Community Services Grant Program

The Community Services Grant Program, administered by the Community Development Services Department of the City of Urbana, provides annual funding for public and private nonprofit organizations delivering essential community-based services to low-income households in Urbana, Illinois. Designed for Program Year 2027 (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027), this initiative reflects the city's commitment to addressing socioeconomic disparities by investing in programs that offer measurable, lasting impact for its most vulnerable residents. Through this funding opportunity, the city aims to strengthen the local service infrastructure across a range of key social service areas. For PY 2027, the City of Urbana has allocated a total of $588,000 toward the Community Services Grant Program. This amount includes a $200,000 set-aside specifically for agencies supporting victims of domestic violence and an additional $100,000 for immigrant services. The remaining $288,000 is designated for initiatives across other eligible service categories. Grants are awarded on a case-by-case basis, with most individual awards ranging between $15,000 and $75,000. However, the city will consider applications outside this range depending on the proposed program’s scope and impact. Eligible service areas include domestic violence services, education, employment and job training, family support and services for special needs, food security, healthcare, housing and homelessness prevention, immigrant services, senior services, violence prevention, and youth services. All funded activities must directly benefit low-income Urbana residents and fall within eligible cost categories such as staffing, program materials, instructional costs, rent/utilities, and travel directly related to the funded program. Capital expenditures and indirect costs are generally ineligible, except for domestic violence shelter-related expenses, which may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants must apply online through the Neighborly application portal. The application opens on February 3, 2026, and closes on April 6, 2026, at 5:00 PM Central Time. To assist applicants, city staff will host two virtual grant assistance workshops on February 12 and March 24, 2026. Attendance at these workshops requires advance registration via email. All application-related inquiries must be submitted by March 31, 2026, to be considered. In addition, applicants are required to sign and submit a certification form confirming that they have read the full Program Manual, which includes critical details regarding documentation, eligibility, and compliance requirements. To be considered for funding, applicants must submit all required documents outlined in the manual. For nonprofit entities, this includes tax-exempt letters, W-9 forms, audited financials, organizational budgets, and board rosters. Public entities must provide their charters, bylaws, tax exemption certificates, and similar fiscal documentation. Failure to submit these documents will result in disqualification. Scoring of eligible applications is based on ten criteria including alignment with community needs, program feasibility, organizational capacity, and demonstration of impact. Applications that do not address at least one key service area or fail to submit required documentation will be rejected outright. Grant funds will be disbursed on a reimbursement basis, contingent on the submission of quarterly reports through the Neighborly system. In some cases, up-front funding of up to 50% may be provided at the discretion of the Grants Division Manager. All awarded funds must be expended within the program year ending June 30, 2027. Applicants must maintain appropriate fiscal records, and programs must align with non-discrimination and constitutional compliance standards. Religious organizations may apply if their services are secular and open to all eligible individuals without religious participation requirements.