Funding Opportunities
This page lists funding opportunities for building improvements, infrastructure development, education, and workforce development. It is directed towards Illinois community action agencies, community-based organizations, community non-profits, and public housing authorities that are looking for ways to engage more in energy efficiency. Many of these funding opportunities are broadly focused and could be used to fund energy efficiency improvements, education, or workforce development.
Are you aware of a funding opportunity that we have not listed? Contact Linda Larsen at lflarsen@illinois.edu and we'll add this opportunity to our list, which we update regularly. Thanks for helping us keep the list up to date!
Building Improvement and Infrastructure Grants
- Funding organization: HUD/IL DCEO
- Description: There are a variety of different grant types for public infrastructure, housing rehabilitation, economic development, and disaster response.
- Eligibility: Must be in low-income areas.
- Learn more.
Funding organization: Illinois State Treasurer
Description: Will consider a range of programs related to Food Programs, Housing Programs, and Workforce and Economic Development. Charitable Trust is intended to help small non-profits with annual budgets of $1 million or less. Grant applicants located in an area where pervasive poverty, unemployment, and economic distress exist will be given special attention.
Eligible organizations: Non-profit organizations exempt from federal income taxation.
Max funding per award: Up to $20,000
Due date: Applications accepted July 1, 2022 – September 30, 2022
Funding organization: US Department of Housing and Urban Development
Description: SHOP Grant funds must be used for land acquisition, infrastructure improvements, and for reasonable and necessary planning and administration costs. The construction or rehabilitation costs of each SHOP unit must be funded with other leveraged public and private funds. The average SHOP Grant expenditure for the combined costs of land acquisition and infrastructure improvements must not exceed $15,000 per SHOP unit. SHOP units must be decent, safe, and sanitary non-luxury dwellings that comply with state and local codes, ordinances, and zoning requirements. The SHOP units must be sold to homebuyers at prices below the prevailing market price. Homebuyers must be low-income and must contribute a significant amount of sweat equity towards the development of the SHOP units.
Eligibility: Public or private non-profit organizations that provide self-help homeownership opportunities
Funding requests: $1M-12M
Due date: November 7, 2022
Funding organization: Department of Energy
Description: This is a Notice of Intent. The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) intends to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs” (H2Hubs) in collaboration with the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) and the DOE Hydrogen Program, which includes multiple offices engaged in hydrogen related technologies across DOE. OCED anticipates issuing the FOA in the September/October 2022 timeframe, and the FOA will be funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The specific provisions for regional clean hydrogen hubs are set forth in Section 40314 of the BIL, which amends Title VIII EPAct 2005 by adding a new “Section 813 – Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs.” Section 813(a) defines the term “regional clean hydrogen hub” as “a network of clean hydrogen producers, potential clean hydrogen consumers, and connective infrastructure located in close proximity.”
Due date: This is a Notice of Intent. The application deadline is projected to be March 10, 2023.
Funding organization: US Department of Energy (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law)
Description: The EECBG program provides federal grants to states, units of local government and Indian tribes to implement strategies to reduce fossil fuel emissions, reduce total energy use, improve energy efficiency in the transportation, building, and other sectors. The $550 million in new funding under the EECBG program will be split between state agencies and local governments. The formula for funds distribution includes 68% for larger cities, 28% for State Energy Offices, allocations for tribal entities, and a competitive program. Additional information about the EECBG Program will be available soon.
Eligibility: Qualified local governments, states and territories, and Indian tribes
Funding organization: Department of Housing and Urban Development
Description: Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants support the development of comprehensive plans to revitalize severely distressed public housing and/or HUD-assisted housing and the surrounding neighborhood. Communities will develop a comprehensive neighborhood revitalization strategy, or Transformation Plan, to achieve the program's three core goals: Housing, People and Neighborhood. The Transformation Plan will become the guiding document to carryout subsequent implementation of the plan for the target housing units while simultaneously directing the transformation of the surrounding neighborhood and positive outcomes for families.
Eligible entities: Public Housing Agencies, local governments, tribal entities, and nonprofits.
