Sarah Lambert, Vice President of Programs and Community Investment at the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL), has been honored as one of the 2022 40 Leaders Under Forty by the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. Highlighting individuals who are compelling, interesting, and “doers”, 40 under Forty honorees are people who have distinguished themselves in their professional field or organization, are engaged citizens, and provide leadership by volunteering their time and talents to community groups and causes.

The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois is proud to announce that Sreyansh Mamidi has been named the 2022 Howard D. Colman Scholar. Sreyansh graduated from the Illinois Math and Science Academy in 2021, and recently finished his freshman year at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. He is seeking a degree in Electrical and Biomedical Engineering. Sreyansh is the 11th Colman Scholar, a distinction which includes eligibility to receive $32,500 in scholarship funding during a student’s undergraduate education.

The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL) will offer the Carroll H. Starr Endowment Challenge (CHS Challenge) for the tenth time to nonprofits in northern Illinois. This unique grant program is designed to build a nonprofit’s capacity and sustainability through the establishment of a permanent endowment. 

The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL) and NW HomeStart are proud to announce the recipients of the 2022 Neighborhood Grants Program. The grants, totaling $17,062, will be awarded to 9 groups and organizations (listed below) working to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods.

The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL) is pleased to announce its 2022 scholarship recipients: 180 scholarships worth up to $372,651 to local students. The scholarships will support the post-secondary educational aspirations of 140 local students from 25 high schools.

In Youth We Trust, the youth philanthropy program of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, has announced the recipients of the 2022 IYWT Youth Grants cycle. The IYWT Council awarded seven youth-led projects $19,500 for the benefit of youth in northern Illinois:

Seven unique scholarships, with applications and award cycles which differ from the main CFNIL Scholarships program, are accepting applicants until May 31st. Applications must be submitted via CFNIL’s online application portal.

April 22 - 23, 2022, the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois is proud to participate in Spring ArtScene! ArtScene is a regional, biannual, gallery walk hosted at over 30 locations throughout Winnebago County. During ArtScene weekends, existing galleries, and pop-up galleries alike, display and sell the work of dozens of local artists.

  High school students from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois’ In Youth We Trust Council selected Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity’s East High School Build as the recipient of a $5000 grant. Students and leaders from In Youth We Trust joined leaders from Habitat (including Executive Director Keri Asevedo and Board President Peter Schmeling) on the construction site to present the check. 

In response to a request for humanitarian aid from the Mayor of Brovary, Ukraine, Igor Sapozhko, the Brovary, Ukraine Relief Fund was launched March 4 to raise funds for medicine, medical supplies, food, generators, sleeping cots, and emergency shelter. Rockford has enjoyed a Sister City relationship with Brovary since 1995. The Brovary Relief effort is a collaborative effort of the City of Rockford, Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Kids Around the World, and the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois.

The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois is hiring!

In partnership with the City of Rockford, the

NW HomeStart and the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL) are accepting applications for the Neighborhood Grants Program until 5 p.m. on Monday, April 4. This program is open to neighborhood-based groups and nonprofit organizations operating in Boone, Ogle, Stephenson, and Winnebago Counties. 

Field trips to visit grantees don't usually involve working up a sweat, but this week we visited first-time CFNIL Community Grant recipients Rockford Barbell to check out their Youth Weightlifting program. This afterschool training and mentorship initiative seeks to improve the social and emotional well-being of school age kids through physical activity and strength training.

In light of the ongoing disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for our schools and families with school-aged children, CFNIL has extended the deadline for the 2022 CFNIL Scholarship application one week. The new deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 8th, 2022.

On behalf of the Club Blue Angels, the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois is pleased to announce the opening of the Club Blue Grants Program application for the 2022 cycle. The Club Blue Angels are women committed to their families and the community. They are united in their belief that our community's children should be socially, emotionally, and physically healthy and they are dedicated to supporting the organizations that can achieve this goal. 

We were made aware of someone sending Facebook messages claiming they were an "Agent" who could connect people with grants from the Community Foundation if they provide various personal information. These messages are not authorized by CFNIL and appear to be part of an ongoing scam perpetrated via Facebook Messenger and Instagram messages.

CFNIL staff had the privilege of visiting Jeremiah Development and presenting a check for $20,000 which will support Jeremiah HELPS / Small Engine Repair, a new skills training program which will launch this spring. This grant was made through CFNIL's Community Grants program with support from the Barber-Colman Management Fund.

The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois is now accepting applications for the In Youth We Trust (IYWT) youth grant program until 5:00 p.m. on March 1, 2022. 

The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL) is pleased to kick-off the new year by announcing the recipients of Community Grants for the 2021 - 2022 program cycle. In total CFNIL committed over $1.47 million to 69 organizations for 79 projects, programs, and events benefiting the people of Boone, Ogle, Stephenson, and Winnebago Counties.

The CFNIL team will be enjoying some time off during the holidays and our office hours will be impacted as outlined below. Need to get in touch with a member of the team?