Apply Here - Returning and Approved New Applicants - Highland Park Community Foundation

Apply Here – Returning and Approved New Applicants

Our 2025 Annual Grant application will be available on May 15, 2025. As we expect it to be quite similar to our 2024 Annual Grant application, please feel free to review our 2024 application in the interim.

1Section One:
General Information

2Section Two:
Organizational Information

3Section Three:
Program Information

4Section Four:
Addressing Needs Related to the 2022 Highland Park Shooting

5Section Five:
Assurances and Signatures

Section One: General Information
deadlines. No exceptions.
- First-time Applicant Letter of Interest to Apply for an Annual Grant: 5 PM Central time on April 15, 2025
- Grant Application (including Supplemental Information): 5 PM Central time on July 15, 2025
first time applicants

Definition

Applicants who:
- An organization that has never applied for HPCF funding, an organization whose last request for HPCF funding was denied, or an organization that has received a HPCF grant before but not within the last three years.
Letter of Interest

HPCF requires all first-time applicants to submit a one-page letter of interest to apply for an Annual Grant by 5 PM Central time on April 15, 2025. The lettershould provide a very brief description of the organization and identify the need(s) in the community that the grant would address, the target population, and the cost of the service or program (“program”) to be funded. A copy of the organization’s 501(c)(3) certification or information about the organization’s fiscal agency or governmental status if it is not a 501(c)(3); the name of the organization’s leader, Executive Director, or CEO; and contact information for the supervisor of the program(s) for which funding is sought should also be provided. The Foundation will review each letter of interest and notify all first-time applicants as to whether they have been approved to submit a grant application by 5 PM Central time on May 14, 2025.

Additional information for first-time applicants can be found at https://hpcfil.org/first-time-applicants/

supplemental materials

In addition to completing the online application, please send a single pdf containing the Supplemental Information below by 5 PM Central time on July 15, 2025, to info@hpcfil.org.

supplemental information
- 501(c)(3) certificate or IRS Determination Letter; information about the organization’s fiscal agency or governmental status if the applicant is not a 501(c)(3)
- If applicable, Form 990 for the last fiscal year and Form AG990-IL, Illinois Charitable Organization Annual Report
- Audited financial statements for the most recently completed fiscal year or, if an audit was not done, unaudited financial statements (last 3 years for first-time applicants)
- Organizational budget for current fiscal year, either using the form that can be downloaded here or in the organization’s own format:
  downloaded here
- Budget information for the program for which funding Is requested, using the form that can be downloaded here:
  downloaded here
other
- After July 15, 2025, all grant applicants will be assigned a HPCF Board liaison with whom they will meet to discuss their application.
- Funding support is provided for specific programs only, except for applicants that have previously received funding support for general operating expenses from the City of Highland Park through its Human Relations Commission. In general, the HPCF does not provide grants for debt reduction, pass-through grants, interim or bridge funding, fundraising activities or events, endowments, private foundations or political activities.
- To ensure that both victims and the broader community continue to receive the support and services they need related to the 2022 Highland Park Shooting, effective January 1, 2025, HPCF has integrated support for recovery-related services into its Annual Grants Program. Organizations seeking funding for recovery-related services should complete Section Four of this application.
- Additional information and grant details can be found at https://hpcfil.org/guidelines-and-procedures/
- Please be concise and avoid repetition in your answers.
  - In this regard, for some applicants, the answers to some of the questions regarding the program for which they are requesting funding will replicate their answers about the organization. If this is true for your organization, simply note that in your application. There is no reason to enter the information a second time.
- All applications must be submitted online via this website. To proceed, click Next below.
- You may start and save your application online. You will receive a link to return and complete the form.
  - BE SURE TO SAVE THE LINK in a place where you will be able to find it.
  - ALSO NOTE: The link will expire after 30 days at which point you will have to re-enter your responses.
- Starting in 2025, all grants will be issued through ACH payments. Grant recipients will be required to provide their ACH account information for the processing of their awards.

