Illinois Diversity Equity and Inclusion Grants

This funding opportunity provides unrestricted financial support to nonprofit organizations in Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois that focus on grassroots advocacy, community organizing, and policy initiatives aimed at achieving racial equity and community well-being.

This funding initiative supports community organizations in Chicago that promote equitable access to health resources, focusing on projects that enhance physical activity, healthy eating, and mental wellness, particularly for historically marginalized communities.

The City of Naperville in Illinois is inviting applications for its Community Development Block Grant Program, aimed at providing affordable housing, services to vulnerable communities, job creation, and business expansion, with funds allocated for property acquisition, infrastructure improvements, public services, energy conservation, and economic development activities.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to grassroots organizations in the Chicago area that are actively engaged in urgent social justice efforts and need resources to respond quickly to community challenges.

This grant provides funding to diverse and minority-owned small businesses in Illinois, offering loans between $10,000 and $50,000 to support economic growth and community development.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations in Missouri and Illinois that provide financial education and access to financial products for low-to-moderate-income individuals and families, helping them improve their financial well-being and increase their net worth.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in the greater Aurora, Illinois area that empower women, particularly women of color, through programs focused on education, economic empowerment, and racial equity.

This funding opportunity supports community-based organizations and public entities in Illinois to develop and plan community solar projects that benefit low-income households and historically disadvantaged communities.

This grant provides funding to organizations that empower communities to advocate for social justice and address issues like housing, immigration, criminal justice reform, and environmental justice.

This funding opportunity supports local news organizations and storytellers in Chicago to promote diverse and equitable media representation while addressing underreported community issues.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to community colleges in Illinois to enhance career and technical education programs, improve student success, and foster partnerships with secondary institutions and employers.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations that provide career development programs for Black youth aged 14-24 in designated NBA markets.

This grant provides funding to U.S.-based non-profit organizations to support projects that promote Japanese arts and culture, particularly in areas with limited access to such events.

The DeKalb County Community Foundation Promise Grants, ranging from $1000 to $10,000, aim to support charitable organizations in DeKalb County, Illinois, that empower underserved populations, with a focus on projects related to healthcare, affordable housing, and enhancing quality of life.

This program provides funding to organizations for projects that improve broadband access in underserved and unserved communities across Illinois, promoting digital equity and economic growth.

This grant provides funding to support the establishment of new grocery stores in underserved areas of Illinois, aiming to improve access to fresh and affordable food in food deserts.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations and public entities in Sangamon County, Illinois, to create accessible recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

Title II Juvenile Justice Council grants are specifically awarded to local juvenile justice councils to implement programs, policies and practices that improve the effectiveness of local juvenile justice systems, reduce unnecessary juvenile justice system involvement and/or analyze and reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities (RED) in each council’s local system. Because this model of local governance, collaboration and data-driven decision-making has proven effective, the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission is allocating funding to support local juvenile justice councils and the development of data-driven, collaborative local juvenile justice plans which guide future system improvement efforts. The Illinois Juvenile Court Act provides that each county or group of counties may establish a local juvenile justice council [705 ILCS 405/6-12]. The purpose of this council, according to the Act, is “to provide a forum for the development of a community based interagency assessment of the local juvenile justice system, to develop a county juvenile justice plan for the prevention of juvenile delinquency, and to make recommendations to the county board, or county boards, for more effectively utilizing existing community resources in dealing with juveniles who are found to be involved in crime, or who are truant or have been suspended or expelled from school.” Through juvenile justice councils, the Act prescribes a response to juveniles in conflict with the law that is comprehensive, driven by data and analysis, and collaborative across all systems that touch these youth. As embodied in the Juvenile Court Act, Juvenile Justice Councils provide a structure to ensure that local jurisdictions respond to youth in conflict with the law in a manner which is data-driven, strategic, and focused on serving youth, families and communities in the most effective ways possible. Unfortunately, very few jurisdictions in Illinois have developed councils that operate in the manner envisioned in the Act. In some communities, youth become involved in the juvenile justice system unnecessarily because alternatives do not exist, or are not embedded within the system decision-making process. Because the needs and resources are different in each community in Illinois, a one-size-fits-all approach is not likely to be very effective. Local councils are in the best position to craft solutions that meet the local community’s needs and take into account local resources. Empowering and supporting local juvenile justice councils can also stem the tide of racial and ethnic disparity in the juvenile justice system at the front door and help ensure that no youth enters the juvenile justice system unnecessarily. Such local ownership is the best way to ensure more effective long-term programming and sustained systemic change. This, in turn, will reduce the costs associated with incarcerating youth in correctional facilities, reduce rates of recidivism, reduce the number of crime victims, and ultimately create safer communities in Illinois. Juvenile Justice Youth Serving Programs: The federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) provides funding directly to states through its Title II Formula Grants Program (Title II) to support state and local delinquency prevention, intervention efforts and juvenile justice system improvements. These funds are used to help states implement comprehensive state juvenile justice plans based on detailed studies of needs in their jurisdictions. State Advisory Groups, comprised of members appointed by the governor, set priorities for funded activities. The State Advisory Group for Illinois, the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission (IJJC), administers the Title II funds. These funds support a broad range of juvenile justice activities at the state and local level that are designed to improve the juvenile justice system through the development of more effective education, training, research, prevention, diversion, treatment, and rehabilitation programs in the area of juvenile delinquency. These programs or projects can be designed to be developed, implemented and evaluated directly or through grants and contracts with public and private agencies. Title II also funds state and local activities designed to ensure and maintain the state's compliance with the Core Requirements of the JJDPA. • Deinstitutionalization of Status Offenders (DSO) • Adult Jail and Lock-Up Removal (Jail Removal) • "Sight and Sound" Separation • Address Racial and Ethnic Disparities (RED); In some communities, youth become involved in the juvenile justice system unnecessarily because alternatives do not exist or are not embedded within the system decision-making process. Because the needs and resources are different in each community in Illinois, a one-size-fits-all approach is not likely to be very effective. Local juvenile justice systems and community-based providers are in prime position to craft solutions and develop youth serving programs that meet the local community's needs and take into account local resources. Empowering and supporting local youth programming can also stem the tide of racial and ethnic disparity in the juvenile justice system at the front door and help ensure that no youth enters the juvenile justice system unnecessarily. Investing in local communities will reduce the costs associated with incarcerating youth in correctional facilities, reduce rates of recidivism, reduce the number of crime victims, and ultimately create safer communities in Illinois.

This program provides financial support to social equity-licensed cannabis businesses in Cook County to help cover startup and operational costs, prioritizing those in historically marginalized communities.

This initiative provides financial support and mentorship to minority-owned small businesses in specific West Side neighborhoods of Chicago, helping them grow and contribute to their communities.