Funding range: up to $500,000
Last due date: July 28, 2022
Funding organization: US Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration
Description: EDA’s most flexible program, and grants made under this program will help hundreds of communities across the nation plan, build, innovate, and put people back to work through construction or non-construction projects designed to meet local needs. A wide range of technical, planning, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and public works and infrastructure projects are eligible for funding under this program. This includes construction activities such as water and sewer system improvements, industrial parks, high-tech shipping and logistics facilities, business incubators and accelerators, brownfield redevelopment, technology-based facilities, wet labs, multi-tenant manufacturing facilities, science and research parks, workforce training facilities, and telecommunications infrastructure (e.g., broadband) and development facilities. This also includes non-construction activities such as design and engineering, technical assistance, economic recovery strategy development, and capitalization of revolving loan funds (RLFs).
Eligible entities: District organization, economic development district, Indian Tribe, State, county, local government, Institution of higher education, public or private non-profit organization
Funding range: $100,000 - $10,000,000
Last due date: March 31, 2022
Funding organization: Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation
Description: Applicants may apply for up to $2M or 80% of the incremental costs to achieve net zero energy for existing or new buildings (through energy efficiency improvements & renewables). Funding also helps defray costs of certification, measurement, verification, educational displays, and signage.
Past due dates: Pre-proposal due February 1, 2022 and July 21, 2022. Contact the Foundation by phone at 312.372.5191 to discuss your project prior to submitting an RFI.
Description: IHDA invests in homes and communities across the state as a way to combat the ongoing effects of the housing crisis and assist with revitalization efforts. They work with local governments and non-profit organizations to offer programs that address vacant residential properties and the blight that usually follows to benefit communities. They also fund programs that allow homeowners to make necessary repairs and accessibility improvements, allowing residents stay in their homes while improving the quality of single-family housing and helping to create vibrancy in neighborhoods throughout Illinois.
Eligible organizations: Generally, municipalities, counties or land banks. Some programs fund nonprofit organizations that assist income-qualified households.
Funding per award: Varies
Due date: September 8, 2022
Funding organization: Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation
Description: Applicants may apply for funds on a case-by-case basis for solar thermal, biomass, advancing renewable energy, and emerging technologies. Solar Thermal technology can provide hot water, heating, and cooling for buildings. Biomass projects use materials such as wood, energy crops, food and animal waste that are turned into useful energy using a variety of processes including combustion, gasification, anaerobic digestion, etc. Projects in the Advancing Renewable Energy program may include assistance with purchasing specialized renewable energy hardware for the implementation of hands-on training programs at colleges and universities. Emerging Technologies supports renewable energy technologies not yet widely used in Illinois.
Eligibility: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, Local government agencies serving Illinois residents, or Colleges and Universities
Due date: August 25, 2022
Foundation Grants
Funding organization: Joyce Foundation
Description: works to increase the number of historically underserved young people who move up the economic ladder by ensuring equitable access to high-quality education and jobs. We invest in local, state and federal policies that ensure historically underserved young people have effective educators, graduate high school with academic and career momentum, and attain college credentials with economic value. We also support policies that help ensure low-wage workers achieve economic stability, dignity, and mobility. In the short term, we will invest in research, policy development, and advocacy to help the education systems recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eligible organizations: Non-profits, CAAs, higher education institutions, etc.
Due date: Applications accepted year round. Letters of Inquiry are required before full proposals.
Funding organization: Wells Fargo Foundation
Description: Grant program for a wide range of projects related to housing affordability, small business growth, and sustainability and environmental justice
Eligible organizations: Non-profits, CAAs, public school system, local governments, etc.
Due date: Applications accepted year round.
Funding available: Most grants are under $25,000
Funding organization: Education Foundation of America
Description: They fund projects that focus on the just transition to a net-zero electricity system, with a focus on local, state, and regional emission reduction strategies. Focus areas include increasing access to affordable clean energy. They fund advocacy and education efforts.
Eligible organizations: Non-profit organizations exempt from federal income taxation.
Due date: Rolling--must submit project idea first
Funding organization: Albert Pick Jr. Fund
Description: They fund STEM education programs and for young people to promote careers in science and technology. Relevant topic areas are education, arts within non-arts organizations, and civic activism. They prioritize programs that target mostly minority populations or girls. The majority of the programs they fund are in the Chicago area.
