Land, Health, Community Grant Program: East Central Illinois

Land, Health, Community Grant Program: East Central Illinois

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: The Lumpkin Family Foundation
Amount: US $2,500 - US $50,000
Last Updated: March 10, 2026

Summary

The Land, Health, Community Grant Program, formerly known as Aspiramos Juntos, focuses on fostering holistically healthy communities in the Chicago region. Funded by the Lumpkin Family Foundation, this grant supports projects that promote physical activity, access to healthy food, and mental wellness for youth. Priority is given to grassroots organizations with budgets under $500,000 that are deeply connected to their communities. Special funding opportunities include grants for community gardens and inspiring collaborative projects up to $10,000.

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 Program: East Central Illinois Grant Overview 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 and connected rural communities with a strong, local food system and agricultural economy, resilient businesses, talented local workforce, mentally well and physically fit residents, engaged and collaborative leadership, with protected natural beauty to explore. Mental Health Research shows that contact with nature is linked to increased happiness, well-being, positive emotions, social interactions, and a sense of meaning and purpose, while also reducing mental distress (source: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature). We encourage proposals that foster connections to the natural environment to promote mental health at both the individual and community levels. Specifically, we aim 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. While the list above is not exhaustive, it is representative of our overarching belief that sustained, meaningful engagement with nature can result in positive mental health outcomes for all. Focus Of Support 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.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. 501 (c)(3) organizationsWe encourage applicants from organizations across East Central Illinois. We give preference to rural organizations and those operating in Coles and the surrounding counties (View the map).  We are especially interested in programs or projects that connect communities.

Ineligibility

We do not sponsor events or provide funding to individuals.