Illinois Diversity Equity and Inclusion Grants

This funding opportunity provides financial support to organizations in Illinois that deliver HIV prevention, education, and care services specifically targeting racial and ethnic minority populations and other high-risk groups.

The Forecast Public Art’s Midwest Memory Grant, ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, is open to non-profit organizations in rural Midwest communities, aiming to elevate and preserve the stories of BIPOC communities through monuments, with a focus on addressing systemic inequities and advancing racial justice.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to health departments and community organizations in Illinois for outreach and education initiatives focused on breast cancer awareness and prevention, particularly targeting underserved populations.

This program provides funding to nonprofit organizations in Chicago and suburban Cook County to implement community-based interventions aimed at reducing firearm violence through trained local mediators.

The Skokie Community Foundation (SCF) grant program aims to invest in organizations and projects that significantly benefit Skokie residents and strengthen the community, extending impact beyond the grant period. This aligns with SCF's broader mission to foster a supportive, engaged, and dynamic community in Skokie through meaningful giving, collaboration, and community programming. The foundation's strategic priority is to create lasting positive change by supporting initiatives that address identified needs within the community and demonstrate a clear path to impact. The target beneficiaries are primarily Skokie residents, with a specific focus on projects where the majority of those benefiting reside in Skokie. The program's impact goals include strengthening the community, breaking down barriers, building relationships, and working towards unity and mutual respect and understanding within Skokie's diverse population. SCF supports projects that contribute to population and systems-level change, seeking to advance equity through collaborative efforts. SCF places particular priority on proposals that utilize a Collective Impact model, which involves a network of community members, organizations, and institutions learning together, aligning, and integrating their actions. Another key focus is on initiatives that bring about unity in diversity. The program also prioritizes proposals that directly address clearly identified needs of Skokie residents. Grant funding typically ranges from $1,000 to $10,000, with an average grant size of $5,000, and is for a one-year period from January 1 through December 31, 2025. Expected outcomes and measurable results are crucial for SCF. Proposals are evaluated based on whether they address a significant concern or opportunity, demonstrate collaboration between organizations, clarify the roles and responsibilities of co-applicants, address participant recruitment from Skokie, have an appropriate budget, and include a sufficient evaluation plan to track progress and determine success. The foundation's theory of change emphasizes that by funding collaborative, community-focused projects with clear objectives and evaluation metrics, they can achieve sustainable positive change and strengthen the fabric of the Skokie community.

This program provides funding for organizations to offer short-term group support services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are not currently receiving home-based care, helping them engage in community activities while easing caregiver stress.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to government agencies and nonprofit organizations in Illinois to improve adult vaccination rates through community-based initiatives, education, and outreach efforts targeting underserved populations.

The General Operating Support (GOS) Grants, offered by the Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA), aim to bolster established not-for-profit organizations that deliver arts programming to their communities. This initiative directly aligns with the IACA's mission to support and strengthen the arts in Illinois. The grant provides financial assistance ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 for activities occurring between November 1, 2024, and August 31, 2025. Eligible entities include registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations, branches of government, charitable trusts, institutions of higher education, religious organizations, and school affiliate organizations, all of whom must be in good standing with the state and meet specific operational and application criteria. The primary beneficiaries of this grant are not-for-profit arts organizations and, by extension, the diverse communities they serve across all counties in Illinois. The IACA's strategic priorities for this initiative are deeply rooted in equity and outreach. The program specifically focuses on under-resourced communities, including rural areas, high-poverty regions, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) groups, and individuals with disabilities. This targeted approach seeks to ensure that state support reaches a broader and more equitable demographic of Illinois communities. The initiative's core aims include analyzing the demographic distribution of past awards, engaging constituents for feedback on their needs and experiences, identifying areas for improvement in the IACA's funding approach regarding equity, and recommending actionable steps to achieve greater grant-making equity. These objectives are designed to build an evidence base that can be used to advocate for the resources necessary to expand state support to a wider array of Illinois communities. Expected outcomes and measurable results revolve around a more equitable distribution of arts funding and increased access to arts programming for under-resourced communities. The IACA anticipates that by addressing equity strengths and weaknesses and implementing recommended actions, they will successfully reach more diverse communities. Allowable expenses cover a wide range of operational costs, from artist fees and salaries to facilities, supplies, technology, marketing, and general administrative overhead, ensuring that organizations can effectively implement their programs and achieve their community impact goals.

