Funding Amount

$2,000 per scholarship (10 scholarships awarded annually)

Deadline

Expected ~February

Based on past cycles

Grant Type

Foundation

Deadline history & next window

Cycle
Annual
Current deadline
February 20, 2027
Tracked since
April 2026

Deadlines typically fall in: February

Source: the cycle recorded on this listing. Confirm dates with the funder.

Can we apply?

Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.

Eligible organizations

  • High school seniors

Other requirements

  • Must be affiliated with a union member family
  • Applicants must choose to enter either Random Drawing OR Academic Competition (not both)

Overview

Geographic Scope: Chicago area (Illinois, US)

Each year, the Chicago Federation of Labor awards 10 William A. Lee Memorial Scholarships to high school seniors. The scholarship was renamed in 1985 to honor William A. Lee, the CFL's longest-serving president who devoted over 60 years to labor, civic and community service, with 38 of those years at the CFL.

Award Details

  • Award Amount: $2,000 per scholarship
  • Number of Awards: 10 scholarships annually
    • 5 winners from Academic Competition
    • 5 winners from Random Drawing

Eligibility

  • High school seniors
  • Must be affiliated with a union member family
  • Applicants must choose to enter either Random Drawing OR Academic Competition (not both)

Contact Information

  • Email: scholarship@chicagolabor.org
  • Submission Email: scholarship@chicagolabor.org

How to Apply

How to Apply

  1. Choose Your Category: Applicants must select either the Academic Competition or Random Drawing category (students cannot enter both)
  2. Complete Application: Fill out the appropriate application form for your chosen category
  3. Available Languages: Applications available in English, Spanish (Español), and Polish (Polski)
  4. Submit Application:
    • Email completed application to: scholarship@chicagolabor.org
    • All parts of the application must be submitted at the same time
    • Submission deadline: 5 p.m. on Friday, February 20

Required Materials

  • Complete application form (Academic or Random Drawing)
  • All application components must be included

Application Categories

  • Academic Competition: Application available in English, Español, Polski
  • Random Drawing: Application available in English, Español, Polski

What Chicago Federation of Labor and Industrial Union Council actually gave

Source: IRS Form 990, 2024

Grants in 2024
3
Total given
$28K
Median grant
$10K
Range
$7,500–$10K
  • By dollars: Illinois 100%. Top recipient cities: Chicago, IL.

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    General contribution of support

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IRS Form 990, 2024. Amounts as reported by the funder. Full 990 history →

Focus Areas & Funding Uses

Fields of Work

  • Education
  • K-12 schools

Categories

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