CFNI Community Grants Program

The CFNI Community Grants Program, established by the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, has distributed over $72 million since 1953 to enhance local quality of life. The program supports nonprofits through a tiered application process based on funding requests, with a focus on Education, Arts, Health, Human Services, Sustainable Communities, and Youth & Families. Grants prioritize projects that address community needs and foster long-term impact, especially in education and wellness.

NOTE: CFNIL uses a tiered application format based on the request amount. Applicants requesting over $50,000 will submit a full application with audited financials. Applicants requesting $10,001 to $50,000 will submit a streamlined application with just the most recent 990. Applicants requesting less than $10,000 will have the shortest application, and no organizational financials are required. If needed, CFNIL reserves the right to request additional financial information during the grant cycle.
Background
Since 1953, the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois has made more than $72,500,000 in grants and scholarships to nonprofits and students. This is possible through the generosity of CFNIL’s donors—individuals, families, and organizations committed to improving the region’s quality of life. Endowed gifts create reliable funding for current needs and future opportunities. That’s the power of endowment.
Some donors choose to support specific organizations, while others provide scholarship funding that helps students get to and through school. Some donors decide that they want their legacy gifts to address the challenges and opportunities of future generations. These endowed gifts support Community Grants, CFNIL’s largest and broadest grantmaking program.
CFNIL is pleased to continue its tradition of grantmaking with the fall Community Grants cycle. Community Grants are made in six Focus Areas: Arts & Humanities, Education, Health, Human Services, Sustainable Communities, and Youth & Families. Within Education, CFNIL’s strategy is to invest in complementary education and career pathways, and to support a regional education system that continually produces healthy and productive citizens. More information on Education Works is available here.
Proposals requesting more than $75,000 will be evaluated for their alignment with Education Works. The more you request, the greater scrutiny your proposal will receive.
Focus Areas
CFNIL accepts proposals in the following Focus Areas. Generally, 50% of CFNIL’s grants will be allocated for Education, while 10% will be for each of the following Focus Areas: Arts & Humanities, Health, Human Services, Sustainable Communities, and Youth & Families.
Arts & Humanities
Funding priorities are for those proposals that:
Education
Funding priorities are for those proposals that:
Provide creative and systemic approaches to educational improvement.Support the education of current and future medical professionals.Fit under CFNIL’s Education Works grant strategy.
Health
Funding priorities are for those proposals that:

• Improve the quality of and access to health services.Support wellness.Conduct research to promote the health and well-being of our community.
• Human Services
• CFNIL funding priorities are for those proposals that:
• Serve the basic needs of individuals and families.Provide services to persons with disabilities, especially those that promote inclusion.
• Sustainable Development
• CFNIL funding priorities are for those proposals that:

Promote neighborhood and economic development.Support efforts to ensure safety and access to quality, affordable housing.Preserve our natural environment, especially those projects that increase the region’s understanding and appreciation of the environment.
Youth & Families
CFNIL funding priorities are for those proposals that:

• Provide pathways to self-sufficiency.Strengthen families.Support intellectual, emotional, physical, and social development.
• Multi-Year Grants
• An organization can only apply for a multi-year grant if seeking funding for projects, programs, or events that align with the following criteria:
• Education Works.Medical education.Medical research.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for funding from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, an applicant must be a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization OR a religious organization, unit of government, or public university/college.The proposals must describe charitable activities that primarily, but not exclusively, benefit the residents of Boone, Ogle, Stephenson, or Winnebago Counties. CFNIL will fund:Expenses that are directly related to the design and implementation of a proposal. Income and expenses related to the proposal must be itemized using CFNIL’s Budget Template: cfnil.org/grants/budget.The purchase and installation of capital assets (i.e., assets that have a useful life greater than one year and which will be depreciated on the applicant’s books) to the extent that they support a proposal’s activity.Wages for staff or contractors to the extent that the request is appropriate to the proposal’s scope and implementation.Indirect costs to the extent that they are identifiable and allocable to a proposed project, program, or event. Indirect costs may not exceed 15% of a total proposal budget. Examples of indirect expenses include: accounting, audit, business, and legal fees; computer network costs; depreciation; insurance; rent; telephone; and utilities.Applicants:Must be in active service to the public for at least one year prior to applying. 501(c)(3) organizations must have received the I.R.S. designation at least one year prior to applying.Must be current on all interim and final reports for grants from CFNIL. If the organization is currently being funded with a CFNIL grant and a final report is not yet due, the organization must submit an interim report. (cfnil.org/grants/interim-and-final-reports/)Must submit a “Pre-Authorization Form” if working with or within a school district. This document asks for detailed information about the partnership between the applicant and the district, specifically the district’s role in designing the charitable activity and allocating resources toward its completion.Can submit multiple, unique proposals, but may not submit the same proposal to different Focus Areas.Can receive funding for up to three consecutive years for the same activity. If an organization receives funding for three consecutive years for the same activity, it must wait two additional years before applying to seek additional grants from CFNIL.

Ineligibility

CFNIL will not fund proposals requesting funding for general operations; budget deficits; individuals; for-profit organizations; partisan political activities; or proposals that discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, national/ethnic origin, political beliefs, veteran’s status, disability, or any other factor prohibited by applicable law.