Program Summary • The Grantee shall deliver mental health services to individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind by utilizing a culturally affirmative approach. This approach will adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The culturally affirmative approach shall serve these populations in an individualized manner and shall provide any level of outpatient mental health service delivered by staff who directly provide such in the individual's language and communication mode. Additionally, these staff will exhibit a distinct knowledge base, specialized clinical skills, and specialized cultural linguistic skills. The service delivery may also include staff who exhibit a knowledge base in serving these minority populations and utilize reasonable accommodations for the individual's language needs and communication modes. The Grantee's staff providing mental health services may include case managers, therapists, counselors, and/or psychiatrists. The Grantee shall communicate in an accessible manner, by utilizing Video Phones, TTYs, licensed sign language interpreters and/or other reasonable accommodations according to the individual's needs. Funding Priorities or Focus Areas • IDHS is working to counteract systemic racism and inequity, and to prioritize and maximize diversity throughout its service provision process. This work involves addressing existing institutionalized inequities, aiming to create transformation, and operationalizing equity and racial justice. It also focuses on the creation of a culture of inclusivity for all regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or ability. Project Description • The Grantee must deliver mental health services to individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind by utilizing a culturally affirmative approach. This approach will adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Each of these minority populations have unique cultural and linguistic needs, which are not exclusively homogeneous. Therefore, the culturally affirmative approach must serve these populations in an individualized manner. An individual who is Deaf, Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind, that is served by this grant funding, may reside or be originally from any county in Illinois. The cultural affirmative service delivery must provide any level of outpatient mental health service delivered by staff who directly provide such in the individual’s language and communication mode. Additionally, these staff will exhibit a distinct knowledge base, specialized clinical skills, and specialized cultural linguistic skills. The service delivery may also include staff who exhibit a knowledge base in serving these minority populations, and utilize reasonable accommodations for the individual’s language needs and communication modes. The Grantee’s staff providing mental health services may include, but are not limited to: case managers, therapists, counselors, and/or psychiatrists. The Grantee must communicate in an accessible manner, by utilizing Video Phones, TTYs, licensed sign language interpreters and/or other reasonable accommodations according to the individual’s needs. There are community networks across the state of Illinois that serve as a separate referral source for these populations. In these networks, information is communicated on how and where to access these services that are delivered in a cultural affirmative approach. The Grantee must serve as an embedded entity of these community networks as it relates to their cultural affirmative service delivery of mental health services. The Grantee’s staff will outreach, collaborate, and network across various service systems to effectively address these challenges. As part of this, the Grantee will assist individuals served in addressing the complex language, cultural, clinical, and administrative challenges when navigating the various service systems and their associated processes. Most often, these systems’ information is not readily accessible in the population’s native language and communication mode. Specifically, the Grantee’s staff will assist individuals in identifying and linking to other applicable providers, how to access their services, and/or apply for applicable benefits. Additionally, there is an absence of any evidence-based mental health treatment developed for or evaluated for use with these populations. The grantee must adapt evidence-based mental health treatment using an effective and culturally affirmative approach. This must include but is not limited to: consideration of the individual’s culture, community, beliefs, thinking and learning style, communication mode(s), and language needs. This funding is designated to support costs associated with cultural affirmative service delivery approach; the necessary outreach, networking, and collaboration necessary as an embedded entity providing for these populations; adaptation of evidence-based mental health treatment; and paying for licensed sign language interpreter services. The mental health services provided are billed to Healthcare and Family Services’ Illinois Medicaid as well as any of their associated Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs). Therefore, the Grantee must also have certification as (Comprehensive) Community Mental Health Center (CMHC), as defined in Part 132, Subparts B and C.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to Illinois pharmacies to enhance diabetes prevention and management programs, particularly for underserved communities, by improving services and training staff.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to Illinois health departments and community organizations to enhance patient navigation services for individuals facing barriers to breast cancer care, particularly in underserved populations.

This grant provides funding to expand Community Support Team services for individuals in nine counties who are eligible for the Northwest Crisis Care System but currently lack financial support for mental health treatment.

This program provides funding to support renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in Illinois, specifically targeting disadvantaged communities and organizations that serve them.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for community organizations to educate and assist underserved communities in Illinois with accessing clean energy programs and initiatives.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to local health departments, nonprofits, and educational institutions in Illinois to develop partnerships and implement public health strategies that address health disparities in underserved communities outside of Cook County and Chicago.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for licensed providers to offer short-term residential care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are not currently receiving waiver services, helping to ease caregiver burdens and prevent crises.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to eligible contractors for developing renewable energy and energy efficiency projects that benefit low-income communities and promote workforce training in Illinois.

This funding initiative provides financial support to organizations and agencies in Illinois to improve pediatric vaccination rates and address disparities in vaccine access and confidence, particularly in underserved communities.

This grant provides funding to organizations for implementing suicide prevention training in correctional and juvenile detention facilities in Illinois, focusing on at-risk youth and older males in underserved communities.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to community colleges in Illinois to enhance career and technical education programs, improve student success, and foster partnerships with secondary institutions and employers.