Land, Health, Community Grant Program: Chicagoland (Inspirational Grants)

Land, Health, Community Grant Program: Chicagoland (Inspirational Grants)

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: The Lumpkin Family Foundation
Amount: Up to US $10,000
Last Updated: March 10, 2026

Summary

The Land, Health, Community Grant Program: Chicagoland, administered by The Lumpkin Family Foundation, focuses on fostering healthy communities through funding for innovative, collaborative projects. Grants of up to $10,000 are available for organizations that aim to address systemic inequalities and promote health and wellness. This program seeks initiatives that enhance access to nutritious food, support mental health, and engage communities in sustainable practices, ultimately striving to create vibrant, equitable neighborhoods in the Chicagoland area.

Overview

Note: The Land, Health, Community Grant Programs are: 1) Land, Health, Community Grant Program: East Central Illinois; and 2) Land, Health, Community Grant Program: Chicagoland. In addition to the Land, Health, Community Grant Program: Chicagoland (which is a project based funding), the Lumpkin Family Foundation also offers special funding for the following (still under the Chicagoland program): Community Garden Grants; and Inspirational Grants. The Lumpkin Family Foundation The Lumpkin Family Foundation is a private, family foundation created in 1953 from the estate of Besse A. Lumpkin of Mattoon, Illinois. We are a multi-generational organization whose programs reflect the collective aspirations of a diverse family living in communities across the country. We make grants and conduct programs that support people working together to build healthy, sustainable communities in East Central Illinois and beyond. After 70 years, members of the Lumpkin family continue to support the Foundation’s work, serving alongside members of the larger community on committees and the Board of Trustees. Our Geographic Focus Our grantmaking is deeply rooted in East Central Illinois, the original service area of Illinois Consolidated Telephone (ICTC), the company founded by the Lumpkin family in 1894. We also support organizations in Chicago and national organizations whose efforts align with our core focus on promoting health and wellness through sustainable food systems, mental health initiatives, and regenerative agriculture. Land, Health, Community - Chicago Program Grant Overview The Land, Health, Community-Chicago (LHC-C) program has recently expanded its focus areas to reflect our commitment, as a Foundation, to supporting holistically healthy communities in the Chicagoland area. We believe that a community’s health is rooted in its ability to access and obtain life sustaining resources for all its residents without undue burden, systemic barriers, and inequitable opportunity. The Land, Health, Community-Chicago Program has one grant cycle in the fall. Program Focus We look to fund projects and organizations that support the following: Our communities are physically active, values healthy eating, and prioritizes overall wellbeing.All communities can thrive. Communities that have faced and continue to face inequitable and unjust policies, laws and practices will be equipped with the resources needed to realize their full potential. Funding Priorities Opportunities for children in/out of school to engage physically with and to learn about the natural world, to eat well, and to care for the planet.  A community and/or multigenerational approach to addressing the mental health and wellness of youth. Efforts to increase access to healthy and sustainably produced food. Grassroots and community led initiatives centered on the pursuit of food justice. Special Funding Opportunities: Inspirational Grants We recognize that there are organizations throughout Chicago that are doing some amazing work in efforts to bring equity, justice and healing to communities that have been systematically neglected by unjust policies, laws, and practices. We are offering grants of up to $10,000 to fund inspiring proposals, that are collaborative in nature, that are designed to foster healthy, vibrant and thriving communities. Proposed projects should be able to be completed using the amount of funds that are being requested. Projects have a greater chance of success if they showcase multiple community partners working together to accomplish a common goal. We are looking for proposals that reflect out of the box thinking and that are unique and inspirational.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. 501 (c)(3) organizationsRegion: Priority will be given to organizations that are based within the boundaries of the City of Chicago. We will also consider applications from organizations just outside the city boundaries but that serve communities within the City or that serve communities adversely impacted by unjust and inequitable economic policies.

Ineligibility

We do not sponsor events or provide funding to individuals.