Neighborhood Grants Program
Forecasted
Neighborhood Grants Program supports neighborhood groups with funding for resident-led projects that bring neighbors together, build civic pride, and improve local quality of life in northern Illinois.
Funder: Community Foundation of Northern Illinois
Due Dates (Anticipated): June 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $2,500 per application; one Neighborhood Grant per organization annually
Summary: Supports resident-led neighborhood projects that strengthen community connections and improve local quality of life in four northern Illinois counties.
Key Information: Applicants must contact Lisa DeLang before applying to discuss their proposal and receive the application password.
Description
The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois’s Neighborhood Grants Program supports organized neighborhood groups working to preserve and improve local quality of life. It funds projects that bring neighbors together, promote resident participation and leadership, strengthen community connections, and create visible, meaningful improvements within defined geographic areas.
The program prioritizes work generated, led, and carried out by neighborhood residents. Projects should build on local strengths, including residents’ skills, youth involvement, and existing neighborhood groups, while encouraging partnerships with neighborhood businesses, nonprofits, schools, and churches. Supported activities include resident-focused education, community gardens, organizing and newsletters, cleanups, neighborhood events and surveys, crime prevention, beautification, and reforestation. Promoting civic pride is also a program criterion.
