The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office is accepting applications for its 2026 Charitable Trust Grant to support small nonprofits across Illinois.
Donor Name: Illinois State Treasurer’s Office
State: Illinois
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/31/2026
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Charitable Trust is intended to help small non-profits with annual budgets of $1 million or less and a full-time employee. Grant applicants in areas with pervasive poverty, unemployment, and economic distress will be given special attention.
Focus Areas
In each area, the Charitable Trust Board will consider a range of programs, such as but not limited to the following:
- Food Programs
- Food Pantries
- School Meal Support (after-school & weekend)
- Summer Meal Programs
- SNAP Enrollment & Outreach
- SNAP at Farmers Markets
- Fresh Produce Access
- Home-Delivered Meals
- Housing
- Short-term Housing and support services
- Emergency financial help to prevent homelessness
- Foreclosure prevention help and counseling
- Affordable housing support (building, repairing, and improving homes)
- Accessible housing options (for people with disabilities)
- Fair housing help and education
- Homebuyer counseling
- Renter rights information and support
- Workforce & Economic Development
- Small business support centers
- Entrepreneurship training and support
- Resume help
- Interview coaching
- Job placement and help with staying employed
- GED classes
- Career and job skills training
- Apprenticeship training
- Industry certification programs
- Workforce training and support for people with disabilities.
Eligibility Criteria
- Only applicants who meet all the following requirements will be considered:
- A not-for-profit corporation that is exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code:
- A not-for-profit organized under the Illinois General Not for Profit Corporation Act of 1986 for the purpose of providing charitable services to the community:
- The organization is domiciled in the State of Illinois and provides charitable services exclusively in that state.
- The organization has at least one full-time paid employee. (Full-time employment is verified by reviewing the compensation listed on an applicant’s AG990-IL form: Part IV., lines T), U), V).
- The organization has an operating budget of $1 Million or less.
- The organization has adopted a policy of non-discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, family status, or religion.
- Additionally, non-profit organizations with a person, or immediate family member (including but not limited to a spouse/domestic partner, sibling, or child) holding an elective office making in excess of $60,000, where any such person holds a position of paid staff, consultant, director, officer, or board member of an organization, will not be eligible.
- The total grant request should not exceed 30% of the organization’s budget and should not exceed 25% in overhead costs, unless the grant will be used for a one-time expenditure.
- Previous grant recipients are eligible to apply if their grant term has expired for at least 1 calendar year.
- A grantee may not receive a grant award in more than 2 consecutive calendar years.
- Fiscal sponsors, sub-grantees, and other applications on behalf of another organization will not be considered.
- Organizations that do not file AG990-IL forms regularly due to an exemption must provide a recent audited financial statement to be considered.
For more information, visit Illinois State Treasurer’s Office.
