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Illinois grants for Private institutions of higher education

Explore 101 grant opportunities

Light a Single Candle Grants
Contact for amount
Light a Single Candle Foundation
Private

Application Deadline

Mar 28, 2026

Date Added

Oct 28, 2025

This grant provides funding to organizations working on sustainable development initiatives that alleviate poverty in specific areas, including international locations, the Greater Metropolitan St. Louis region, and West Central Illinois.

Youth
Nonprofits
Small Business Development Centers
$525,000
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
State
Rolling

Application Deadline

Not specified

Date Added

Dec 20, 2025

This funding opportunity provides financial support to organizations that assist small businesses and entrepreneurs in underserved areas of Illinois, helping them access resources, improve operations, and foster growth and innovation.

Business and Commerce
Nonprofits
Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program
$40,000,000
Minneapolis Foundation
Private

Application Deadline

Nov 1, 2026

Date Added

Dec 9, 2024

This program provides $40 million in funding to support environmental and public health initiatives in underserved communities across the Great Lakes region, prioritizing tribal governments, small nonprofits, and local organizations addressing environmental challenges.

Environment
City or township governments
AmeriCorps Competitive Traditional
$800,000
Illinois Department of Human Services
State

Application Deadline

Mar 23, 2026

Date Added

Dec 16, 2024

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and local governments in Illinois to deploy AmeriCorps members for community service projects that address critical needs in areas like education, health, and public safety.

Youth
Nonprofits
Federal Grant Support Program
$2,000,000
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic opportunity
State
Rolling

Application Deadline

Not specified

Date Added

Apr 17, 2024

This program provides matching grants to Illinois-based organizations, including local governments, nonprofits, and businesses, to enhance their competitiveness for federal funding in projects that support economic development and clean energy initiatives.

Business and Commerce
City or township governments
National-Central Expanding Opportunities for Community Change
$350,000
Cultivating Healthy Environments – National-Central
Private
Rolling

Application Deadline

Apr 30, 2027

Date Added

Feb 14, 2025

This funding opportunity provides financial support to community organizations and local governments working to address environmental justice issues and improve public health in underserved communities across the U.S.

Environment
Nonprofits
Professional Development Grant
$120,000
U.S. Department of Agriculture (National Institute of Food and Agriculture)
Federal

Application Deadline

Apr 2, 2026

Date Added

Feb 19, 2026

This funding opportunity is designed to enhance the skills of agricultural educators in the Midwest, enabling them to develop impactful programs that promote sustainable farming practices and support local farmers and ranchers.

Agriculture
Nonprofits
Rural Feasibility Study Grant Program
$5,000
Compeer Financial
Private
Rolling

Application Deadline

Not specified

Date Added

Mar 7, 2024

This program provides funding for feasibility studies that promote economic development and improve community resources in rural areas of Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Information and Statistics
Nonprofits
Gladys Brooks Foundation Grants
$150,000
Gladys Brooks Foundation
Private

Application Deadline

May 31, 2026

Date Added

Oct 23, 2024

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in specific states for capital projects and endowments in libraries, educational institutions, and healthcare facilities.

Education
Nonprofits
CFMC Emergency Grant Program
Contact for amount
The Community Foundation for McHenry County
Local
Rolling

Application Deadline

Not specified

Date Added

Jul 18, 2025

This grant provides financial assistance to nonprofit organizations in McHenry County facing urgent, unexpected challenges that threaten their operations or mission.

Disaster Prevention and Relief
Nonprofits
Community Development Grant - Large (CDG-L)
Contact for amount
City of Chicago – Department of Planning and Development (DPD)
Local
Rolling

Application Deadline

Not specified

Date Added

Oct 8, 2024

This program provides substantial funding to support the development of commercial, cultural, industrial, and mixed-use projects in Chicago, aimed at enhancing community infrastructure and services.

Community Development
Nonprofits
CMP Long Term Care Resident Enrichment
$20,000
Illinois Public Health
State

Application Deadline

Aug 20, 2024

Date Added

Jul 22, 2024

Utilizing CMP funds from the federal CMS, long-term care facilities will be able to implement as few as one (1) and as many as six (6) projects for their Long-Term Care facility. In an effort to support the maintenance of cognitive and mobility skills, the Illinois Department of Public Health, Office of Healthcare Regulation (OHCR) announces an opportunity for certified facilities to submit applications for projects that must provide the residents of long term care facilities with a program or project deliverable that meaningfully improves the quality of life or quality of care for residents in the facility. These projects should deliver direct improvements to quality of life, direct improvements to quality of care, alternatives to pharmacological interventions, alternative behavioral management, training programs and implementation.

