Mirza/Arts & Culture Grants

The IPCF Mirza/Arts & Culture Grants are offered by Illinois Prairie Community Foundation for programs in art, music education, theater education and enrichment, and the performing, visual, and literary arts. The opportunity is intended for programs available to residents of McLean, DeWitt, Livingston, or Logan counties in Illinois. A proposed program does not have to serve residents of all four counties. The next stated application period for the Mirza/Arts & Culture Grants will be in September 2027. Grant funding is for the January through December period of the specified funding year. Eligible applicants must represent a 501(c)(3) organization, an organization operating with a fiscal sponsor that is a 501(c)(3) organization, a unit of municipal, county, state, or federal government, including public schools, a nonprofit institute of higher learning, or a tax-exempt religious organization or place of worship. Programs conducted by religious organizations may not proselytize for a particular religion or cause. Programs must be operated and organized so that no applicable anti-discrimination laws are violated. Organizations that have previously received grants from Illinois Prairie Community Foundation must also be current on all required final reports. The Executive Director, CEO, or Board President of the applicant organization must approve the application. Illinois Prairie Community Foundation identifies several characteristics that receive the greatest consideration during review. New programs and programs offering creative and innovative solutions to an identified need by building on proven practical methods are favored, while programs that have repeatedly received past funding receive less consideration. Strong proposals should demonstrate the potential for the funded program to continue and become self-sufficient after the grant funding ends. Applicants should also use clear methods for measuring and reporting results, with particular emphasis on objective and quantifiable measurements. Cost effectiveness and a complete and clear budget are additional considerations. Several expenses and activities are specifically excluded from funding. Grants do not support capital improvements or capital expenditures, such as vehicles, facility windows, office copy machines, or equipment such as a walk-in freezer. Non program-related expenses are not funded. Grant committees generally prefer not to fund personnel expenses, although stipends may be used to engage a qualified professional from another entity to conduct a program. Sponsorship of events, annual fundraising events and related expenses, conference or continuing education expenses, and endowment campaigns are also excluded. Scholarships intended to further an individual's college or university education are not eligible expenses. However, Illinois Prairie Community Foundation distinguishes these scholarships from financial assistance that enables participation in an eligible program. A sliding scale or needs-based financial assistance arrangement for program participation is permitted. No required matching contribution, cost share, minimum award, maximum award, total program funding amount, or anticipated number of awards is stated in the provided information. The next Mirza/Arts & Culture Grants application period is identified as September 2027, which is in the future relative to the analysis date. The provided material does not state an exact opening day, closing day, pre-application deadline, letter of intent requirement, or other required pre-application gating step. It also does not establish an annual, biennial, or other regular recurrence schedule beyond identifying the next application period. Applicants seeking information about the grant process or wishing to view an application submitted in a previous year may contact Michele Evans, Programs Manager, at mevans@ilprairiecf.org or 309-662-4477.

Emphasize a new, creative, or innovative program that builds on proven practical methods; show potential for the program to continue and become self-sufficient beyond the grant period; use clear, objective, quantifiable measures for results; present a complete, clear, cost-effective budget; repeated past funding receives less consideration.