Spring & Fall Grant Application Guidelines

Freeport Community Foundation supports nonprofit organizations serving citizens in Stephenson, Jo Daviess, and Carroll counties in Northwest Illinois. The size and number of grants are directly related to the amount of money available each grant period and to the restrictions donors have placed upon the use of certain funds.

The Freeport Community Foundation is particularly interested in funding initiatives that are collaborative, inclusive and responsive to current and emerging needs of the community. Programs and/or activities should:

• Present innovative, creative and practical approaches in dealing with community needs
• Strengthen the capacity of the community to solve problems or seize opportunities in the future
• Encourage partnerships and collaborative efforts to reduce duplication of services
• Demonstrate vision, action, effectiveness, good management and quality

The philanthropic fields of interests include, though are not limited to, initiatives that will:

• Address current and emerging needs
• Foster civil and community betterment
• Meet human and health service needs
• Provide reform and innovation in the schools and new approaches to learning
• Support the advancement of arts and literature

In general, grants are not awarded for the following:

• Annual project/program support and ongoing operating support
• Annual fundraising drives
• Capital campaigns (this does not exclude grants for emergency capital needs)
• Endowments
• Grants to individuals, fraternal organizations, booster clubs
• Travel or conference expenses
• Religious purposes (this does not exclude grants to religious organizations for nonreligious purposes)
• Fundraising expenses