IPCF Awards 106 Grants to Local Nonprofits

By Illinois Prairie | April 22, 2026

BLOOMINGTON – Illinois Prairie Community Foundation has awarded $226,284 in five categories of competitive grants to 106 programs in McLean, DeWitt, Livingston and Logan counties. Grant awards ranged from $500 to $5,000. Funding came from donors to the Community Foundation’s annual campaign, the Jerome Mirza Arts & Culture Fund, the Sapphire Sky Wind Fund and other endowed and non-endowed at the Community Foundation.

New this year were the Redbird Impact Philanthropy Leaders (RIPL) Grants awarded to programs focusing on civic engagement. Receiving 4 RIPL Grants totaling $10,000 were:

Back 2 School Alliance – $3,000 for “Backpacks for Big Kids”
Cultural Fest Inc. – $1,500 for “Culture Fest Nonprofit Community Outreach Booth Initiative”
School Street Food Pantry – $3,500 for “School Street Food Pantry Feeding our African Redbirds”
STAR Adult Literacy – $2,000 for “STAR Adult Literacy Volunteer Recruitment”

Receiving 56 General Grants totaling $113,197 for programs in the fields of education, health and wellness, and youth were:

Best Buddies in Central Illinois – $1,500 for “Best Buddies Leadership”
Bloomington Public Library – $1,500 for “Juneteenth at BPL”
Bloomington-Normal Girls Softball Association – $2,000 for “BNGSA Field Prep Machinery”
Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal – $2,500 for “STEAM Powered Play”
Boys & Girls Club of Livingston County – $3,000 for “Summer Brain Gain – Higher Yielding Learning Activities”
Brightpoint – $2,500 for “Brightpoint Central Region Prevention Services”
Camp Hope Foundation – $2,000 for “Year-Round Family Support Program”
Central Illinois Special Hockey Association – $2,000 for “Central Illinois Special Hockey Association”
City of Refuge Ministries – $1,200 for “City Kids Christian Camp”
Clinton Community Educational Foundation – $1,000 for “Read Across Clinton”
Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois – $2,500 for “CAPCIL Transit”
Community Connection Group of Central Illinois – $1,000 for “Team Connection”
Community Health Care Clinic – $500 for “Caring For Our Community”
Cultural Fest Inc. – $1,500 for “Kidz Zone & Community Health Fair Initiative”
DeWitt-Piatt Bi-County Health Department – $2,300 for “DeWitt-Piatt Bi-County Health Department Garden Project”
Dreams Are Possible – $3,500 for “Enrichment Opportunities”
Faith in Action – $1,500 for “Car Handle Assist for Care Receivers”
Farmer City BMX – $2,000 for “Farmer City BMX”
First Christian Church – $1,200 for “The Helping Shelf”
For The Children Bloomington-Normal Camp 362 –$2,997 for “For the Children Camp #262”
Girl Scouts of Central Illinois – $2,000 for “Pillars of Potential – Girl Scout Events in the Greater Bloomington Community”
Girls on the Run of Central Illinois – $1,000 for “Power Up with Girls on the Run”
Heart of Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters – $1,500 for “Youth Mentoring Program”
Homes of Hope – $1,800 for “Pathways to Participation”
Humane Society of Central Illinois – $1,000 for “Paws & Pages: Youth Mental Wellness Sessions”
Illinois Art Station – $1,500 for “Illinois Art Station Free Fourth Saturday”
Illinois Valley Brain Injury Clubhouse – $1,200 for “Pathways to Health & Wellness”
Junior Achievement of Central Illinois – $1,000 for “CareerSpark”
Kernovate Inc. – $1,000 for “Kernovate Beds Emergency Delivery Service (BEDS)”
Lane Christian Church – $2,000 for “Back to School Bash”
Lifelong Access – $1,500 for “Supported Employment Program Job Education and Behavioral Health Clinic Access”
Lincoln Pastoral Counseling Services, Inc. – $2,000 for “Subsidy Program”
Martin Township Public Library – $500 for “Game On! A Community Board Game Collection”
McLean County Sportsmen’s Association – $2,500 for “Venison for Food Pantries”
Mid Central Community Action, Inc. – $3,000 for “Community Building and Engagement Giving Shed”
National Inventors Hall of Fame Inc. – $2,500 for “Camp Invention STEM Education Program for Low-Income Logan County K-6 Youth”
Normal Community High School Girls’ Basketball Program – $2,500 for “Fierce Minds: Positive Self-Talk for Confidence, Resilience and Mental Wellness”
Normal Public Library – $500 for “Normal Public Library Little Free Pantry”
Prairie Pride Coalition, Inc. – $3,000 for “Reclaiming our LGBTQ+ History”
Promise Council – $4,000 for “Student Success Barrier Removal Program”
Regional Housing and Supportive Services – $3,500 for “Hope on 5th”
Scouting America, W.D. Boyce Council – $1,000 for “2026 Bloomington Cub Scout Day Camp”
Special Olympics Illinois – $2,000 for “Inclusive Sports Programming for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities in SOILL Region G”
The Baby Fold – $2,000 for “Beyond the Bell: Expanding Opportunity After School”
The Baby Fold – $2,400 for “Commercial Door Closures for Hammitt School at Oglesby”
The Center for Youth and Family Solutions – $1,500 for “Parent Education Program Bloomington Area”
The Salvation Army Bloomington – $1,000 for “The Salvation Army Youth Program”
The Salvation Army Lincoln 360 Life Center – $2,500 for “The Salvation Army Lincoln 360 Life Center Pantry”
The Salvation Army Pontiac 360 Life Center – $2,800 for “Homeless Support & Food Pantry”
The Vault Community Center – $3,000 for “The Golden Gears Cafe Small Business & Culinary Arts Program”
Town of Normal Children’s Discovery Museum Foundation – $2,500 for “Building Social Emotional Learning Skills Through STEAM”
United Way of Logan County – $2,000 for “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Logan County”
Weldon Public Library – $1,800 for “School Supplies for Student Success”
Wesley United Methodist Church – $5,000 for “Wesley Distribution Ministry”
YouthBuild McLean County – $3,000 for “Healthcare Vocational Training Simulation Labs”
YWCA McLean County – $3,000 for “Young Wonders Program”

