Here is the weekly update on funding opportunities per the request of the Latinx Business Colectivo – Funding Opportunities working group.

**To help differentiate between resources I have sent previously and ‘new ones’ (resources I haven’t emailed about) I will highlight the new ones in yellow. Hope that helps.**

THANK YOU- To Cindy Patino from Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA) who continues to share with me some resources she is aware of that can be shared with the entire group. Thank you Cindy for sharing resources again! If anyone else knows of resources that can be shared with the group, feel free to share those with me.

Funding Opportunities: 

• DCEO (few highlighted below)
  • Illinois Grocery Initiative - New Stores in Food Deserts Program
    • Eligibility includes:
      • “Eligibility for this program will be constrained by geographic location, characteristics of prospective store ownership, and the intended offerings of the store.”
      • “Grants will be limited to projects that will result in a new grocery store establishment in a food desert census tract.”
      • “This grant opportunity will be limited to the following types of entities:
        • Units of local government
        • Independent grocers or cooperatives with fewer than 500 employees and no more than four grocery locations. This includes for-profit and nonprofit entities.”
      • For more information on the criteria, read the NOFO pages 2-3
    • Award Range: $160,000 - $2,400,000
    • Deadline: May 24, 2024 at 5:00pm
•  
  • Equitable Energy Future Grant Program
    • Eligibility includes:
      • “Equity Eligible Contractors, per the definition in the Illinois Power Agency Act”
      • “An Illinois business or nonprofit or cooperative organization that meets the equity building criteria in paragraph (9.5) of subsection (g) of Section 8-103B of the Public Utilities Act”
      • Please read the NOFO for full criteria, pages 4-5
    • Award Range: $250,000 - $1,000,000
    • Deadline: June 30, 2024 at 5:00PM
• 
  
  • Rebuild Downtowns & Main Streets & Research in Illinois to Spur Economic Recovery Implementation Grants
    • Eligibility includes:
      • Economic development organizations (EDOs)
      • Local units of government (e.g., municipalities, counties, townships)
      • Private Businesses
    • Award Range: $250,000 - $2,000,000
    • Deadline: July 22, 2024 at 5pm 
• 
  
  • For a complete list of DCEO grants, please visit our website. Please note there are several due June 2024 that I didn’t list in case you want to go to our website and review those now.
• 
  
  • Illinois Works Bid Credit Program
    • Eligibility: “Contractors or subcontractors that employ apprentices that have completed the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program on any project (stated or privately funded) are eligible to earn bid credits they can use to make their bids for future state-funded public works projects more competitive.”
    • Bid Credit Range: varies, here is more info on bid credits
    • 
      
• Additional State of Illinois Entities
  • Bid - Upgrade Patio Fencing, Madden Mental Health Center - Hines, Cook County
    • Description: The Capital Development Board is soliciting bids to upgrade patio fencing at Madden Mental Health Center. 
    • Deadline: May 14, 2024 at 11am

• Federal Government
• U.S. Department of Labor - FY 24 Fostering Access, Rights and Equity (FARE) Grant Program
  • Description: Open nationwide to nonprofits “…with deep ties to underserved and marginalized women workers who are disproportionately impacted by [gender-based violence and harassment] GBVH”
  • Award Range: $250,000 - $350,000
  • Deadline: May 28, 2024
•  
• Local Governments
  • City of Peoria - Commercial Renovation Grant Program
    • Description: “The program is a grant designed to assist small businesses throughout the City, providing business owners the opportunity to reinvest in their businesses and/or properties.”
    • Award Range: $5,000 and $25,000
    • Deadline: Friday, May 10, 2024
•  
  • Kane County - Grand Victoria Riverboat Fund Program
    • Description: Open to nonprofits, 501(c)(3), organizations and units of local government for eligible projects that benefit Kane County residents with a focus on education, environment or economic development. 
    • Award Range: “Applicants may not receive more than $100,000…per project”
    • Deadline: Friday, May 17, 2024, midnight 
• Private/Community Resources 
  • Kane County Manufacturing Grant Program from IMEC 
    • Description: Open to manufacturing businesses located in Kane County 
• 
  
