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Confirmed in Compliance with National Standards
Confirmed in Compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations
 
Grants

United Cerebral Palsy of Blackhawk Region Endowment Fund

Proposals will be considered that promote services and activities that enhance the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families and/or that promote those services and activities that have the greatest impact upon the community of those with developmental disabilities.


Eligibility

To be eligible for funding, an applicant must:

  • Be a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, not-for-profit agency and/or organized group carrying out a charitable purpose for the public good in an efficient manner
  • Provide services within the greater Rockford area, which includes the Illinois counties of Winnebago, Boone, Ogle, and Stephenson
  • Be operated and organized so that there is no discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, age, ethnic origin, sexual orientation and disability, except as may be dictated by the endowment’s focus on one or more specific disabilities or conditions

We Look For

We welcome proposals for projects that provide services and/or support to persons with developmental disabilities and their families. “Developmental disabilities” shall mean mental retardation, seizure disorders, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and/or autism.

  • Build positively on the rich diversity of our community
  • Present innovative, creative, clear and practical proposals which build on community strengths
  • Present clear work plans which show the ability to achieve the project’s goal
  • Encourage cooperation and reduce duplication of services
  • Demonstrate leadership and develop the leadership potential of the community
  • Demonstrate quality, vision, effectiveness, collaboration and good management
  • Provide long-range fund development planning beyond the funding period

Grant Cycle

The deadline for submitting applications is July 1st of each year. Grants are typically awarded in late September. If the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, proposals are due on Monday. Those wishing to apply should click on the link at the bottom of this page to access our online application.

The Grants Review Committee is comprised of: a Foundation board member/or its designee, individual or family member of individual with a developmental disability, individual who works for an organization that provides services to persons with developmental disabilities, and two individuals representing the community at large. Final approval of grants rests with the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

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 1st Tuesday of every May and November at 9am. The meetings are held at the Foundation offices within the Marlowe Center of Philanthropy at 946 N. Second Street. Call 962-2110 ext. 11 to make a reservation.



Exclusions

In general, grants are not made from the United Cerebral Palsy of Blackhawk Region Fund for the following:

  • Ongoing project support
  • Ongoing operational expenses of established programs
  • Annual and capital campaigns
  • Budget deficits
  • Capital Debt or operational debt reduction
  • Individuals, including individual equipment or adaptation needs
  • Endowments
  • Purchase of advertising
  • Re-granting of funds
  • Projects and programs that promote a religion or require participation in a religious activity as a condition for receiving services. However, grants may be made to faith-based organizations for other purposes.

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 60 days before the deadline.  Only applications started within 60 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.

Please Note: Your computer must use one of the following commonly used internet browsers and have cookies enabled in order to access the online application.

  • Internet Explorer version 5.5 SP-2 or higher
  • Netscape 6.2.2 or higher
  • Netscape Communicator 4.76 or higher
  • Internet Explorer 5.1.4 for Mac OS X

Budget Worksheet:  For your convenience, we are providing a budget worksheet that you can download by clicking the link below.  You may find it easier to complete this worksheet in paper form before entering the information into the online form.

Budget Worksheet

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If you have questions, please contact James Patterson, Program & Scholarship Officer at (815) 962-2110 ext 11 or jpatterson@cfnil.org.