Eligible organizations: Non-profit organizations
Max funding per award: Grants range from $10,000 to $40,000
Due date: Next deadline is March 18, 2022
Description: They fund job-training programs that result in industry-recognized credentials and retention services. Funds can be used for capital costs for job-training centers (construction, renovation).
Eligible organizations: Nonprofits
Due date: rolling
Must submit LOI first.
Description: They support national and local organizations that provide skills training, mentorship, professional coaching and pipeline development to foster employment and career advancement for Black youth.
Eligible organizations: Registered 501(c)3 tax organization with a focus on promoting school-to-career employment opportunities that target Black youth ages 14-24 years old. Must serve a minimum of 25 youth annually.
Due date: rolling
Funding organization: RRF
Description: They fund a variety of programs for older adults related to affordable housing, advocacy, direct services, education and more.
Eligible organizations: Non-profit organizations, government entities, institutions of higher education
Max funding per award: Grants range from $5K to 500K, with most in the 30K range
Due date: Rolling--must submit an LOI first
Description: They fund local health and human care programs that address critical social services. They focus on education programs, financial stability programs, and health programs.
Eligible organizations: United Way funding is typically administered on a local or regional level. Search for the United Way chapter that serves your community.
Due date: Receives inquiries January through May.
Learn more: Here's the United Way Community Impact Fund for the Heart of Illinois chapter (Peoria region).
Description: Provides funding for programs to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.
Funding amount: Typical range between $1,000 and $20,000
Due date: Rolling; fall and spring deadlines.
How to apply: Online application with summaries and letter of request.
- Funding organization: Home Depot Foundation
- Description: Supports new construction or rehabilitation of multi-family, permanent supportive housing for veterans. Covers physical construction costs. At least 20% of housing units must be reserved for veterans, and the target population must be at or below 80% AMI.
- Due date: March 25, 2022 or July 8, 2022
- Learn more.
- Description: The Conservation and Science Program invests in action and ideas that conserve and restore ecosystems while enhancing human well-being. They also have a Fellowship program for Science and Engineering.
- Eligibility: Grants are made only for charitable, educational, or scientific purposes, primarily from tax-exempt charitable organizations.
- Due date: Rolling
- Learn more.
Funding organization: Illinois Science & Energy Innovation Foundation
Description: They support educational programs for smart grid and clean energy. Interested in low-income and senior populations. Interested in providing education on energy pricing programs, applied consumer research, marketing & messaging campaigns, low-income, senior, hard-to-reach, and youth demographics, consumer facing smart-home technology
Eligibility: Non-for-profits other than a religious organization. Schools, universities, municipalities, and research institutions are eligible to apply to the small grants program.
Funding range: $5,000 - $15,000 for small grants, more for other grant opportunities. LOI required ahead of invited full proposal
Due date: Funds sunset in 2023
Education and Workforce Grants--Government
Funding organization: Illinois State Treasurer
Description: Will consider a range of programs related to Food Programs, Housing Programs, and Workforce and Economic Development. Charitable Trust is intended to help small non-profits with annual budgets of $1 million or less. Grant applicants located in an area where pervasive poverty, unemployment, and economic distress exist will be given special attention.
Eligible organizations: Non-profit organizations exempt from federal income taxation.
Max funding per award: Typically $20,000 or under
Due date: September 30, 2022
Funding organization: Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
Description: Grants to Illinois nonprofit community-based organizations, IHEs, and school districts to provide a pre-apprenticeship program model that encompasses education, occupational skills training, leadership development, and high-quality post-program placement opportunities to opportunity youth. YouthBuild is a community-based alternative education program for youth between the ages of 16 and 24 who left high school prior to graduation that also have other risk factors.
Eligible organizations: Public and private non-profit organizations.
Due date: Proposals typically solicited every year in January.
Funding amount: $700,000 to $1,500,000
Funding organization: US Department of Commerce
Description: Aims to get Americans back to work by building and strengthening systems and partnerships that bring together employers who have hiring needs with other key entities to train workers with in-demand skills that lead to good-paying jobs. Encourages efforts to reach historically underserved populations. Will fund proposals within following three phases: system development, program design, and program implementation.
