Springboard Foundation Grant

The Springboard Foundation Grant supports grassroots nonprofit organizations, focusing primarily on afterschool and supplemental education programs in Chicago. Since 1998, this grant has empowered numerous organizations to achieve sustainability, ensuring critical educational activities for public school students. Grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 foster long-term relationships, capacity building, and operational stability for community-based programs, ultimately aiming for self-sufficiency and enhanced outreach for under-resourced neighborhoods.

Our Approach
We fund grassroots nonprofit organizations that otherwise would have difficulty obtaining financial support. Our primary area of focus is afterschool and supplemental education programs. Since our inception in 1998, we have helped numerous programs grow and became self-sustaining, so that they can continue to provide Chicago public school students with educational and out-of-school activities that are so critical to personal growth and success.
In addition to contributing their own funds, Springboard members go on site visits to meet nonprofit leaders and see their programs in action. During the year, they maintain contact with these organizations and marshall all of the resources at their disposal--time, treasure, knowledge and network-- to ensure they grow into sustainable organizations. Springboard provides a way for donors to contribute, with confidence that their money is being well spent where it is most needed. Our goal is that, with Springboard's assistance, these organizations will eventually become stable and self-sustaining, and reach the point where Springboard's involvement is no longer necessary.
Apply for a Grant
A Springboard grant is often part of a multi-year, long-term relationship intended to help the grantee enhance its organizational stability and expand the reach of its. We solicit proposals from outstanding, small, community-based programs working in under-resourced neighborhoods and our members visit each prospective grant recipient prior to making annual funding decisions. Members individually monitor the impact of each grant, and work on an ongoing basis to gauge further funding requirements. We have made grants primarily to organizations that provide afterschool programs to Chicago's youth. Our grants have been used to expand program capacity, staffing, transportation, and for general operations. Grants range in size from $5,000 to $20,000 and is largely dependent on the number of years a program has been a Springboard grantee.
Management Suite Grants
Springboard Management Suite grants are only for current Springboard grantees. Springboard provides funding for capacity building through Springboard's Management Suite of Services. Springboard will fund 70% of up to $3,500 worth of these services for your organization. Grantees are required to pay the remaining 30%. Examples of capacity building projects are: professional development for key leaders, strategic planning, board development and core function improvements (accounting, fundraising etc.).

Eligibility

To be eligible for a Springboard grant the organization must:Be a Chicago-based and/or serving 501(c)3 nonprofit organizationBe in operation for five years or lessHave an organizational budget of less than $100,000Provide afterschool programs operating sometime Monday through Friday between the hours of 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm during the CPS calendar year (roughly September to June).

Ineligibility

We will not fund:ScholarshipsIndividualsWeekend/summer-only programsChicago chapters of larger, national nonprofitsReducing operating deficits or liquidating an existing debtThe sole purpose of writing, publishing, producing or distributing audio, visual or printed materialThe sole purpose of conducting conferences, multi-week camps in summer, festivals, exhibitions or meetingsReligious proselytizing, programs that have prayers before, during, or after, and programs that do not accept youth of other faiths

First-time applicants must be a Chicago-based and/or Chicago-serving 501(c)(3) nonprofit, in operation for five years or less, with an organizational budget under $100,000, providing afterschool programs operating Monday-Friday between 3:00 and 7:00 pm.