IPCF Awards Grants to 13 Local Nonprofit Programs

BLOOMINGTON, IL – Thirteen local nonprofit programs have been awarded a total of $57,372 in grants  thanks to the Women to Women Giving Circle and Youth Engaged in Philanthropy (YEP) at the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation.

The Women to Women Giving Circle seeks to improve the lives of women and children in Central Illinois and focused its grants for 2022 on programs that support renewal and recovery after the pandemic for women and children in our community. Women to Women grant applicants were asked, but not required, to collaborate with another nonprofit organization on a program addressing the focus.

Youth Engaged in Philanthropy grants were selected by 19 area high school students and focus on youth-oriented programs with priority given to organizations that include youth in the application process.

Recipient organizations sharing the $47,372 Women to Women awards are:

• Autism Collective in collaboration with OSF Health Care System and Easterseals – $10,000 for “Autism Care Coordination” provides comprehensive and individualized support and care to families facing or living with an autism diagnosis.
• Children’s Discovery Museum in collaboration with Children’s Home + Aid’s Scott Early Learning Center – $7,200 for “Growing STEAM Potential Through Play” engages children, families and educators in playful learning experiences that enhance their excitement, curiosity and interest about STEAM topics helping them gain confidence in their own ability to learn more about these topics in the future.
• Children’s Home + Aid in collaboration with Chestnut Health Systems – $10,000 for “Early Childhood Home Visiting” aims to provide children a solid foundation for learning by helping families move from poverty to self-sufficiency; due to the pandemic, mental health services are being prioritized through this program.
• Community Health Care Clinic– $10,000 for “CAATCH – Coordinating Affordable Access to Comprehensive Healthcare” aims to reduce inappropriate use of the emergency room for non-emergent conditions and to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations by connecting at-risk populations with a primary care provider and medical home.
• Milestones Early Learning Center – $3,100 for “Communication & Recovery Post COVID” aims to help center re-open a second toddler room, hire a DCFS qualified teacher and purchase new iPad for Parent Engagement App allowing connection with families.
• YWCA McLean County – $7,072 for “YWCA McLean County Young Wonders” aims to assist children and families to bounce back from the pandemic by receiving additional social/emotional classroom support; YWCA staff will receive trauma informed training; families will receive access to resources.

Recipient organizations sharing the $10,000 Youth Engaged in Philanthropy awards are:

• Girl Scouts of Central Illinois – $1,500 for “GIRL Outreach Program – DeWitt County” to confront challenges posing an increased threat to girls in DeWitt County, while supporting their journey to achieve their dreams, through activities designed to encourage well-being and bolster confidence, communication skills and peer collaboration.
• Girls on the Run of Central Illinois – $2,000 for “Power Up with Girls on the Run” to integrate running to transform girls’ lives by helping them increase their self-esteem and confidence, develop healthy relationships, and feel good about themselves, inside and out.
• Jump 4 Joy Squad – $900 for “Jump 4 Joy Squad Spring Classes” to teach the sport of jump roping to new youth (ages 4-14) in the Bloomington/Normal area; grant will purchase equipment including jump ropes and athletic floor tiling.
• Ridgeview Elementary School – $1,605 for “Ridgview Elementary School Sensory Path” to provide emotion regulation support to students in need at school, especially those on the Autism Spectrum in need of sensory breaks; grant will purchase kit to create path.
• Sunnyside Community Gardens & Food Forest – $495 for “Sunnyside Apprenticeship Program” to provide local, low-income teens with job skills, community involvement, food to take home and a stipend in return for their commitment to work 100 hours in the garden over the summer.
• Vespasian Warner Public Library – $1,500 for “Access for All: Enhancing Inclusive Collection at the VWPL” to offer a youth collection that is both diverse and inclusive by purchasing books, movies and digital content that feature diverse authors, characters and settings.
• Western Avenue Community Center – $2,000 for “Sisters by Chance” enrichment program for 8th grade girls that concentrates on career exploration with the goal to empower youth to make sound choices and become who they want to be through knowledge, dedication, respect, hard work, citizenship and fun.

Since 2011, the Women to Women Giving Circle has awarded $424,363 in grants. The mission of the group is to provide education about issues affecting women and to provide grants to projects and programs aimed at improving the dignity of women and children in McLean, DeWitt, Logan and Livingston counties.

Since 2014, Youth Engaged in Philanthropy has awarded $90,000. As a part of our community’s youth, YEP strives to connect those who care about youth with the monetary means necessary to pursue their vision.

About Illinois Prairie Community Foundation
Illinois Prairie Community Foundation, now in its 24th 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 assets of more than $23 million in more than 175 funds including endowments and donor advised, fiscal sponsorship and scholarship funds. More information is available at www.ilprairiecf.org.

Contact
Michele Evans | Grants & Communications Director | 309-662-4477