Eligibility: District organization, Indian Tribe, State, county, city, or local government, Institution of higher education, public or private non-profit. Should be lead by a system lead entity or backbone organization.
Funding amount: $1M-$25M
Last due date: Feb 10, 2022
Funding Agency: Department of Energy (Federal Infrastructure Law)
Description: Awards made under this FOA will be funded, in whole or in part, with funds appropriated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also more commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Under Section 41007(c)(1), the BIL provides funding to carry out research, development, demonstration, and commercialization activities relating to solar energy technologies, which includes conducting workforce development activities. The activities to be funded under this FOA support the broader government-wide approach to addressing the climate crisis and maximize the benefits of the clean energy transition as the nation works to curb the climate crisis, empower workers, and advance environmental justice. SETO will consider and evaluate a variety of multi-stakeholder high-road training partnership proposals under this FOA. Projects should primarily relate to PV solar deployment and associated careers including in installation, system design, operations and maintenance (O&M), electrical work, project management, sales, and business operations. Proposals focused on manufacturing for solar PV modules and other equipment will be considered, but is not expected to be the primary area of focus for the funding program.
Closing Date: Dec 6, 2022
Estimated Total Program Funding: $10,000,000
Rural Development Grants
Funding organization: USDA
Description: This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings. Can be used to purchase, construct, or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment and pay related project expenses. Funds are available as grants, low-interest direct loans, or a combination of the two.
Eligible entities: Public bodies, community-based non-profit corporations, Federally-recognized Tribes.
Due date: Open (rolling applications accepted?)
Contact a Regional USDA Rural Development Office for more information.
Funding organization: USDA
Description: This program provides grants to qualified organizations to help them carry out local self-help housing construction projects. Funds may be used to:
- Give technical and supervisory assistance to participating families
- Help other organizations provide self-help technical and supervisory assistance
- Recruit families, help them complete loan applications and carry out other related activities that enable them to participate
Due date: Open (rolling)
Eligibility: Government non-profit organizations, federally-recognized Tribes, private non-profit organizations.
Funding organization: USDA
Description: The program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Agricultural producers may also apply for new energy efficient equipment and new system loans for agricultural production and processing. Funds may be used for energy efficiency improvements such as HVAC systems, insulation, lighting, doors and windows, equipment replacement, etc.
Eligible entities: Agricultural producers with at least 50 percent of their gross income coming from agricultural operations. Small businesses in eligible rural areas.
Funding range: $2,500-$500,000
Due date: October 31, 2022 and March 31, 2023
Funding organization: DCEO
Funding organization: USDA
Description: Grants to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Enterprise grants must be used on projects to benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas. Eligible uses include training and technical assistance; activities associated with the acquisition and development of land; plants, machinery, and equipment; pollution control and abasement; the capitalization of revolving loan funds; distance adult learning for job training and advancement; rural transportation improvement; community economic development; technology-based economic development; feasibility studies and business plans; leadership and entrepreneur training; rural business incubators; and long-term business strategic planning.
Funding amount: No maximum amount. Smaller requests are given higher priority. No cost sharing requirement.
Last due date: Expected to re-open later, with a February 28, 2023 deadline.
Funding organization: Rural Business Cooperative Service Agency
Description: Grants to develop renewable energy in rural communities. Projects must be community scale (no larger than 2 megawatts in generation capacity). Will assist Rural Energy Community Partnerships to establish and develop clean energy communities through the deployment of community-scale distributed energy technologies, innovations and solutions. Grant funds may be used to pay for up to 80% of eligible project costs related to the renewable energy systems, community energy planning, capacity building, technical assistance, efficiency, and weatherization.
Eligible organizations: Tax-exempt, non-profit organization, State/Local Governing Organization, Indian Tribe or Governing Organization.
Max funding per award: $2.0 million
Full proposals due: July 18, 2022
Funding organization: USDA
Description: Grant assistance to create and augment high-wage jobs, accelerate the formation of new businesses, support industry clusters in eligible low-income rural areas.
Eligible organizations: Non-profits, state or local entities, institution of higher education, tribal entities. Must be in an eligible rural region.
Funding available per award: Between $500,000 and $2,000,000 (grant term 4 years).
