Funding Amount

Average $200,000 per grantee

Deadline

February 26, 2027

325 days left

Grant Type

foundation

Overview

Invest for Kids General Grant Program

Funder: Invest for Kids Inc (Chicago, IL)
Geographic Scope: Chicago area
Mission: Foster a rich ecosystem of organizations that lift up Chicago's most in-need youth from early childhood through college and career

    Focus Areas

  • Education
  • Mentoring
  • Enrichment
  • College access and career readiness
  • Health & physical fitness
  • Social services

    Target Organizations

  • Chicago area nonprofits serving youth in low-income circumstances
  • Organizations with budgets between $1-5 million
  • Smaller organizations where grants can have highest impact

    Eligibility Criteria

  • Serve Chicago area youth in low-income circumstances
  • Maintained a budget between $1 million – $5 million during last fiscal year
  • Been in existence for at least 3 years
  • Qualify as a 501(c)(3) charity under the Internal Revenue Code
  • Charter schools authorized by the Chicago Board of Education or State of Illinois are eligible regardless of annual budget size
  • Prior grant recipients are welcome to apply again after a one-year waiting period

    Selection Process

  • Initial screening of applications to narrow applicant pool
  • Thorough interviews with organization leadership
  • Site visits (on occasion)
  • Reference and fact checking
  • Grantees announced in August
  • Grant checks distributed in December

Contact

Barbara Wolf, Director of Giving Email: barbara@ifkchicago.com

How to Apply

Application Process

1. Preview Questions: Applicants can preview grant application questions in advance before submitting
2. Submit Application: Complete application and submit by deadline
3. Application Portal: Applications submitted through online portal at investforkidschicago.org

    Timeline

  • Deadline: Friday, February 27th (annual)
  • Grantees Announced: August
  • Grant Distribution: December

    Required Materials

  • Standard application form (specific required materials not detailed in provided content)
  • Organization must demonstrate:
  • - Quality programming - Strong leadership - Dedicated board - Measurable results

Focus Areas & Funding Uses

Fields of Work

youth-programseducationmentoringcollege-prephealth-educationk-12-schoolsnonprofits

Categories

Browse similar grants by category

Related Grants

Similar grants from this funder and related organizations

Ready to apply for Invest for Kids General Grant Program?

Grantable helps you assess fit, draft narratives, and track deadlines — so you can submit stronger applications, faster.