Charitable Trust Grant

The Charitable Trust Grant is a core funding opportunity within the Charitable Trust Stabilization Fund, administered by the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office. Established by the Illinois General Assembly, the program is designed to support small nonprofit organizations operating within the state of Illinois. The fund prioritizes organizations that serve communities experiencing high levels of poverty, unemployment, and economic hardship. Funding for the program is generated through fees collected from nonprofit corporations when they file required reports with the Illinois Secretary of State, rather than from taxpayer revenue. Since its inception, the broader Charitable Trust program has distributed millions of dollars in grants to hundreds of organizations across numerous Illinois communities. The primary purpose of the Charitable Trust Grant is to strengthen the capacity of small nonprofits to deliver essential services in key areas, including food assistance, housing support, and workforce or economic development. The program operates through multiple annual grant cycles, including a Spring cycle from January 1 through March 31 and a Fall cycle from July 1 through September 30. Each cycle aligns with specific focus areas, allowing applicants to propose programs that address pressing community needs such as food insecurity, housing instability, job readiness, and economic mobility. The program is flexible in scope, supporting a wide range of activities including food distribution, housing counseling, job training, and small business support services. Grant awards are issued in amounts of up to 20000 dollars per organization. The grant term is one year, and all awarded funds must be expended within one calendar year following the execution of the grant agreement. While the program allows for a range of programmatic uses, it imposes financial constraints to ensure responsible use of funds. Specifically, the total grant request may not exceed 30 percent of the organization’s annual operating budget, and no more than 25 percent of the grant may be allocated to overhead costs unless the funding is designated for a one-time expense. There is no matching requirement associated with this grant, making it accessible to organizations with limited financial capacity. Eligibility for the Charitable Trust Grant is limited to nonprofit organizations that meet specific statutory and administrative requirements. Applicants must be recognized as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and must be incorporated under the Illinois General Not for Profit Corporation Act of 1986. Organizations must be based in Illinois and provide charitable services exclusively within the state. In addition, applicants must have at least one full-time paid employee and an annual operating budget of one million dollars or less. Organizations are also required to maintain a nondiscrimination policy covering protected classes such as race, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, family status, and religion. Additional eligibility restrictions apply to ensure transparency and accountability. Organizations are not eligible if an individual holding elective office, or an immediate family member of such an individual, earns more than 60000 dollars and is involved with the organization in a leadership, staff, or advisory role. Applicants that are exempt from filing standard state financial forms must provide a recent audited financial statement. Furthermore, fiscal sponsors, sub-grantees, and applications submitted on behalf of another organization are not permitted. Previous grant recipients may reapply only if at least one full calendar year has passed since the conclusion of their prior grant, and organizations may not receive funding for more than two consecutive years. The application process requires submission through an online portal during the designated application periods. Applications are initially reviewed by staff within the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office to verify eligibility and completeness. Qualified applications are then evaluated by the Charitable Trust Stabilization Committee, which consists of representatives from government agencies and appointed members. The committee assesses proposals based on alignment with program priorities and community impact, and makes recommendations to the State Treasurer, who holds final decision-making authority. As part of the review process, applicants may be subject to site visits to confirm operational capacity and compliance. Successful applicants are notified following the completion of the review process and must adhere to all reporting and spending requirements during the one-year grant term.

Ensure budget request stays under 30 percent of total organizational budget; clearly demonstrate impact in one of the eligible focus areas; prepare for possible site visit and documentation verification