The Illinois Prairie Community Foundation (IPCF) is accepting applications for its 2025 Environment & Nature Grants. This grant program supports projects and programs specifically focused on environmental and nature-related issues. A total of $40,000 is available for distribution, with individual grant amounts ranging from $2,000 to $22,500 as seen in previous years. Programs must operate within McLean, DeWitt, Livingston, or Logan counties, but are not required to serve all four counties.

Applications must address issues with a significant environmental or nature impact. The funding period is February 1, 2025, through January 31, 2026, and only projects occurring within this timeframe are eligible. Applicants must use the budget document provided by the IPCF Grants Committees, accessible in Word or Excel format via the online application portal. The deadline for submission is September 30, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. Central Time, after which the online grant system will automatically close all applications, even those still in progress. Decisions will be communicated by early January 2025.

Eligibility is open to organizations with tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3), those operating under a fiscal sponsor with such status, units of local, county, state, or federal government, and tax-exempt religious organizations (programs may not proselytize). Applicants must ensure that their programs comply with anti-discrimination laws and be accessible to residents of the eligible counties. Organizations with past IPCF grants must have submitted all required final reports to be eligible.

The program prioritizes initiatives with long-term sustainability, innovative and creative solutions, cost-effectiveness, and clear methods for measuring and reporting results. Certain expenses are excluded, including those for fundraising events, capital improvements, scholarships, non-program-related costs, and personnel expenses.

Applicants are required to have their submission approved by their Executive Director, CEO, or Board President. Upon selection, grant recipients must complete a Grant Agreement form and meet all outlined conditions before receiving funds, which will be disbursed starting in January 2025.

Applications must be submitted through IPCF’s online grant portal. For more details or assistance, applicants can contact Michele Evans, Grants & Communications Director, at mevans@ilprairiecf.org or 309-662-4477.