The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL) and NW HomeStart are proud to announce the recipients of the 2020 Neighborhood Grants Program. The grants will be awarded to 11 groups and organizations (listed below) working to improve the quality of life in their communities at the neighborhood level. The grants are worth $22,300.

The Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund (ICRF) recently announced it distributed its fourth and largest round of funding thus far, an additional $6.95 million to 42 nonprofit organizations across the state. The Fund, which was established by the United Way of Illinois and the Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations in collaboration with the Office of the Governor, focused this round of funding on serving the state’s most vulnerable populations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Arts for Illinois Relief Fund, a statewide effort to support Illinois arts organizations impacted by COVID-19, has engaged with community foundations across the state to leverage matching fund dollars.

The Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project (FLAP) – Proyecto de Ayuda para Trabajadores del Campo y Jardineros is proud to announce that it has received a grant in the amount of $10,000 from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois Natural Disaster Assistance Program to provide financial assistance to undocumented families in Winnebago County who are in crisis as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

June 15, 2020 – Rockford – The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL) has named Daniel Ross to succeed Jon Bates as its next president. Ross will assume his new role as the third president in CFNIL’s 67-year history on July 1, 2020.

Watch the first-ever VIRTUAL CFNIL Scholarship Award Night! Originally broadcast June 11, 2020. 144 students from 27 local high schools were awarded 176 scholarships totaling over $300,000 this year. Celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of this year's recipients and the generosity of community members who established these scholarships. Hear testimonials from recipients, encouraging words from special guests, and cheer on the scholars in your family or from your school!

Join us for the first-ever VIRTUAL CFNIL Scholarship Award Night! 144 students from 27 local high schools were awarded 176 scholarships totaling over $300,000 this year. Tune in to celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of this year's recipients and the generosity of community members who established these scholarships. Hear testimonials from recipients, encouraging words from special guests, and cheer on the scholars in your family or from your school!

The 2020 Club Blue grant recipients have been announced! Congratulations to Children's Safe Harbor and KFACT. Typically a Club Blue grants reception is held in the yard at the Community Foundation, but this year the Club Blue board toasted the recipients remotely! 

United Way of Rock River Valley was awarded $250,000 from the Illinois COVID Response Fund to be distributed to nonprofits in support of services provided to residents of Winnebago County. These funds will be distributed in the third round of grants via the Emerging Needs Fund.

United Way of Rock River Valley in collaboration with the 815 Community Response Team, has awarded nearly $250,000 in the second round of grants from its COVID-19 Emerging Needs Fund to 31 non-profit organizations in Boone, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago Counties.

In Youth We Trust is celebrating 25 years of youth leadership and philanthropy! This year the IYWT Council is awarding grants totaling over $24,000 for seven youth-led projects that will benefit the youth of northern Illinois. Join us for a virtual Grants Reception Watch Party, created by and featuring IYWT Council members, testimonials from the grant recipients, and lots of celebrating! The video will premiere from CFNIL's Facebook main page at 7:00 p.m.

In Youth We Trust, the youth philanthropy program of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, has announced the recipients of the 2020 IYWT Grants cycle. The IYWT Council awarded seven youth-led projects over $24,000 for the benefit of youth in northern Illinois:

The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL) is pleased to announce its 2020 scholarship recipients: 176 scholarships worth up to $305,046 to local students. The scholarships will support the post-secondary educational aspirations of 144 students from 27 local high schools.

CFNIL lost one of its most enthusiastic volunteers last month when Paula Capriola, a member of Women of Today’s Manufacturing’s (WOTM) scholarship committee and part of the team that started the Howard D. Colman Scholarship program, passed away. Paula’s passion was to help others better themselves through building their careers, and she was a vocal supporter of CFNIL’s scholarships as a way to support our community’s students.

The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois has kept faith with its mission to serve as a catalyst for giving in order to attract, preserve, and grow an endowment for the current and future needs of the people of Northern Illinois for more than 65 years. This uneasy time facing a global pandemic is no different; in fact, it is the foresight and generosity of past generations that allows CFNIL to respond now with both targeted and general support for the challenges facing our local communities.

United Way of Rock River Valley (UWRRV) announced it, in collaboration with the 815 Community Response Team, has awarded $250,000 in the first round of grants from its COVID-19 Emerging Needs Fund to 33 non-profit organizations in Boone, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago Counties that are responding pragmatically to the needs of individuals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences.

The Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund (ICRF) announced today it has distributed more than $5.5 million to 30 nonprofit organizations across the state, marking the first grants since launching. The Fund established by the United Way of Illinois and the Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations, in collaboration with the Office of the Governor, today also announced it has raised more than $28 million from nearly 2000 donors since its launch on March 26.

The Office of Illinois State Treasurer Michael W. Frerichs distributed this information via press release April 9, 2020. Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs today announced that non-profit organizations interested in applying for grants through the Charitable Trust Stabilization Fund now have until April 30 to submit their paperwork. Frerichs decided to give organizations more time to apply given the impact of COVID-19.

On March 27, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Details are still a bit unclear, but here is what we know up to now.

Dear Colleagues and Friends, Thank you to those of you that continue to provide essential services to people in need, and to others who have suspended programs and services to help reduce the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is an extremely difficult time for all nonprofit providers as vital programs are disrupted, daily operations altered, dollars are stretched by an increased demand for services, and cancellations of revenue generating programs and events create anxiety. These are unprecedented circumstances that fill our future with uncertainty.

On Tuesday, March 17th, NICNE (Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence) administered a survey for local nonprofits requesting information about staff, volunteers, program and event cancellations, and organizational needs. More than 115 nonprofits submitted responses from organizations of varying sizes and budget sizes.