IPCF awards $222,411 in grants to 97 local nonprofits

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WAND) – 97 programs across McLean, DeWitt, Livingston, and Logan counties will receive part of a $222,411 grant provided by the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation.

Grant awards varied from $600 to $7,695. Funding was sourced from donors to the Community Foundation’s annual campaign, the Jerome Mirza Arts & Culture Fund, the Sapphire Sky Wind Fund, and several endowments at the Community Foundation.

Receiving 52 General Grants totaling $115,902 for programs in the fields of education, health and wellness, and youth were:

Back 2 School Alliance – $2,500 for “Backpacks for Big Kids”
Best Buddies in Central Illinois – $2,000 for “Best Buddies Leadership”
Bloomington Public Library – $2,000 for “Juneteenth at Bloomington Public Library”
Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal – $3,000 for “STEAM Powered Play”
Brightpoint – $4,000 for “Brightpoint Central Region Prevention Services”
Central Illinois Special Hockey Association – $2,500 for “Central Illinois Special Hockey Association”
Central Illinois Veterans Commission – $3,000 for “Tiny Homes for Veterans”
Children’s Advocacy Center of McLean County – $2,000 for “Prevent 360 Purchase of Supplies and Materials”
City of Refuge Ministries – $1,500 for “City Kids Christian Camp (CKCC)”
Clinton Community Educational Foundation – $1,250 for “Read Across Clinton”
Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois – $2,500 for “CAPCIL Transit”
Community Connection Group of Central Illinois – $900 for “Team Connection”
Community Health Care Clinic – $2,300 for “Home Blood Pressure Monitoring”
Corpus Christi Catholic School – $1,000 for “Outdoor Active Play Initiative: Multi-Sport Net”
Cultural Fest Inc. – $1,500 for “2025 Cultural Festival Kidz Zone”
Dreams Are Possible – $4,500 for “Dreams Are Possible”
Dwight Economic Alliance – $4,000 for “Kids Kamp”
Easterseals Central Illinois – $2,000 for “Timber Pointe Outdoor Center Cooking Program for Campers”
Encore Developmental Services – $2,000 for “Communication and Community Access Program”
Eversight – $1,000 for “Sight-Saving Recovery Supplies for McLean and Livingston Counties”
First Christian Church – $2,000 for “The Helping Shelf”
Girl Scouts of Central Illinois – $3,000 for “Powering Girls’ Potential – Direct Assistance for Local Girl Scouts”
Girls on the Run of Central Illinois – $1,000 for “Power Up with Girls on the Run”
Great Plains LIFE Foundation – $2,000 for “Stay 4 Project”
Homes of Hope – $2,500 for “Heart Healthy Heroes”
Illinois Art Station – $2,200 for “FREE Saturdays at the Station”
INtegRIty Counseling – $1,500 for “Serving with INtegRIty II”
Junior Achievement of Central Illinois – $1,200 for “CareerSpark”
Lexington CUSD #7 – $2,000 for “SMART (Science, Math, Art, Reading, Technology) Camp”
Lincoln Pastoral Counseling Services Inc. – $2,000 for “Subsidy Program”
McLean County Unit School District No. 5 Educational Foundation – $1,500 for “Furnishing an Outdoor Classroom at Eugene Field School”
Miller Park Zoological Society – $600 for “Puerto Rican Crested Toads Habitat”
Oasis Community Outreach – $3,000 for “Oasis Community Outreach”
One Hope Project – $1,600 for “NourishED: Empowering Students for Healthy Futures”
Partners for Community – $3,552 for “Free Beds for Low Income Families”
Piatt County Mental Health Center – $1,500 for “DeWitt County Youth Mental Health Bags”
Prairie Creek Public Library District – $2,000 for “Summer Reading Adventures”
Regional Housing and Supportive Services – $2,500 for “Hope on Fifth Cleaning Equipment”
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Illinois – $2,500 for “Ronald McDonald House: A Home Away from Home”
Salem4Youth – $1,000 for “Bee University”
School Street Food Pantry – $3,000 for “School Street Food Pantry: Access to Culturally Diverse Foods Program”
Special Olympics Illinois Region G – $2,000 for “Inclusive Sports Programming for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities in SOILL Regional G”
The Baby Fold – $2,000 for “Early Childhood Services”
The Salvation Army Lincoln 360 Life Center – $3,000 for “The Salvation Army Lincoln 360 Life Center Pantry”
The Salvation Army of Bloomington – $3,000 for “The Salvation Army Food Pantry”
The Salvation Army Pontiac 360 Life Center – $3,000 for “Food Pantry & Hygiene Items”
The Vault Community Center – $3,000 for “The Golden Gears Small Business Leadership Program”
United Way of Logan County – $2,000 for “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Logan County”
W.D. Bryce Council, Boy Scouts of America Inc. – $600 for “Bloomington Cub Scout Day Camp”
Weldon Public Library – $1,000 for “School Supply Program”
Wesley United Methodist Church – $5,000 for “Wesley Distribution Ministry”
YWCA McLean County – $3,700 for “Young Wonders Early Learning Toddlers and Twos”