Health
Nonprofits
FY24 Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Financial Assistance Program - Watershed-Based Planning (Section 319(h))
$750,000
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
State

Application Deadline

May 1, 2024

Date Added

Mar 24, 2024

The Illinois EPA is seeking proposals for projects aimed at addressing nonpoint source (NPS) pollution to enhance the quality of Illinois' surface and groundwater. Funded through the Clean Water Act's Section 319(h), this program supports the development and implementation of watershed-based planning projects. These projects may include creating new watershed-based plans, updating existing plans, providing technical assistance for NPS pollution control, and conducting environmental and social indicator monitoring. The goal is to prevent, eliminate, or reduce water quality impairments through strategic planning and community engagement. Grant renewed every year.

Environment
Nonprofits
FY25 Bureau of Land Management Invasive and Noxious Plant Management- Bureau wide
$500,000
U.S. Department of the Interior (Bureau of Land Management)
Federal

Application Deadline

Jul 23, 2025

Date Added

Jun 24, 2025

This funding opportunity provides financial support to state and local governments, tribal organizations, and nonprofits for projects aimed at managing and controlling invasive and noxious plant species on public lands across the U.S.

Natural Resources
State governments
Fed - Sp Ed - IDEA Discretionary - IL Special Education Leadership Academy - ISELA Project RFP
$186,000
Illinois State Board Of Education
State

Application Deadline

Aug 18, 2025

Date Added

Jul 4, 2025

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Education
Nonprofits
Rural IL Opioid Overdose Prevention - Public Safety Involved Linkage to Care
$132,010
Illinois Public Health
State

Application Deadline

Not specified

Date Added

Sep 30, 2024

This grant provides funding to two agencies in rural Illinois to create a program that connects individuals who have experienced an opioid overdose with necessary support and recovery resources through the involvement of first responders.

Health
Nonprofits
Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Great Lakes-Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)
$493,039
U.S. Department of the Interior (Geological Survey)
Federal

Application Deadline

Sep 22, 2025

Date Added

Aug 23, 2025

This funding opportunity is designed for partners affiliated with the Great Lakes-Northern Forest CESU to conduct research that supports the restoration and management of coastal ecosystems in the Great Lakes Basin, focusing on issues like invasive species and nutrient dynamics.

Science and Technology
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Illinois Works Pre-apprenticeship Program
$550,000
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
State

Application Deadline

Aug 30, 2024

Date Added

Aug 5, 2024

Grant program designed to train underrepresented population to successfully enter the construction industry and the trades. The program focuses removing barriers for entry and transitioning graduates to DOL-registered apprenticeship programs. The goal of the Illinois Works Act is to ensure that all Illinois residents have access to State capital projects and careers in the construction industry and building trades, as well as provide contracting and employment opportunities to historically underrepresented populations in the construction industry and the trades. The Illinois Works Pre-apprenticeship NOFO and program is a critical component in the success of the Act, by increasing the number of qualified construction and building trades apprentices who are women, people of color, veterans or from otherwise underrepresented populations (as defined by the Illinois Works Jobs Program Act) and preparing them to enter full apprenticeship programs on their way to careers in construction and the building trades.

Workforce Development
Nonprofits
Clean Energy Career Pathway Program
$5,000,000
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Private

Application Deadline

Not specified

Date Added

Oct 18, 2024

This funding opportunity provides financial support to educational institutions and organizations to develop programs that prepare students for careers in the clean energy sector, focusing on skills development and workforce readiness.

Energy
City or township governments
Community Grants Program 2024
$5,000
Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln
Private

Application Deadline

Jul 12, 2024

Date Added

Jun 6, 2024

The Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln is inviting nonprofit organizations to apply for its Community Grants Program. This program aims to support charitable initiatives within specific geographic limitations, aligning with the Foundation's mission to strengthen the communities in the Land of Lincoln. The grant program seeks to fund projects that address community needs and enhance the quality of life for residents within the designated counties. The target beneficiaries for this program are the residents of Cass, Christian, Logan, Macoupin, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, and Sangamon Counties in Illinois. Eligible organizations include 501(c)(3) charitable organizations, faith-based organizations (provided proposals benefit all regardless of religion and are not religious in nature), public or private schools (for projects exceeding their budget funding), and some government entities or municipalities. The program focuses on supporting a wide array of community-benefiting projects. While specific impact goals and expected outcomes are not explicitly detailed in terms of measurable results, the program's general objective is to foster community improvement and address local challenges. The funding information indicates multiple grant awards of up to $5,000 each, implying a strategy to support various smaller-scale projects that collectively contribute to broader community well-being. The selection criteria suggest a priority for well-structured proposals from eligible organizations that demonstrate a clear benefit to the community. The Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln's strategic priorities, as evidenced by this program, appear to center on broad community support and capacity building for local organizations. By offering grants to a diverse range of entities, the Foundation likely aims to create a ripple effect of positive change across the specified counties. The theory of change seems to be that by providing financial resources to local organizations, these organizations can then effectively implement programs and services that directly benefit the community, thereby contributing to the overall strength and vitality of the Land of Lincoln.

Community Development
City or township governments