Funding Opportunities:

• DCEO (few highlighted below)

• • Illinois State Designated Cultural Districts 2025 NODO
    • Description: “The purpose of this Notice of Designation Opportunity (NODO) is to designate an additional five (5) State-Designated Cultural Districts that build on existing strong cultural identities and promote economic development.”
    • Eligibility includes: “Municipalities or 501(c)(3) organizations located in Illinois are eligible to apply to be a State-Designated Cultural District if the applicant:
      • Demonstrates the community seeking certification has been historically impacted and is currently at risk of losing their cultural identity because of gentrification displacement, or the COVID-19 pandemic.
      • Demonstrates a history of economic disinvestment.
      • Demonstrates strong community support for the Cultural District designation through active and formal participation by community organizations and municipal and regional government agencies or officials.
    • Deadline: December 16, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.

• • Tourism Private Sector Grant Program
    • Description: “…provide grants for the purpose of attracting, hosting and developing new events and festivals in Illinois or enhancing existing festivals and events.”
    • Eligibility includes:
      • Illinois for-profit entity
      • County;
      • Municipality;
      • Not-for-profit entity;
      • Local promotion groups
    • Award Range: $10,000 – $50,000
    • Deadline: December 20, 2024 at 5:00PM

• • Tourism Attraction Grant Program
    • Description: “…provide grants to assist in the development or improvement of tourism attractions that increase the economic impact of tourism throughout the State”
    • Eligibility includes:
      • Units of local government;
      • Counties;
      • Municipalities;
      • Not-for-profit organizations;
      • Local promotion groups; and
      • For-profit businesses
    • Award Range: $15,000 – $200,000
    • Deadline: December 20, 2024 at 5:00PM

• • Equitable Energy Future Grant Program (Notice of Funding Opportunity 3054-2878)
    • Description: “…to provide pre-development funding opportunities to eligible contractors to support the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects benefitting businesses, community organizations, and the workforce in Illinois with a specific focus on historically disadvantaged communities. The grant program is designed to help remove barriers to project, community, and business development caused by lack of capital.”
    • Eligibility includes: “Equity Eligible Contractors (EEC) that can provide an Illinois Power Agency EEC certification” or “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.”
    • Award Range: $250,000 – $1,000,000
    • Deadline: December 31, 2024 at 5:00PM

• • For a complete list of DCEO grants, please visit our website.  

• 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

• 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