Community Impact

Applications must be submitted online by 5:00 p.m. on the dates listed below. Applications submitted after the specified deadlines will not be accepted. The 2025 application deadline has passed, grant guidelines for 2026 will be available January 2026.

2025 Spring Cycle

Friday, March 7, 2025 – Deadline for 2025 Health & Human Services applications has passed. Grant guidelines for 2026 will be available January 2026. 

2025 Fall Cycle

Friday, September 5, 2025 – Deadline for 2025 Youth Education, Workforce Development, Environment, and Animal Welfare applications has passed. Grant guidelines for 2026 will be available January 2026. 

Seed Grants – $5,000

Organizations that have had their 501(c)(3) designation for less than three years are eligible to apply for a 1:1 matching grant. These grants are intended to help new organizations raise funds from individual donors and through fundraising events. If awarded a grant, funding will be distributed when proof that the matching dollar amount has been secured. Matching funds must be raised during the grant period.

Sustain Grants – up to $25,000

Organizations that have had their 501(c)(3) designation for more than three years are eligible to apply for funding to support programs.

• Applicants requesting $5,000 or less will complete a streamlined version of the application
• Applicants requesting more than $5,000 will be required to provide additional financial information and will need to respond to questions about sustainability, collaboration, and specific program outcomes.

The following categories and priorities provide a guideline to the applicant. When applying, category selection should be based on the program’s content, not necessarily on the type of organization. For example, if a human services organization is providing after-school tutoring to children at risk for academic failure, the application should be submitted in the youth education category.

Health & Human Services – Primarily supports programs in the areas of affordable housing, behavioral health, healthcare access, food insecurity, and financial/language literacy.

Youth Education – Primarily supports out-of-school educational and leadership programs for youth.

Workforce Development – Primarily supports programs that prepare people for employment, help workers advance in their careers, and build a skilled workforce.

Environment – Supports environmental education; programs that promote conservation and restoration of natural areas, habitats, and green spaces; efforts to reduce pollution and waste; and programs that protect wildlife and endangered species.

Animal Welfare – Supports programs that promote the well-being of domestic animals.

Applications to the Community Impact grant program will be accepted from nonprofit charitable organizations that:

• Are public charities classified as exempt from federal income taxes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
• Primarily serve DuPage County residents (50% or more of total clients); or
  • Provide services in facilities physically located in DuPage County; or
  • Have a demonstrated presence such as an existing track record of programming with specific DuPage-focused outcomes, a DuPage-specific budget and board members located in DuPage.

Applications will not be accepted from:

• Individuals
• Organizations for religious activities (secular activities provided by religious organizations may be eligible for grant funding)
• Organizations that have received grants from unrestricted or field-of-interest funds through the Community Impact grant program for the past three consecutive years
• Disease-specific organizations
• Private foundations and private operating foundations
• Hospitals, including supporting foundations
• Governmental agencies, including supporting foundations
• Public, parochial, private, or charter schools (pre-k through 12th grade), including supporting foundations

Additionally, the Foundation does not award grants from the Community Impact grant program to:

• Endowments
• Historical societies and their related foundations for projects that do not have a broad reach beyond a specific community
• Purchase food (Equipment and other programs provided by organizations that distribute food are eligible for grant funds.)

Our Grant Committee consists of Foundation Trustees and community volunteers. The Committee meets several times to review and evaluate all applications received and to conduct site visits when appropriate. The Committee then makes grant recommendations to the full Board of Trustees for approval.  

All applicants will be notified via email whether or not a grant has been awarded. Notification will be sent in mid-May for spring cycle grant requests and mid-November for fall cycle grant requests.