Our Mission:
The Community Foundation attracts, grows, and preserves
a permanent endowment for the needs of the people of Northern Illinois.
Established in 1953 as the Rockford Community Trust, the Community Foundation remains committed to building a permanent endowment of charitable funds for the Northern Illinois community.
Endowments are forever. The Community Foundation is proud to serve as a sentinel – guarding the charitable wishes of the donor and providing prudent stewardship of the community’s endowed resources.
It’s easy to establish a fund at the Community Foundation. Donors identify their charitable wishes and the Foundation’s staff helps clarify those goals and the means to achieve them.
By supporting the arts, education, historical preservation, medical research, economic development, and health and human services, the Foundation helps area nonprofits provide vital programming to those in need.
Established with a grant from the Ford Foundation in 1994, and endowed by a local donor, this program teaches grantmaking and leadership skills to today’s youth, preparing them to be the positive change of tomorrow.
Each year over $250,000 is awarded to students throughout Northern Illinois, providing resources that help offset the rising cost of higher education.