  • Nasdaq Foundation Quarterly Grant Program
    • Description: Open nationwide to 501C3 nonprofits in two criteria: Empower (financial knowledge and confidence) and Support (strengthen and scale). For more information, please click HERE. 
    • Award Range: varies 
    • Deadline: May 10, 2024
•  
  • Creators’ Momentum Business Accelerator
    • Description: Open nationwide to eligible LLCs, corporations, or sole proprietors. ITINs accepted. The business has to have an annual revenue of less than $500,000, have 5 or few employees, commit to completing the business accelerator program, been operating for at least one year and business contributes to the creative economy (e.g., crafters, artists, makers, musicians, barber shops, beauty/hair salons, nail salons, professional makeup, fashion and accessories, beverage and/or food manufacturing, fragrance and candle making, home décor, photography, theater companies, dance companies, plant retail, landscape design, florists, toy manufacturing, hobby goods, and more. See full list and eligibility criteria HERE.
    • Award Range: $5,000 grant if the business accelerator program is completed
    • Deadline: May 13, 2024, 4pm 
•  
  • BMO - Women in Business Grant Program
    • Description: Open to over 20 states, including all of Illinois, for women-owned businesses with an annual revenue of $5 million or under and has been operating for at least 2 years as a business.
    • Award Range: $10,000
    • Deadline: May 14, 2024 
•  
  • 2024 Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant
    • Description: Open nationwide to arts writers who are at least 25 years old by October 1st, applying for a project about contemporary visual art. See grant for further criteria.
    • Award Range: $15,000 to $50,000
    • Deadline: May 15, 2024
•  
  • A Road Together (ART)
    • Description: “the Field Foundation, in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation, launched A Road Together (ART), a new grantmaking program designed specifically for small and mid-sized arts and culture organizations with annual operating budgets up to $1 million and with a strong commitment to equity that are reflective and inclusive of Chicago’s diverse and historically underserved communities.”
    • Deadline: May 17, 2024, portal now open
•  
  • Cécred x BeyGOOD Salon Business Grant
    • Description: Open to licensed cosmetologists in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New Jersey. 
    • Award Range: $10,000
    • Deadline: May 20, 2024
•  
  • Backing the B.A.R. from NAACP and BACARDI
    • Description: Open nationwide to minority owned businesses who have a liquor license or working towards one. Example of businesses are restaurants, bars, nightclubs, lounges, liquor stores. See criteria for more information. Note, preference will be given to Black Entrepreneurs
    • Award Range: $10,000
    • Deadline: May 24, 2024 at 5pm
•  
  • Fund Her Future, H&R Block’s Business Grant for Women
    • Description: Open nationwide to women owned (majority owned, 51% or more) businesses in the U.S. 5 women owned businesses will be selected for awards. See rules for full criteria. 
    • Award Range: $12,500 - $50,000 plus services from H&R block
    • Deadline: May 26, 2024, 11:59 pm 
•  
  • National Pride Grant for LGBTQIA+ Small Businesses
    • Description: Open nationwide to LGBTQIA+ owned businesses, must have between 2 to 100 employees, make $5 million in annual revenue or less and been in business for at least 1 year. Grant opens on April 30, 2024 but businesses can already pre-register.
    • Deadline: May 28, 2024
•  
  • 2024 Ignite Fund
    • Description: “grants for community centered, public-facing visual arts projects that represent experimental, unconventional, and accessible practices by Chicago-area artists and artist-led collectives.” Individual artists and artist-led collectives are eligible to apply. 
    • Award Range: $6,000
    • Deadline: May 29, 2024
• 
  
  • We Rise Together Grant 
    • Description: “The program will connect vacant property owners with entrepreneurs in Auburn Gresham, Austin, Back of the Yards, Englewood, Gage Park, North Lawndale, South Lawndale, South Shore, Washington Park, and West Lawn. The program will also provide small business owners with funding to help them transition into brick-and-mortar spaces.”
    • Award Range: up to $12,500
    • Deadline: May 31, 2024
• 
  
  • EquityTech Fellowship
    • Description: “This fellowship empowers entrepreneurs across the United States and the globe leveraging technology to increase social and financial inclusion and close equity gaps in wealth, education, and accessibility.”
    • Award Range: “$10,000 per venture equity free stipend to use toward travel expenses to attend the residencies” 
    • Deadline: May 31, 2024
• 
  
  • 2024 AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund
    • Description: “In partnership with Grubhub Community Fund, the AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund by National ACE provides help to under-resourced AAPI-owned restaurants to respond to supply chain disruptions, increased inventory costs, workforce development, and safety for their employees. 170 grants will be given to small business owners…”
    • Award Range: $5,000 to $25,000
    • Deadline May 31, 2024, or first 5,000 applications, whichever comes first.
• 
  
  • eBay Up & Running Grant
    • Description: Open to ebay business sellers. 50 eBay business sellers will be awarded. 
    • Award Range: $10,000
    • Deadline: June 7, 2024
• 
  
  • Jobber Grants
    • Eligibility: “Any home service business owner or aspiring business owner 18 years old or older, residing in the U.S. and Canada, excluding Québec.”
    • Award Range: $10,000
    • Deadline: June 12, 2024
• 
  
  • Open Call on Closing Local Coverage Gaps
    • Description: “Press Forward’s first open call will address longstanding inequities in journalism coverage and practice in the U.S. by investing in small, local newsrooms that provide original reporting to underserved communities”. This is open to for-profit, nonprofit, and university/college student newsrooms. 
    • Award Range: $100,000
    • Deadline: June 12, 2024
• 
  
  • 2025 Here to Be Grant
    • Description: Open globally to registered nonprofits, or charities, or fiscally sponsored by one who work to advance wellbeing outcomes through physical, mental, and/or social programming, have an annual budget of less than $2 million, have diverse and representative leadership, and serve populations most impacted by systemic inequity.. 
    • Award Range: up to $50,000
    • Deadline: June 28, 2024 (opens June 3, 2024) 
• 
  
  • Envisioning Justice Grants for Organizations
    • Description: “Illinois Humanities partners with groups throughout the state to use the arts and humanities to spark statewide conversations about the impact of mass incarceration, envision community-based solutions, and facilitate healing.” Open to nonprofits in Illinois. “Based anywhere in Illinois; individuals from the following areas are particularly encouraged to apply: East St. Louis, Decatur, Carbondale, Galesburg, Urbana-Champaign, and the Bloomington-Normal Metro Area. However, applicants from anywhere in Illinois are eligible”
    • Award Range: up to $10,000
    • Deadline: July 16, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. (opens May 15, 2024 at 9am) 
• 
  
  • South Side Pitch by IJ Clinic on Entrepreneurship
    • Description: Open to businesses in the South Side of Chicago, who have less than 50 employees, not part of a franchise, and make less than $1 million in annual revenue. For more info on criteria, click HERE.
    • Award Range: varies 
    • Deadline: August 5, 2024 (portal doesn’t open until June 17, 2024) 

Thank you and have a great week!

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