Receiving 32 Arts and Culture Grants totaling $69,967 were:

BCAI Cultural Arts & Humanities – $1,800 for “Summer Arts Exposure”
Board of Trustees of Illinois State University – $2,000 for “2026 Concerts on the Quad”
Board of Trustees of Illinois State University – $2,500 for “ISU String Project 25th Anniversary Festival”
Board of Trustees of Illinois State University – University Galleries – $1,500 for “Teen Art Group at University Galleries”
Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal – $1,600 for “Music Therapy”
Brass Band of Central Illinois – $1,500 for “2027 Spring Concert”
City of Bloomington – BCPA – $1,000 for “2026 First Friday Concerts”
Cultural Fest Inc. – $2,750 for “Cultural Fest 2026 – 47th Annual Multicultural Arts Celebration”
Freedom Sings USA – $1,050 for “Freedom Sings USA Central Illinois Chapter” Funded by the David and Kay Williams Music Education Fund.
Further Jazz, Inc. – $1,750 for “5th Annual Further Jazz Festival”
Girl Scouts of Central Illinois – $1,100 for “Palette of Possibilities”
Heartland Community College – $3,300 for “CreatiVets at Heartland Community College: Healing Through the Arts”
Heartland Jazz Orchestra Foundation – $1,750 for “Community Jazz Concerts”
Heartland Productions Inc. – $3,800 for “2 New Plays Programs”
Holiday Spectacular Inc. – $1,500 for “Celebrate America 250”
Holiday Spectacular Inc. – $1,500 for “Holiday Spectacular: Free Tickets for Low Income Community Members 2026”
Illinois Shakespeare Festival – $2,000 for “The Courtyard Music Series at Ewing Cultural Center”
Illinois Symphony Orchestra Inc. – $4,100 for “Concerts for Kids”
Illinois Voices Theatre – $2,000 for “Seedling Theatre”
Illinois Wesleyan University – $3,000 for “Illinois Chamber Music Festival at IWU – 2026 season”
Illinois Wesleyan University – $2,000 for “Illinois Wesleyan Jazz Festival”
Inside Out Accessible Art – $2,400 for “Inside Out Accessible Art”
Lifelong Access – $1,500 for “Community Day Services Art Supplies”
Lifelong Access – $1,500 for “Lifelong Friends Music Equipment Initiative” Funded by the David and Kay Williams Music Education Fund.
Lincoln Community High School – $2,000 for “Lincoln Music Collective Band for All” Funded by the David and Kay Williams Music Education Fund.
McLean County Arts Center – $2,600 for “Sugar Creek Arts Festival- Music Performances”
McLean County Dance Association – $1,500 for “Ballet at the Barre”
Music Connections Foundation – $2,500 for “Mentoring Young Musicians into Professional Theater”
Penguin Project McLean – $1,617 for “The Penguin Project of McLean County”
Poco a Poco – $3,000 for “Poco a Poco Young Artist Training Program”
Prairie Fire Theatre – $3,500 for “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”
Prairie Fire Theatre – $2,600 for “Quack-A-Doodle-Doo! Children’s Opera Tour” Funded in part by the David and Kay Williams Music Education Fund.
fwd – $2,000 for “2027 Collaborative Concert with ISU Creative Technologies” Funded by the David and Kay Williams Music Education Fund.
fwd – $3,100 for “pt.fwd 2026-2027 Concert Series”
Share the Music – $1,370 for “Share the Music Instrument Lending Project” Funded by the David and Kay Williams Music Education Fund.
Strong Towns BloNo – $2,000 for “Sidewalk Wayfinding Mural Project”
The Center for Creativity and Community – $2,200 for “Center for Creativity and Community”
Threshold to Hope, Inc. – $1,000 for “Art Instruction and Exploration for Low Income Artists”

