Grand Victoria Foundation awards grants in five program areas: Economy, Education, Elgin, Engagement, and Environment. If you feel that your work aligns with any of our program areas, please review this section for information on our guidelines and application process.
Eligibility
To be considered for funding, an organization must be registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity or be partnered with a fiscal sponsor or fiscal agent that meets this requirement. We support organizations in Illinois whose work is a strong fit with our program strategies. We fund organizations that demonstrate high quality and high impact; good governance and management; and fiscal health.
Where We Fund
The Foundation funds organizations throughout the state of Illinois. We look for efforts that have impact at county, regional or statewide levels. We do not support organizations that solely serve or impact the city of Chicago.
How We Fund
General operating or project grants are available for organizations that meet eligibility requirements and are engaged in activities consistent with the Foundation’s priorities.
We encourage you to consider applying for general operating support when:
- The mission and activities of your organization are already well-aligned with one or more of the Foundation’s approaches to systems change
We encourage you to consider applying for project support when:
- Your proposed project or idea seems to be a very strong fit with one program area and approach
- Your organization works or serves people outside of our geographic priorities but has a unique opportunity to have impact at a county, regional, or statewide scale
What the Foundation Does Not Fund
The Foundation does not provide funding for the following:
- Individuals
- Direct Service (with the exception of the Elgin Program)
- Political campaigns
- Religious purposes
- Governmental entities
Grant Duration
The Foundation welcomes multi-year requests from organizations with which we have an existing or prior funding relationship. We are generally open to proposals for two-year grants. For organizations that are new to the Foundation, we suggest that you apply for one year of funding.