Amid Budget Cuts, Seven Local Nonprofits Will Receive Transformative Grants Totaling $490,000
Amid Budget Cuts, Seven Local Nonprofits Will Receive Transformative Grants Totaling $490,000
Grants will be awarded in real time from all-volunteer collective Impact Grants Chicago at May 28 celebration
CHICAGO, Ill. – At a time when many government-funded programs are being scaled back, seven Chicago nonprofits working on the city’s most urgent issues will receive a combined $490,000 in funding from Impact Grants Chicago, a women-powered collective giving organization.
On Wednesday, May 28, each finalist will present their mission, stories, and resilience to the women of Impact Grants Chicago during their 2025 Grant Awards Celebration. After a live vote, four nonprofits will receive
$100,000 Impact Grants, and three will receive $30,000 Merit Grants.
The event will be held at Venue West (221 N. Paulina Street) from 5:45-9:30 PM. Members of the media are invited to attend and may request interviews in advance.
“We’re honored to support seven deserving organizations that are meeting real and pressing needs in every corner of the city,” said Maggie Schell, Board President of Impact Grants Chicago. “These grants are one way we can help ensure their critical work continues, even in uncertain times.”
Since its founding in 2017, Impact Grants Chicago has awarded over $3 million in funding, with 100% of member donations going directly to nonprofits. Each member contributes $1,000 annually, and all grants are determined through a democratic process of evaluation, discussion, and a final live vote at the annual celebration.
Previous grantees demonstrate how powerful this funding can be. In 2023, Common Pantry, facing a 200% increase in demand, used its $100,000 grant to make critical facility upgrades and expand services.
“The grant gave us the stability to grow when our community needed us most,” said Margaret O’Conor, Executive Director of Common Pantry. “It helped turn urgency into action.”
This year’s seven finalists, a powerful cross-section of Chicago’s nonprofit landscape, are doing equally vital work, with many navigating rising costs, resource constraints, and growing demand for services:
• Esperanza Community Services https://esperanzacommunity.org/
• Ignite https://www.ignitepromise.org/
• North Side Housing and Supportive Services https://www.northsidehousing.org/
• Restoring the Path https://www.crushersclub.org/
• The Bloc https://theblocchicago.org/
• The People’s Music School https://peoplesmusicschool.org/
• VOCEL https://www.vocel.org/
As public resources tighten, Impact Grants Chicago is proud to fund organizations leading meaningful, long- term change across Chicago’s communities.
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