefiting residents receiving housing assistance from a state or federal program.”
    • Award Range: $5,000 to $25,000
    • Deadline: No specified due date. Note this has been open for a while.

• • Capital Development Board – Solicitations

• • • • 810-014-005 | Replace Plumbing and Upgrade Restrooms
        • Cost Range: Less than $3,000,000
        • City: Chicago (Harold Washington College)
        • Cook: County
        • Deadline: Tuesday, January 21, 2025 at 11:00 AM

• • • • 321-100-130 | Replace Roofing Systems
        • Cost Range: Less than $3,500,00
        • City: Kankakee (Shapiro Campus Engineering Building)
        • County: Kankakee
        • Deadline: Tuesday, January 21, 2025 at 11:00 AM

• • • • 810-094-025 | Construct Allied Health Addition (construction – new)
        • Cost Range: Less than $45,000,000
        • City: South Holland
        • County: Cook
        • Deadline: Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at 11:00 AM

• National Endowment for the Arts – Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY 26 Challenge America
  • Description: “Challenge America supports projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved groups/communities. The program welcomes applications from applicants that are primarily small organizations, first-time applicants to the NEA, and/or returning Challenge America  applicants. Eligible applicants include: nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organizations; units of state or  local government; Federally recognized tribal communities or tribes; and applicants that have  not been recommended for funding in any of the three most recent Fiscal Years in the NEA’s Grants for Arts Projects, Our Town, or Research Awards grant programs”
  • Award Range: $10,000
  • Deadline: April 24, 2025 at 10:59pm

• Local Governments

• • City of Chicago – Individual Artists Program (IAP)
    • Description: “The Individual Artists Program (IAP) aims to assist Chicago’s practicing artists in creating work that develops their craft and elevates their careers, while adding to the cultural vitality of the city of Chicago. IAP grants support artists across all artistic disciplines including Film & Media Arts, Literary Arts, Music, Performing Arts (Theater/Dance), and Visual Arts/Design.”
    • Award Range: up to $6,000
    • Deadline: January 15, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.

• Cook County Manufacturing Reinvented
  • Description: “The Cook County Manufacturing Reinvented Program gives the opportunity for small to mid-sized manufacturers in Cook County to receive fully funded projects in areas they want to focus on.”  “Manufacturing establishments with less than 500 employees in Cook County are eligible.”
  • Award Range: up to $25,000