We represent organizations of every size and sector throughout the region, combining our legacy of leadership with a future-focused agenda to drive a dynamic economy and deliver value for our members.
A defining feature of Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce grantmaking is its repeated support for workforce training at employers across the region, with training awards appearing year after year in the recent grants list. The chamber’s giving reaches businesses, nonprofits, and educational institutions tied to talent development, small business support, and local economic activity. Recent awards show a practical, employer-facing model. Ford Motor Company received $249,454 in 2023 for training, while Novolex received $152,045 in 2023 and another $130,378 in 2024 for the same purpose. Other large training grants went to Ford Chicago Stamping Plant, John B Sanfilippo & Sons Inc, and LSL Healthcare Inc. The chamber also supported mission-driven organizations through training grants, including The Chicago Lighthouse for People who are Blind or, Greater Chicago Food Depository, and St Augustine College. Its active programs point to how that support is structured: apprenticeship opportunities for City Colleges of Chicago students, reimbursement for eligible employer training expenses, and no-cost small business advising through the Illinois Small Business Development Center at the Chicagoland Chamber.
Workforce and talent development is the clearest throughline in the recent grants. In 2024, the chamber gave $128,521 to Ford Chicago Stamping Plant for training, and in 2023 it gave $126,253 to John B Sanfilippo & Sons Inc for the same purpose. Those awards sit alongside apprenticeship and employer-training programs that connect students and workers to local businesses. Small business support is another active area. The Illinois Small Business Development Center at the Chicagoland Chamber provides no-cost one-on-one advising, workshops, and resources to help start or grow small businesses. The chamber also funds economic and neighborhood vitality through the City of Chicago Community Development Grant, a program that supports office, retail, industrial, institutional, and mixed-use projects. Its active program list also includes ETIP, a reimbursement model for employer training expenses, showing direct support for skills-building inside firms.
Typical grants cluster in the mid-five-figure range: the 25th percentile is $8,262, the median is $15,091, and the 75th percentile is $33,390. The recent grants table also shows much larger training awards at the top end, including six-figure grants. The pattern is recurring rather than one-off: several recipients appear in multiple years, including Novolex, The Chicago Lighthouse for People who are Blind or, Ford Chicago Stamping Plant, John B Sanfilippo & Sons Inc, Manhattan Mechanical Services, ITW Deltar Motion, G&W Electric Co, and LSL Healthcare Inc. The chamber does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
$2.8M
$3.8M
$5.3M
$5.4M
Most grants fall between $8K and $33K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$33K
About 99% of grants go to recipients in IL.
JOHN LAVIN
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Grantmaking is overwhelmingly local and concentrated in Illinois: 99% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and the recipient country distribution is entirely US. Chicago appears frequently, including awards to Novolex, The Chicago Lighthouse for People who are Blind or, West Monroe Partners, Blommer Chocolate Factory, Greater Chicago Food Depository, and Lincoln Park Zoo. Other Illinois recipients include Chicago Heights, Elgin, Niles, Franklin Park, Elmhurst, Northbrook, and Bolingbrook, showing a regional footprint around the city.
The chamber funds employers, business owners, small businesses, and Chamber-related organizations through training, advising, and economic development programs. Recent grants include employers such as Ford Motor Company, Novolex, and John B Sanfilippo & Sons Inc, along with nonprofit and education-oriented recipients such as The Chicago Lighthouse for People who are Blind or and St Augustine College.
The clearest focus areas are small business development, workforce and talent development, STEM internships and youth workforce programs, employee training and reimbursement programs (ETIP), and economic development and infrastructure. Active programs also include apprenticeship opportunities, small business advising, and community development grants.
The middle of the distribution is modest: the 25th percentile is $8,262, the median is $15,091, and the 75th percentile is $33,390. Recent grants also include larger training awards above $100,000, showing that the chamber can make both routine and larger program-related awards.
Yes. The recent grants list shows repeat recipients across 2023 and 2024, including Novolex, The Chicago Lighthouse for People who are Blind or, Ford Chicago Stamping Plant, John B Sanfilippo & Sons Inc, Manhattan Mechanical Services, ITW Deltar Motion, G&W Electric Co, and LSL Healthcare Inc.
Very local. 99% of grants go to recipients in Illinois, and all recorded recipient-country data is in the US. Recent recipient cities include Chicago, Chicago Heights, Elgin, Niles, Franklin Park, Elmhurst, Northbrook, and Bolingbrook.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Current and upcoming funding from Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Employers that need workforce training may be eligible; the program supports training delivered through providers, existing trainers, or internal company staff.
