IPCF Awards Grants to 25 Local Nonprofit Programs

By Illinois Prairie | January 7, 2025

BLOOMINGTON, IL – Twenty-five local nonprofit programs have been awarded a total of $94,524 in grants through the Women to Women Giving Circle, Youth Engaged in Philanthropy (YEP) cohort and Environment & Nature Grants at the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation.

The Environment & Nature Grants round became a stand-alone cycle in 2024 as a result of a recurring donation from an anonymous donor.

Recipient organizations sharing $25,385 in Environment & Nature awards are:

  • Bloomington Public Library – $3,000 for “BPL Native Plants Garden” to assist in the creation of garden on the library’s patio featuring indigenous pollinators & wildlife, raise ecological awareness, and host educational programs/events.
  • Corpus Christi Catholic School – $3,200 for “Sensory & Pollinator Garden” to create an outdoor space for students to learn about ecology, pollinators and sustainability; promotes hands-on, sensory-based learning, supporting environmental stewardship and biodiversity while addressing the need for outdoor, nature-focused educational experiences.
  • First Baptist Church of Bloomington – $4,000 for “Pollinator Habitat Phase 2” to continue the next phase of habitat that was planted the previous year; installation of a pathway, birdhouses and benches will provide a natural aspect to the current habitat and allow for its enjoyment by the community.
  • Illinois Art Station – $7,385 for “The Art of Nature Play: Willow Wood Nature Program at IAS” to provide transformative experiences for young audiences and families through play-based nature exploration and artistic creation.
  • McLean County Parks & Recreation Department – “Nature Trails Day” for $1,000 to educate the people, especially youth, of McLean County about the importance of nature and the environment, and how they directly or indirectly affect humans’ lives.
  • Mid Central Community Action – $3,000 for “Giving Garden at MCCA” to improve and expand the “Giving Garden,” a parcel of land on MCCA’s property that is already a producing parcel, providing free, nutritious, organic, fresh vegetables to any and all community residents, regardless of socioeconomic status, age, gender, race or orientation.
  • West Bloomington Revitalization Project – $3,800 for “Rick Heiser Memorial Sensory Garden at WBRP” to focus on environmental sustainability, while enhancing sensory experiences through colors, textures, tastes, and sounds; garden will include native plantings for pollinators, recycled art and more.

The Women to Women Giving Circle seeks to improve the lives of women and children in McLean, DeWitt, Logan and Livingston counties. The giving circle focused its grants for 2025 on programs offering assistance/solutions for women and children facing housing, food, transportation and/or childcare insecurity. Extra consideration was be given to programs that address local housing insecurity and its interconnectedness with access to food, transportation and/or childcare in our community. Since 2011, the Women to Women Giving Circle has awarded $589,363 in grants.

Recipient organizations sharing $60,000 in Women to Women awards are:

  • Brightpoint – $5,000 for “Bloomington Crisis Nursery” to offer free emergency childcare 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for families in crisis due to homelessness, domestic violence, illness or other issues that interfere with their ability to parent effectively.
  • Center for Hope Outreach Programs – $5,000 for “Center for Hope Outreach” to provide McLean County women and children with diapers, wipes and feminine hygiene products that are not covered through supplemental programs such as SNAP and WIC through its food pantry.
  • Dove Inc. – $10,000 for “Dove Financial Assistance” to assist DeWitt County households that are experiencing housing and food insecurities by providing support to those experiencing emergency financial hardship by teaching basic budgeting tools so that they can be financially empowered.
  • GFWC Lincoln Woman’s Club – $3,600 for “Tiny Food Pantry” to help families struggling with food insecurity by supplementing offerings of Lincoln food pantries by providing items that are available 24/7, as long as it remains stocked. Grant to provide foods especially liked by children, easy-open and kid-friendly, such as peanut butter and Spaghetti Os.
  • Mid Central Community Action – $10,000 for “Housing Stability Navigator” to aid the homeless or precariously housed in McLean County with no permanent home of their own by providing coordinated interagency case management, financial coaching and resources for those who are employed or have a steady source of income to aid them with accessing permanent, safe and affordable housing.
  • The Salvation Army Lincoln 360 Life Center – $5,300 for “Pathway of Hope” to provide individualized services to families with children who desire to take action to break the cycle of crisis and vulnerability that repeats generation after generation.
  • The Salvation Army of Bloomington – $5,300 for “Pathway of Hope” to break generational poverty through this evidence-based and outcome-driven program that works with families with children.
  • The Salvation Army Pontiac 360 Life Center – $5,300 for “Pathway of Hope” to provide individualized services to families with children who desire to take action to break the cycle of crisis and vulnerability that repeats generation after generation.
  • Wesley United Methodist Church – $5,000 for “Wesley Distribution Ministry” operates a no-cost paper pantry open to all in need by providing paper towels, toilet paper, diapers, wipes, feminine hygiene products and more; women and children especially need these items for overall wellness and to be able to work and go to school.
  • YWCA McLean County – $5,500 for “Young Wonders Early Learning Gap Funding Scholarship Program” to assist families that need short-term assistance in keeping up with child care payments that have fallen on hard financial times and/or are just below the eligibility requirements to receive subsidy payments; this will help families keep their children in childcare so that the caregivers can continue working or attend school.

