Communications Guide: Publicity & Recognition Guidelines

Grant recipients agree to publicize their grant. Your innovative work deserves recognition, and we encourage you to announce your grant through the media, social media, your own publications, and through your professional affiliations. Some of this publicity must reach out beyond your own audience e-blasts. It is important for our communities to know that these funds are a part of your efforts to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life for everyone, so we ask that you acknowledge The Foundation for Northwest Illinois in your publicity. Whether you promote your story via print or digital materials, social media, and/or press releases, it is important that you send a report to sarah@fornwil.org with links, screen shots, and any attachments related to the publicity of your grant. The Foundation does not require any advance review of your publicity unless staff or board members are being quoted in your materials. 

REQUIRED PUBLICITY REPORTING
Please let us know what media channels your organization utilized to publicize your grant. NO ADVANCE NOTIFICATION IS REQUIRED unless quoting staff or board members of The Foundation for Northwest Illinois. Send an email to sarah@fornwil.org with links, screen shots, and any attachments related to the publicity of your grant. Of course, please contact us if you have any questions.

Digital and Print Materials
In your publicity, we ask that you acknowledge The Foundation’s grant by using one of the following statements:

• Made possible by a grant from The Foundation for Northwest Illinois
• Funded, in part, by The Foundation for Northwest Illinois

Please use the Foundation’s entire name, The Foundation for Northwest Illinois. Upon first mention you may abbreviate to The Foundation. Please link back to our website whenever possible, www.fornwil.org or our FaceBook page, www.facebook.com/freeportcf.

Artwork
Please use one of The Foundation for Northwest Illinois logos in your materials. These are available for download here. Please do not use any logo that was in use prior to 2024. Logo usage should reflect our most recently adopted name, The Foundation for Northwest Illinois.

Social Media
When announcing the grant and related work on social media, make sure to tag Freeport Community Foundation in all of your posts and utlize the hashtag #815Thrive. We also encourage you to share our social media posts regarding your organization with your established audiences.

News Releases and Media Relations
Please acknowledge The Foundation for Northwest Illinois in any news release written about the funded program. The Foundation requests a draft copy of the news release if any staff or board members are being quoted. Please allow two working days for approval. Otherwise, no advance publicity review is required. Download press release template here.

Public Presentations
If speaking before a civic or professional group about your funded program, please remember to mention us. We often mention our grantees as examples of how our funds make a difference in the community.

Media Relations
If anyone from your organization participates in media interviews about the funded program, we ask that you acknowledge the Freeport Community Foundation’s grant. The following is a description of the Foundation that may be used in media relations:

Established in 1975, The Foundation for Northwest Illinois has a 45 year+ history as a community foundation guided by community leaders who are dedicated to providing financial solutions for current and future needs in the region. Since its founding, The Foundation for Northwest Illinois has awarded over $4 million in grant funding to nonprofit organizations and projects throughout area. For additional information or to schedule a media opportunity, please contact The Foundation at either (815) 801-3035 or via email at sarah@fornwil.org.

The mission of the Freeport Community Foundation is to empower nonprofits to develop solutions that help Northwest Illinois communities thrive.

Website, Annual Report and Publications
We like to highlight our grantees, their programs and activities on our website, annual report and other issue related publications. We request your cooperation in accurately representing the program and are appreciative of photos, brief statements, as well as your organization’s web address. Likewise, we request that you acknowledge Freeport Community Foundation’s support in your website, annual report, and program-related publications. Our web address is: https://www.fornwil.org