Section Two: Organizational Information
Grant Applicant
Name of Organization
Organization Address
Street Address Address Line 2
City
State
Zip/Postal Code
Website
Year of Formation
Grant Application Contact
Name
First Last
Title
Phone
Email
Enter Email Confirm Email
Please mark all that apply to the grant applicant
Entity
- Nonprofit 501(c)(3) Organization
- Governmental entity
- Other (please explain)
please provide EIN*
Other
Briefly provide information about the following
1. The organization and the programs or services it provides
2. Mission statement
3. Organizational goals for the year
4. Specific financial and operational challenges or changes the organization has faced within the last three years
5. Anticipated financial and operational challenges or changes the organization may face in the near future
6. Collaborative efforts with other community organizations
7. The organization’s use of volunteers
8. How the organization qualitatively and quantitatively measures the effectiveness of its activities

Section Three: Program Information
Please indicate the number of programs for which the organization is seeking funding through this application
Please provide the following information
1. Program title
2. Program date(s)
3. Program Supervisor Contact (name, email, phone)
4. Funding amount Requested
5. Program description and purpose
6. Population(s) the program will reach (please be specific, e.g., seniors, youth, minorities, low income, etc.)
7. Number of Highland Park and Highwood residents the program will serve as well as the number of residents from other communities it will serve
8. Needs the program will address
9. How long the program has been in operation
10. How long the organization expects the program to last
11. Funding sources that will support the program (please include significant funders and amounts, and briefly explain why additional funding is needed)
12. What the organization will do if the grant request is denied or only partially funded
13. How the program will be evaluated
14. Additional comments (optional)
Please provide the following information regarding Program #2
1. Program title
2. Program date(s)
3. Program Supervisor Contact (name, email, phone)
4. Funding amount Requested
5. Program description and purpose
6. Population(s) the program will reach (please be specific, e.g., seniors, youth, minorities, low income, etc.)
7. Number of Highland Park and Highwood residents the program will serve as well as the number of residents from other communities it will serve
8. Needs the program will address
9. How long the program has been in operation
10. How long the organization expects the program to last
11. Funding sources that will support the program (please include significant funders and amounts, and briefly explain why additional funding is needed)
12. What the organization will do if the grant request is denied or only partially funded
13. How the program will be evaluated
14. Additional comments (optional)
Please provide the following information regarding Program #3
1. Program title
2. Program date(s)
3. Program Supervisor Contact (name, email, phone)
4. Funding amount Requested
5. Program description and purpose
6. Population(s) the program will reach (please be specific, e.g., seniors, youth, minorities, low income, etc.)
7. Number of Highland Park and Highwood residents the program will serve as well as the number of residents from other communities it will serve
8. Needs the program will address
9. How long the program has been in operation
10. How long the organization expects the program to last
11. Funding sources that will support the program (please include significant funders and amounts, and briefly explain why additional funding is needed)
12. What the organization will do if the grant request is denied or only partially funded
13. How the program will be evaluated
14. Additional comments (optional)
Please provide the following information regarding Program #4
1. Program title
2. Program date(s)
3. Program Supervisor Contact (name, email, phone)
4. Funding amount Requested
5. Program description and purpose
6. Population(s) the program will reach (please be specific, e.g., seniors, youth, minorities, low income, etc.)
7. Number of Highland Park and Highwood residents the program will serve as well as the number of residents from other communities it will serve
8. Needs the program will address
9. How long the program has been in operation
10. How long the organization expects the program to last
11. Funding sources that will support the program (please include significant funders and amounts, and briefly explain why additional funding is needed)
12. What the organization will do if the grant request is denied or only partially funded
13. How the program will be evaluated
14. Additional comments (optional)
If the organization received an Annual Grant in 2024 from the HPCF, please state 1) the amount of the grant award and 2) the amount of any unspent funds. If the organization did not apply for or receive an Annual Grant in 2024, but received a grant in 2023, please state 1) the amount of the 2023 award and 2) the amount of any unspent funds.

Section Five: Assurances and Signatures
If a grant is awarded, the applicant assures that the funds will be administered by the applicant; that any funds received under this grant will be used solely for the described activities; that the applicant has read and will conform to HPCF’s grant requirements; and that the undersigned is duly authorized to represent the applicant organization.
Name and Title of Executive Director or Chief Official
Name
First Last
Title
Date
MM slash DD slash YYYY
Name and Title of Person Submitting Grant Application
Name*
First Last
Title*
Email*
Enter Email Confirm Email
Phone*
Date*
MM slash DD slash YYYY

Apply For a Grant

Apply Here – Returning and Approved New Applicants

Section One: General Information

deadlines. No exceptions.

first time applicants

Definition

Letter of Interest

supplemental materials

supplemental information

other

Section Two: Organizational Information

Grant Applicant

Grant Application Contact

Please mark all that apply to the grant applicant

Briefly provide information about the following

Section Three: Program Information

Please indicate the number of programs for which the organization is seeking funding through this application

Please provide the following information

Please provide the following information regarding Program #2

Please provide the following information regarding Program #3

Please provide the following information regarding Program #4

Section Four: Addressing Needs Related to the 2022 Highland Park Shooting

Section Five: Assurances and Signatures

Name and Title of Executive Director or Chief Official

Name and Title of Person Submitting Grant Application