Neighborhood Grants
Supporting neighbor-led, neighborhood-level efforts to strengthen our communities.
Supporting neighbor-led, neighborhood-level efforts to strengthen our communities.
Open to nonprofits AND groups organized to serve neighborhoods, i.e. associations or block groups. Projects must be located within and serve the people and places of Boone, Ogle, Stephenson, and Winnebago Counties.
Open to nonprofits AND groups organized to serve neighborhoods, i.e. associations or block groups. Projects must be located within and serve the people and places of Boone, Ogle, Stephenson, and Winnebago Counties.
The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois Neighborhood Grants Program provides support for neighbor-led and neighborhood-level efforts to strengthen our communities. Funds are allocated to the program each year and available until depleted; applications are accepted and awards made on a rolling basis. Because available funds are limited, program criteria are very specific.
Applications to the Neighborhood Grants Program should meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Promote resident participation and leadership in neighborhood-based groups/organizations;
- Encourage and support the work of neighborhood-based groups and organizations trying to preserve and/or improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods;
- Invest in and build on the existing strengths and assets of the region’s neighborhoods; and
- Promote civic pride in our community.
Meet the 2024 Neighborhood Grant Recipients!
Applications for the Neighborhood Grants Program are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. Funds are allocated on an annual basis and available until depleted. Applications must be submitted through CFNIL’s Online Application Portal. View the application questions and work on your submission offline using the PDF version of the application:
This webpage reflects Neighborhood Grants Program guidelines, which may be found condensed into one document here:
To be eligible for funding, an applicant must:
- Be a 501c3 tax-exempt, not-for-profit agency and/or an organized group carrying out a charitable purpose for the common good (i.e. a neighborhood association);
- Have a minimum of three active leaders (e.g. President, Treasurer, Secretary, etc.);
- Have an established process to manage funds, including a current checking account in the name of the organization/group;
- Be operated and organized so that there is no discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, veteran's status, disability, or any other factor prohibited by applicable law;
- Be a neighborhood or neighborhood-based organization/group that is located within Boone, Ogle, Stephenson, or Winnebago County;
- Have a plan to implement a project that will benefit residents of a defined geographic area;
- Have the capacity to complete the proposed project within ten months; and
- Be current on all final reports for previously awarded Neighborhood Grants.
Projects that:
- Are generated, led, and executed by residents of the neighborhood to the extent possible;
- Build on the assets existing in the neighborhood, including using the skills of residents, involving youth or working with an existing neighborhood group; and
- Encourage partnerships between residents, businesses, non-profits and institutions (e.g., schools or churches) within the neighborhood.
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*Beautification Projects
- Permanent fixtures (i.e., trash receptacles, planters) must be installed on public property or common areas.
- Landscape projects must have a maintenance plan (i.e., watering, weeding).
**Reforestation Projects: Trees must be planted in public or common areas, not private property.
Grants are not made from the Neighborhood Grants Program for the following:
- Landscaping private property.
- Activities that primarily benefit non-resident individuals, organizations, or groups.
- Projects and programs that promote a religion or require participation in a religious activity as a condition for receiving services. However, grants may be made to faith-based organizations for other purposes.
Neighborhood Grant applicants should use this budget template when submitting their application:
Grant recipients will be asked to complete an online Final Report by December 2nd of the funded year. Past grant recipients will be excluded from future grant consideration if the final report has not been submitted for prior funding.
The online Final Report form is available soon after award notification and submitted via CFNIL’s online grants portal. You can access the Final Report Form from the Applicant Dashboard within your portal account. Contact Lisa DeLang with any questions: edelang@cfnil.org or 779-210-8210.
Applications for the Neighborhood Grants Program will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. Applications must be submitted through CFNIL’s Online Application Portal.
If you have not already created a portal account, please follow the instructions on the portal login page to create your account. If you need more help creating your account or utilizing the portal, visit our Grant Resources page or contact Lisa DeLang at 779-210-8210 or edelang@cfnil.org.
Questions? Contact Lisa!
