Illinois Agriculture Grants

This program provides funding to Illinois-based nonprofits, educational institutions, and government entities to enhance the specialty crop industry, focusing on food safety, research, and support for underserved farmers.

This program provides funding to small and mid-sized farms and food businesses in Illinois to improve processing, storage, and distribution capabilities, enhancing local food availability and supporting underserved communities.

This program provides funding to small food businesses, farms, and local governments in Illinois to improve their infrastructure for processing and distributing local agricultural products.

This funding opportunity supports projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in Illinois, benefiting farmers, nonprofits, and educational organizations focused on innovation, food safety, and community access to fresh produce.

This grant provides financial support for projects that improve economic development and quality of life in rural Illinois communities, encouraging collaboration among local organizations to address challenges like funding shortages and infrastructure needs.

This contest invites photographers of all skill levels to showcase their images of the Cook County Forest Preserves, with a focus on capturing the area's natural beauty and outdoor activities.

This program provides funding to projects that improve tourism attractions in Illinois, helping local communities increase visitor traffic and boost economic growth.

This funding opportunity is designed for private sector businesses in Illinois to develop projects that boost tourism and drive economic growth in the state.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to local government departments and nonprofit organizations in Waukegan for economic development projects that benefit low- to moderate-income residents and address urban challenges.

This program provides funding to local governments and nonprofit organizations in Waukegan for public infrastructure and facility improvements that benefit low- and moderate-income residents.

This grant provides financial and technical support to systemically marginalized local farmers and food businesses in Cook County, Illinois, to enhance access to healthy, sustainable food in community meal programs and institutions.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for individual artists, arts organizations, and nonprofits in Boone, DeKalb, Ogle, and Winnebago Counties, Illinois, to develop community-focused arts projects that enrich the local cultural landscape.

This program provides financial support to food-growing businesses and nonprofits in Kane County to help them recover from pandemic impacts and improve food security through fresh produce donations.

This grant provides $100,000 to Chicago-based nonprofit organizations for impactful projects that address critical social issues, including culture, education, family support, health, and sustainability.

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, managed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity in Illinois, provides funds to assist Illinois communities in their economic and community development efforts, particularly focusing on aiding individuals with low-to-moderate income.

