TAC and Howard D. Colman Memorial funds provide grant monies for the TAC Charitable Contributions Program. Grants from these two Funds are held and managed by the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois and are reviewed and directed by a committee of employee volunteers at TAC

Who is Eligible?

To be eligible for funding, an applicant must:

What We Look For

We welcome proposals for projects that benefit a broad spectrum of the community or a chronically underserved segment of the population. We are interested in proposals that reflect foresight and perhaps, some risk taking. TAC Charitable Contributions Program looks for projects which:

What We Fund

We award grants in the areas of Health and Human Services, Education, and Children, Youth, and Families.

1. Health & Human Services
Encompasses social service projects that benefit the underservered segments of our community. For example, issues of homelessness, health care, hunger, poverty, rehabilitation and the elderly.

2. Education
Encompasses community education projects that serve all age groups and segments of our population and that are not normally funded by the public school system

3. Children, Youth & Families
Programs that enhance the quality of life for children and youth through opportunities to enhance their intellectual, emotional, physical, and social development.

Grant Cycles

The deadlines for submitting applications are July 1st (fall) and January 1st (spring) of each year. Grants are typically awarded in late September (fall) and late March (spring). If the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, proposals are due on the following Monday. Those who wish to apply for a grant should click on the link at the bottom of this page to access our online application.

TAC Charitable Contribution Program will fund only one proposal per organization during a fiscal year (7/1-6/30). Carefully consider the funding cycle that best fits your funding needs.

All grant recipients are required to submit a final report upon completion of the project for which the grant was made. This report must include the outcomes achieved by the project and a detailed budget that explains how the dollars were used. The report may also include an oral presentation or other components as deemed necessary by the Community Foundation. Past grant recipients will be excluded from future grant consideration if a report has not been completed for prior funding. If an organization submits an additional application while a CFNIL funded project is still in progress, an interim report must be completed and returned by the grant cycle deadline. Evaluations are due within one month of program or project's completion.

Grants are usually made for one year only; but when circumstances warrant, a multi-year commitment may be considered.

To provide further information about Foundation grant programs, the Foundation offers regular Grant Seekers meetings on the 2nd Tuesday of every May and November at 3:30 pm. The meetings are held at the Foundation offices within the Marlowe Center of Philanthropy at 946 N. Second Street. Call 962-2110 ext. 15 to make a reservation.

What We Do Not Fund

In general, grants are not made for the following:

Online Application

Please Note:  As the Community Foundation strives for complete accuracy in its grant programs, we reserve the right to update grant application forms 30 days before the deadline.  Only applications started within 30 days of deadline will be accepted.  While you may browse the online application at any time, you are reminded to check your calendar before you begin filling out any grant application.

To start a new application, click New Application.

To access an application that you chose to save and finish later, click Saved Application.