Due date: Inactive
Funding organization: USDA
Description: It provides loans and grants to Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) to:
- To help microenterprises startup and growth through a Rural Microloan Revolving Fund.
- Provide training and technical assistance to microloan borrowers and micro entrepreneurs.
Eligibility: Nonprofits, federally-recognized Tribes, institutions of higher education are eligible to be a Microenterprise Development Organization. Businesses located in an eligible area with 10 or fewer full-time employees are eligible to apply for a loan from the MDO.
Funding amount: Up to $205,000 annual for Microenterprise Development Organizations.
Due date: Open, rolling
Research-oriented Grants
Funding Organization: National Science Foundation
Description: Encourages submission of proposals to lay the foundation for interdisciplinary research to answer fundamental questions related to novel approaches and solutions to climate change and reduce GHG emissions and concentrations. Topics may include improved or new approaches that reduce energy use and energy waste relevant for manufacturing, recycling, and upcycling; strategies for reducing nitrous oxide and methane emissions; reduction in energy use and increased energy efficiency in manufacturing; new smart technologies for homes, cities, communities, power grids, etc. Also supports projects to host conferences, workshops.
Eligibility: Researcher or Investigator, Non-Profit Organization, Faculty Member, Research Institution or Organization, Small Business, For-Profit Organization, Higher Education Institution, Laboratory
Max funding request: $100,000 ($50,000 to host a conference or workshop).
Due date: Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
Funding organization: ComEd
Description: Through Emerging Technologies, the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program seeks opportunities to invest in innovative projects that explore ways to make energy efficiency more accessible, affordable and effective for everyone. They support projects that benefit a range of audiences, including small and large business, residential, public sector and economically vulnerable customers.
Eligibility: National labs, small outreach groups, economic institutions, etc.
Due date: Rolling
Funding Agency: Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO)
Description: This funding program seeks to invest in innovative research and development (R&D) as well as research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) projects that enable continued cost reductions, while developing next-generation solar technologies and boosting American solar manufacturing, especially in cadmium telluride (CdTe) photovoltaics. These projects will support the scaling of affordable solar generation and facilitate secure, reliable integration of solar electricity into the nation’s energy grid to ultimately benefit the U.S. economy. The research and development (R&D) activities to be funded under this FOA will support the government-wide approach to the climate crisis by driving the innovation that can lead to the deployment of clean energy technologies, which are critical for climate protection. Specifically, this FOA will develop and demonstrate new technologies enabling fast deployment of large amounts of solar generation into the grid.
Due date: Oct. 3, 2022
Estimated Total Program Funding: $27,000,00
Websites for Finding Funding Opportunities
Not finding what you need in the opportunities listed above? Our list is far from comprehensive. Check out the websites below to find more grants and funding opportunities for your organization.
- Grants.gov. Website for all federal and state government grants.
- Illinois Grant Accountability and Transparency Act Website List of active funding opportunities, by state agency.
- Illinois DCEO Grant Opportunities: Lists available Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grants, as well as several federal grant opportunities.
- Illinois State Board of Education Grants Page: The State Board of Education offers numerous direct grant opportunities through state and federal funds received by the agency. In addition, there are opportunities for school districts to apply directly to federal agencies or private/corporate foundations for funding.
- Illinois Board of Higher Education Grant Administration: The Board administers state and federal grant programs and receives funds for other initiatives.
- Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Grants and Loans: The Illinois EPA provides financial assistance for certain land, air, water, and energy related projects.
- Illinois Housing Development Authority Revitalization & Repair Program Grants. They fund local governments and non-profit organizations to offer programs that address vacant residential properties and the blight that usually follows to benefit communities. They also fund programs that allow homeowners to make repairs and accessibility improvements.
- Illinois Capital Development Board Grants. CBD administers building construction grant programs
- Candid. Excellent website for researching foundations, grants, and nonprofits. Subscription required for some services. Candid's GuideStar is the most complete up-to-date nonprofit database available.
- SPIN. The world's largest database of sponsored funding opportunities (government, foundation, more).
- Grant Forward. A funding opportunity database and recommendation service built by academics for researchers. Subscription required.
- GrantWatch. A comprehensive grant search database with opportunities from foundations, corporations, federal, state, and local government funding sources. Subscription required.