Receiving 6 David & Kay Williams Music Education Grants totaling $9,920 were:

Freedom Sings USA – $1,050 for “Freedom Sings USA Central Illinois Chapter”
Lifelong Access – $1,500 for “Lifelong Friends Music Equipment Initiative”
Lincoln Community High School – $2,000 for “Lincoln Music Collective Band for All”
Prairie Fire Theatre – $2,600 for “Quack-A-Doodle-Doo! Children’s Opera Tour” (Additional funding provided by Jerome Mirza Arts & Culture Fund)
fwd – $2,000 for “2027 Collaborative Concert with ISU Creative Technologies”
Share the Music – $1,370 for “Share the Music Instrument Lending Project”

Receiving 8 Sol Shulman Jewish Life and Education Grants totaling $27,760 were:

Illinois Symphony Orchestra – $3,500 for “ISO Around the Town Performance Celebrating Jewish Music and History”
Moses Montefiore Temple – $3,838 for “Inspire Through Song”
Moses Montefiore Temple – $3,000 for “Klezmer Band”
Moses Montefiore Temple – $800 for “Literacy for Our Learners”
Moses Montefiore Temple – $1,500 for “Nosh and Learn: An Ashkenazi Jewish Food Celebration”
Moses Montefiore Temple – $3,838 for “Sustaining Sacred Music at MMT”
Moses Montefiore Temple – $3,224 for “The Illinois Holocaust Museum: An Interfaith Visit and Reflection”
Moses Montefiore Temple – $3,500 for “Union for Reform Judaism Biennial”

Earlier in the year, IPCF awarded $101,830 – $66,000 by the foundation’s Women to Women Giving Circle, $26,587 from the Environment & Nature Fund and $9,243 from the foundation’s Youth Engaged in Philanthropy (YEP) cohort. The community foundation will award a record $ 328,114 in competitive grants this year.

About Illinois Prairie Community Foundation
Illinois Prairie Community Foundation connects generosity to local impact by stewarding resources, cultivating partnerships and fostering equity across our region. IPCF empowers individuals, families and organizations to create meaningful change – today and for generations to come. The foundation manages funds including endowments and agency, designated, donor advised, field of interest, scholarship and unrestricted funds. More information is available at www.ilprairiecf.org.

Community Partners for Illinois Prairie Community Foundation are: The Drake Zimmerman Group, Heartland Bank & Trust, Meyer Capel, Illinois Farm Bureau, Onward Injury Law, WGLT, First Mid Wealth Management, Knight Light Photograph, Northern Trust, Renaissance Wealth Management BN, Bank of Pontiac, Donald Heinold CPA, Fox & Hounds Salon & Spa, Little Jewels Learning Center, Tarvin Culligan and Westminster Village.

Contact
Michele Evans, Vice President (Programs)| [email protected] | 309-662-4477