The Lumpkin Family Foundation is currently accepting letters of inquiry for its Land, Health, Community (LHC) Grant Program. Donor Name: The Lumpkin Family Foundation State: Illinois County: Coles County (IL), Effingham County (IL) Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Land, Health, Community (LHC) is the Foundation’s primary and largest grantmaking program and reflects the Lumpkin family’s historic connection and commitment to the community. A minimum of 50 percent of its annual grantmaking budget is spent on projects in East Central Illinois. Through Land, Health, Community we work toward a long-term vision of holistically healthy communities. The Lumpkin Family Foundation makes grants in East Central Illinois that reflect the vision: The community has a strong local food system and agricultural economy, resilient businesses, and amenities that attract new businesses and retain local talent. They are prosperous. The community is physically active, values healthy eating, and prioritizes overall wellbeing. They are mentally well and physically fit. The community has strong leadership and the capacity for collaboration. They are socially engaged. The community works to conserve, protect and preserve the natural environment. They value the natural beauty of the area. Mental Health The Lumpkin Family Foundation has now expanded the program’s focus to include efforts that contribute to mental wellness through individual and community engagement with the natural environment. Researchers have posited that “contact with nature is associated with increases in happiness, subjective well-being, positive affect, positive social interactions and a sense of meaning and purpose in life, as well as decreases in mental distress.” Specifically, the foundation aims to fund programs that: Demonstrate and promote a connection between engagement with nature and positive mental health outcomes; Create opportunities for youth and young adults to disengage from technology and engage in outdoor programs and activities designed to improve their mental wellness; Support mental health practitioners by increasing opportunities for self-care or personal renewal; Provide opportunities for those impacted by trauma (i.e., foster youth) to engage in nature-based healing activities. Focus Areas  Successful proposals will represent a synergy of as many of the following aims as possible: Promote personal health through widespread availability and consumption of healthy, affordable food; Support mental wellness through individual and community engagement with the natural environment; Grow the local agricultural economy, sustaining and creating new viable farm and farm-related businesses; Develop, promote and scale innovative green practices that add productive value to farms while protecting the land for future generations; and, Encourage community engagement and collaboration, policy development and research around agriculture and rural development. Geographic Areas of Interest  The Foundation encourages applicants from organizations across East Central Illinois. The foundation gives preference to rural organizations and those operating in Coles and the surrounding counties. For more information, visit TLFF.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)/ Center for Food and Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) is announcing its intention to receive and consider a single source application for the award of a cooperative agreement in fiscal year 2024 to the Illinois Institute of Technology to support the Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH). The purposes of this continued support are to:1. Carry out multidisciplinary applied research projects on pre- and postharvest processing preventive control measures, on food processing and packaging technologies, on the impact of these processing strategies on the nutritional quality of food, and on laboratory method performance (including method validation) that address research needs associated with FDA-regulated products, fill knowledge gaps identified in prevention strategies, and that are consistent with the Deputy Commissioner of Foods vision for the implementation of the new Human Foods Program (HFP) Science and Research Strategic Plan;2. Maintain and facilitate the further development of the IFSH collaborative research program by leveraging resources among U.S. government agencies, universities (including other IIT components), and the food industry to achieve practical Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)-based, technology-enabled New Era of Food Safety solutions to food safety and food processing issues.3. Engage with stakeholders to develop and implement training, outreach and communication programs, to identify research needs, and to facilitate the use of the information produced by the research program; and4. Support the implementation of the new unified HFP FSMA-based New Era of Food Safety priorities through research, education, and outreach, with emphasis on the development of strategies for prevention, exploration of opportunities for data sharing, and adoption of root cause analysis (RCA) into agency post-response efforts associated with the safe and sustained manufacturing, processing, packing, and holding of food.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) offers the Section 319(h) Grant Program to address nonpoint source (NPS) pollution affecting Illinois’ water resources. This program, funded through the Clean Water Act, supports projects that prevent, eliminate, or reduce water quality impairments caused by NPS pollution. Prioritized projects include those implementing approved watershed-based plans or Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Implementation Plans, with activities ranging from BMP implementation to monitoring and outreach efforts. The program encourages applications that demonstrate a comprehensive approach to NPS pollution control and offer sustainable environmental benefits. Grant renewed every year.

Grant Name: Technology Industry Grant Donor: City of Peoria, Illinois Type: Grant Deadline: Ongoing Grant Size: $10,000 - $25,000 Description: The Technology Industry Grant offers funding to technology-related businesses looking to establish or expand within the city of Peoria. Eligible industries include Agricultural Technology (AgTech), Biological Medical Technology (BioTech), Medical Technology (MedTech), and other technological advancements. Applicants should demonstrate established seed funding, a proof of function prototype, and a plan for further product development. The program aims to attract technology businesses, stimulate public and private investment, introduce new technology to the area, and support commercial space activity in business districts. Priority locations for funding include the Medical District, Central Business District, and West Main Street within the city boundaries. Eligible uses of the grant include lease or mortgage assistance, operational expense support, and other business costs related to the newly opened location. Small businesses with 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees are eligible to apply if they meet all criteria outlined by the City of Peoria. For more information and application details, visit City of Peoria website.

Grant Opportunity: Short-term Teaching Artist Residency Program (Illinois) The Short-term Teaching Artist Residency Program in Illinois supports elementary schools, community centers, and public libraries in engaging teaching artists for short-term residencies. The program prioritizes advancing equity and access in the arts, particularly for underserved audiences such as BIPOC communities, individuals with disabilities, older adults, and those with limited access to the arts. Eligible applicants can request a minimum of $250 and a maximum of $4,500 to cover 75% of residency costs. Additional percentages can be added under specific conditions. Applicants must be tax-exempt organizations or units of government in Illinois, while the selected artists must be based in Illinois. The application deadline is at least eight weeks before the project start date. For more information, visit Short-term Teaching Artist Residency Program.