The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois is now accepting applications for In Youth We Trust (IYWT) grants. For the 2021-2022 school year, IYWT will have two grant cycles: one for proposals written by nonprofit organizations (adults) for the purpose of serving youth, and one for proposals written by youth for youth-led, youth-benefiting projects. The first cycle, for proposals written by nonprofit organizations (adults), opens today and closes at 5:00 p.m. on November 19, 2021.

Applications in this cycle must be submitted by organizations providing services or programming to youth in Boone, Ogle, Stephenson, or Winnebago Counties. Applications must be submitted via CFNIL’s online grants application portal which may be accessed, along with full program details, at https://cfnil.org/grants/iywtadult. Applications will be reviewed by the In Youth We Trust Council, a group of local high school students who convene monthly with staff and advisors of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois to learn about grantmaking, volunteerism, and community leadership.

Applicants can request a maximum of $5,000. For this cycle the IYWT Council will look for proposals that:

- Provide solutions to community issues facing youth,
- Help youth recognize the important role they play within their communities,
- Have a clear, practical plan for implementation,
- Have a realistic budget, and
- Have measurable and meaningful results.

The IYWT Council is an opportunity for high school students from Boone, Ogle, Stephenson, and Winnebago Counties to learn about and practice philanthropy. The students help establish grant criteria, evaluate proposals, and recommend grant awards for youth led projects. IYWT empowers youth to expand their moral imagination and “see the good.” In Youth We Trust was established in 1994 and has surpassed $500,000 in grantmaking for youth-benefiting projects in our region.