Youth Engaged in Philanthropy grants were selected by a cohort of area high school students and focus on youth-oriented programs with priority given to organizations that include youth in the application process. Since 2014, Youth Engaged in Philanthropy has awarded nearly $120,000. YEP strives to connect those who care about youth with the monetary means necessary to pursue their vision.

Recipient organizations sharing $9,139 Youth Engaged in Philanthropy awards are:

  • Bloomington-Normal Youth Symphony – $1,100 for “Performance at Westminster Village” for performance of an outreach concert at the end of April before BNYS’s culminating spring performance that youth symphony members and seniors look forward to sharing together.
  • East Bay Camp (Illinois Great Rivers Conference) – $1,933 for “Construction Exploration and Skills Development” for campers aged 5-13 to learn new skills and grow self-confidence while at this electronics-free day camp that focuses on learning about construction through a workshop setting and at a construction exploration station in the woods.
  • For the Children Bloomington-Normal Camp #362 – $750 for “For the Children Camp #362” to help foster youth feel valued, supported and empowered to overcome past trauma through this week-long summer camp, providing a safe space to build self-esteem, develop positive relationships and experience healing.
  • Girl Scouts of Central Illinois – $1,400 for “Sisterhood – Girl Scouts Curriculum and Support for Big Brothers, Big Sisters” is a collaboration with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Big and Little Sisters will have access to the Girl Scout Juliette curriculum giving Littles the chance to be Girl Scouts and Bigs a positive set of activities in which to engage with their Littles during their time together; to subsidize registration costs for McLean and DeWitt county participants.
  • Jump4Joy Squad – $500 for “Leadership and Summer Jump Rope Camps” to build relationships with families and share the joy of exercising by jumping rope with as many young people as possible in Bloomington-Normal through a free four-week summer program; youth in 6th grade through high schools will learn leadership skills and youth entering 1st through 8th will learn followership.
  • Sonshine Daycare – $1,200 for “Toddler Playground Equipment” to provide the tools needed for active play and creativity in growing children ages 1-4 at daycare facility; grant will provide outdoor play equipment that sparks imagination, encourages movement and provides endless hours of fun.
  • The Baby Fold – $1,100 for “Healthy Start Program” to help first-time or young families identify strengths and needs, establish goals, and connect to resources so they can build safe homes free of abuse and neglect.
  • Vespasian Warner Public Library District – $1,156 for “Bringing the Universe Home: Take-Home Science Kits” to provide youth with high-quality STEM kits that teach scientific concepts through hands-on activities; kits will be loaned and returned just like other library materials.

About Illinois Prairie Community Foundation
Illinois Prairie Community Foundation, now in its 27th year, encourages and facilitates philanthropy in McLean, DeWitt, Livingston and Logan counties by connecting donors who care with causes that matter to them. The Foundation currently manages funds including endowments and donor advised, fiscal sponsorship and scholarship funds. More information is available at ilprairiecf.org.

Community Partners for Illinois Prairie Community Foundation are: Brandt Group of Companies, Cox & Fulk, Fox & Hounds Salon & Spa, Donald Heinold CPA, Heartland Bank & Trust, Little Jewels Learning Center, Northern Trust, Renaissance Wealth Management BN, Shirk Family Foundation, Striegel Knobloch & Co., Tarvin Culligan, Westminster Village, WGLT and The Drake Zimmerman Group.
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