Receiving 37 Arts and Culture Grants totaling $78,749 were:

BCAI Cultural Arts & Humanities – $3,000 for “Summer Arts Exposure 2025”
Board of Trustees of Illinois State University – $2,000 for “2025 Concerts on the Quad”
Board of Trustees of Illinois State University – $2,000 for “ISU String Project and String Project Summer Camp”
Board of Trustees of Illinois State University – $2,586 for “Suzuki Strings Festival”; funded by the David and Kay Williams Music Education Fund
Board of Trustees of Illinois State University – $2,000 for “Teen Art Group at University Galleries”
Brass Band of Central Illinois – $1,400 for “2026 Spring Concert”
City of Bloomington’s Bloomington Center for Performing Arts – $1,500 for “2025 First Friday Concert”
Cultural Fest Inc. – $2,000 for “2025 Cultural Festival”
Freedom Sings USA: Central Illinois Chapter – $2,000 for “Freedom Sings USA: Central Illinois Chapter”
Further Jazz Inc. – $1,400 for “4th Annual Further Jazz Festival”
Heartland Jazz Orchestra Foundation – $1,800 for “Community Jazz Concerts”
Heartland Productions Inc. – $3,500 for “Two New Play Projects” – “New Plays from the Heartland” and “The Play’s the Thing”
Holiday Spectacular Inc. – $1,800 for “Free Tickets for Low-Income Community Members 2025”
Holiday Spectacular Inc. – $1,800 for “Holiday Spectacular Celebrates America 2025”
Illinois Art Station – $730 for “Equipment to Support DIY & Experimental Music Scene at Illinois Art Station”; funded by the David and Kay Williams Music Education Fund
Illinois Shakespeare Festival – $2,000 for “Music in the Courtyard Series”
Illinois State University – $2,253 for “Sunset on the Longest Day 2025”
Illinois Symphony Orchestra – $3,500 for “Concert for Kids”
Illinois Wesleyan University – $2,000 for “51st Annual IWU Jazz Festival”
Illinois Wesleyan University – $3,000 for “Illinois Wesleyan School of Music Chamber Music Festival”
Inside Out Accessible Art – $2,000 for “Inside Out Accessible Art”
Kingsley Junior High School Drama Club – $1,000 for “KJHS Drama Club”
LeRoy Elementary School – $1,250 for “LeRoy Elementary Pre-Band Program”
Lincoln Community High School – $3,000 for “Piano and Music Theory for High School Students of Logan County and Beyond”
McLean County Arts Center – $3,000 for “Sugar Creek Arts Festival”
Poco a Poco – $3,500 for “Summer Music Fest”
Prairie Fire Theatre – $3,600 for “The Baker’s Wife (a Broadway Musical)”
Prairie Fire Theatre – $2,750 for “The Ghost in the Opera House (Touring Children’s Opera)”; funded by the David and Kay Williams Music Education Fund
pt.fwd – $2,000 for “Collaborative Concert with ISU Creative Technologies 2026”; funded by the David and Kay Williams Music Education Fund
pt.fwd – $3,000 for “2025-2026 Concert Series”
Ridgeview CUSD #19 – $775 for “Ridgeview Elementary – Access for All”; funded by the David and Kay Williams Music Education Fund
Share the Music – $1,800 for “Share the Music”
Sound of Illinois (SFPEBQA) – $1,000 for “Youth in Harmony”
The Center for Creativity & Community – $1,900 for “The Center for Creativity & Community”
The Penguin Project of McLean County – $2,000 for “The Penguin Project of McLean County”
Threshold to Hope, Inc. – $1,500 for “Art Instruction and Exploration for Low-Income Artists”
Town of Normal Children’s Discovery Museum Foundation – $2,400 for “Makers & Musicians”

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

Illinois Symphony Orchestra – $4,000 for “ISO Around the Town Performance Celebrating Jewish Music and History”
Moses Montefiore Temple – $1,800 for “Jewish Film Festival”
Moses Montefiore Temple – $600 for “Literacy for Our Learners”
Moses Montefiore Temple – $3,000 for “Music Enrichment at MMT”
Moses Montefiore Temple – $3,500 for “PJ Library Author Alan Silberberg Workshops”
Moses Montefiore Temple – $7,695 for “Religious Action Center’s L’Taken Social Justice Seminar and Teen Trip to Washington, D.C.”
Moses Montefiore Temple – $5,370 for “Song Leader Boot Camp”
Moses Montefiore Temple – $1,795 for “The History and Taste of Jewish Delis in Chicago”

Earlier this year, the IPCF awarded a total of $94,524. This funding included $60,000 from the Women to Women Giving Circle, $25,385 from the Environment & Nature Fund, and $9,139 from the Youth Engaged in Philanthropy (YEP) cohort.

As a result, the community foundation will distribute a record $316,935 in competitive grants this year.