Applications are now being accpeted for the 2026 Ignite Fund.
Donor Name: Ignite Fund
State: Illinois
County: Cook County (IL), DuPage County (IL), Kane County (IL), Lake County (IL), McHenry County (IL), Will County (IL)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/13/2026
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The Ignite Fund grants for Chicago-area artists and artist-led collectives to produce and present bold new projects rooted in the visual arts. They prioritize public-facing work that embraces accessibility, fosters community impact and/or participation, and responds to the issues shaping the social climate. In this spirit, The Ignite Fund shines a light on the vibrancy, creativity, and resilience of the Chicago arts ecosystem.
Funding Information
Grants Up to $10,000.
Grant Period
Projects that can be completed within a one-year grant term.
Project Eligibility
- Projects proposed by visual artists or artists with a history of presenting their work in visual art contexts.
- Projects proposed by artists with an active artistic practice that can demonstrate recent work and supply work samples.
- Projects must center contemporary visual arts practice as the primary root and impulse. The Ignite Fund embraces a broad understanding of the visual arts. Applicants will be required to describe how a strong visual context plays a critical role in presenting your project.
- Projects that can be completed within a one-year grant term.
- A new project or the new phase of a project. Keep in mind The Ignite Fund grant is intended to help individuals and collective groups of artists take new risks with their work. The Ignite Fund will not allocate resources to finished projects or support individuals looking to document pre-existing or finished projects.
Eligibility Criteria
- Artists living in the Chicago metropolitan area (Cook, DuPage, Kane, McHenry, Lake, and Will counties).
- 18 years or older.
- Must legally be able to receive taxable income in the United States. Citizens, permanent residents, or anyone who can provide a W9 and a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) are eligible.
- Not currently enrolled in a full-time degree-granting program (high school, college, or university).
Ineligibility
- Artists living outside of the Chicago metropolitan area (Cook, DuPage, Kane, McHenry, Lake, and Will counties).
- Artists who are younger than 18 years old.
- Artists not legally be able to receive taxable income in the United States. Citizens, permanent residents, or anyone who can provide a W9 and a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) are eligible.
- Full-time students currently enrolled in high school, college, or university.
- Artists led by incorporated entities (LLCs, B Corps, 501(C)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations), universities and schools (private, public, charter), and religious entities.
- Artists or Artist collectives who received an Ignite Fund grant the previous round
- Artist collectives may apply if the lead applicant meets all of the criteria above. Other collective members do not need to meet all eligibility criteria.
For more information, visit Ignite Fund.
