How to Apply
The Foundation welcomes potential grantees to review our grantmaking process. This section outlines the necessary steps. Also, please review the Frequently Asked Questions section.
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Research the Foundation’s program areas, prior grants and stated goals to determine if your project is a good fit.
Proposals are presented by Foundation staff and approved by the Board at quarterly meetings. Approved proposals will be managed as grants, requiring reporting and monitoring by Foundation staff during the grant period. Please note two important eligibility criteria:
1) Tax Exempt Status
Grants are made only to organizations that are certified by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as tax exempt, non-profit organizations, 501(c)(3) or 509(a)(1), and that are not private foundations. No grants can be made to individuals.
2) Chicago Area and Midwest Regional Focus
The Foundation's primary geographic focus is the Midwest region, particularly the State of Illinois and the Chicago metropolitan area. Entrepreneurship education, one of the foundation's core initiatives, has been funded nationally. Other program initiatives are only occasionally considered outside of the primary geographic area. Only programs within the United States will be considered, which excludes all international programs.