Deadline: Rolling deadline
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Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Novolex | Chicago, IL | $130,378 | 2024 | Training |
| Ford Chicago Stamping Plant | Chicago Heights, IL | $128,521 | 2024 | Training |
| The Chicago Lighthouse for People who are Blind or | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2024 | Training |
| Vital Proteins | Franklin Park, IL | $86,654 | 2024 | Training |
| John B Sanfilippo & Sons Inc | Elgin, IL | $73,010 | 2024 | Training |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository | Chicago, IL | $62,395 | 2024 | Training |
| Superior Ambulance | Elmhurst, IL | $56,049 | 2024 | Training |
| West Monroe Partners | Chicago, IL | $48,690 | 2024 | Training |
| Blommer Chocolate Factory | Chicago, IL | $40,681 | 2024 | Training |
| Old World Industries | Northbrook, IL | $39,904 | 2024 | Training |
| Manhattan Mechanical Services | Manhattan, IL | $33,973 | 2024 | Training |
| ITW Deltar Motion | Frankfort, IL | $31,640 | 2024 | Training |
| Lincoln Park Zoo | Chicago, IL | $30,872 | 2024 | Training |
| G&W Electric Co | Bolingbrook, IL | $27,369 | 2024 | Training |
| LSL Healthcare Inc | Niles, IL | $26,777 | 2024 | Training |
| Creospan | Schaumburg, IL | $25,597 | 2024 | Training |
| Sonoco | Elk Grove Village, IL | $23,663 | 2024 | Training |
| Kids Above All | Chicago, IL | $21,820 | 2024 | Training |
| Youth Guidance | Chicago, IL | $19,773 | 2024 | Training |
| John Crane Inc | Morton Grove, IL | $18,500 | 2024 | Training |
| Superior Graphite Co | Bedford Park, IL | $17,688 | 2024 | Training |
| Howard Brown Health Center | Chicago, IL | $17,677 | 2024 | Training |
| Sysmex America Inc | Lincolnshire, IL | $17,168 | 2024 | Training |
| Premier International | Chicago, IL | $16,500 | 2024 | Training |
| Flavorchem | Downers Grove, IL | $15,170 | 2024 | Training |
| Friedman & Huey Associates | Homewood, IL | $15,012 | 2024 | Training |
| Omron Automation Americas | Hoffman Estates, IL | $14,391 | 2024 | Training |
| Magnet-Schultz of America Inc | Westmont, IL | $14,352 | 2024 | Training |
| PharmaCann Inc | Chicago, IL | $13,295 | 2024 | Training |
| Flex-N-Gate | Chicago, IL | $12,908 | 2024 | Training |
| Hydro-Gear | Sullivan, IL | $12,684 | 2024 | Training |
| Winpack | Sauk Village, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | Training |
| Elgiloy Specialty Metal | Elgin, IL | $9,790 | 2024 | Training |
| PNA Molding | Romeoville, IL | $9,650 | 2024 | Training |
| SG360 | Wheeling, IL | $9,590 | 2024 | Training |
| YMCA of Metro Chicago | Chicago, IL | $9,353 | 2024 | Training |
| First Bank Chicago | Northbrook, IL | $8,404 | 2024 | Training |
| Miller Cooper & Company | Chicago, IL | $8,215 | 2024 | Training |
| Acme Finishing Company | Elk Grove Village, IL | $8,063 | 2024 | Training |
| Wi-Tronix | Bolingbrook, IL | $7,852 | 2024 | Training |
| Alliance Pension Consultants | Deerfield, IL | $7,568 | 2024 | Training |
| Dudek & Bock | Chicago, IL | $7,437 | 2024 | Training |
| Steelfab | Kankakee, IL | $7,432 | 2024 | Training |
| Caramel Crisp LLC | Chicago, IL | $7,392 | 2024 | Training |
| Progressive Components | Wauconda, IL | $6,758 | 2024 | Training |
| Unytite Inc | Peru, IL | $6,563 | 2024 | Training |
| RTC | Rolling Meadows, IL | $6,413 | 2024 | Training |
| ZEUS Battery Products (Power Cell LLC) | Bloomingdale, IL | $6,305 | 2024 | Training |
| Morreale Communications | Chicago, IL | $5,629 | 2024 | Training |
| Blue Water Builders Inc | Elk Grove Village, IL | $5,125 | 2024 | Training |
Novolex
$130,378Training
Ford Chicago Stamping Plant
$128,521Training
The Chicago Lighthouse for People who are Blind or
$100,000Training
Vital Proteins
$86,654Training
John B Sanfilippo & Sons Inc
$73,010Training
Greater Chicago Food Depository
$62,395Training
Superior Ambulance
Training
West Monroe Partners
$48,690Training
Blommer Chocolate Factory
$40,681Training
Old World Industries
$39,904Training
Manhattan Mechanical Services
$33,973Training
ITW Deltar Motion
$31,640Training
Lincoln Park Zoo
$30,872Training
G&W Electric Co
$27,369Training
LSL Healthcare Inc
$26,777Training
Creospan
$25,597Training
Sonoco
$23,663Training
Kids Above All
$21,820Training
Youth Guidance
$19,773Training
John Crane Inc
$18,500Training
Superior Graphite Co
$17,688Training
Howard Brown Health Center
$17,677Training
Sysmex America Inc
$17,168Training
Premier International
$16,500Training
Flavorchem
$15,170Training
Friedman & Huey Associates
$15,012Training
Omron Automation Americas
$14,391Training
Magnet-Schultz of America Inc
$14,352Training
PharmaCann Inc
$13,295Training
Flex-N-Gate
$12,908Training
Hydro-Gear
$12,684Training
Winpack
$10,000Training
Elgiloy Specialty Metal
$9,790Training
PNA Molding
$9,650Training
SG360
$9,590Training
YMCA of Metro Chicago
$9,353Training
First Bank Chicago
$8,404Training
Miller Cooper & Company
$8,215Training
Acme Finishing Company
$8,063Training
Wi-Tronix
$7,852Training
Alliance Pension Consultants
$7,568Training
Dudek & Bock
$7,437Training
Steelfab
$7,432Training
Caramel Crisp LLC
$7,392Training
Progressive Components
$6,758Training
Unytite Inc
$6,563Training
RTC
$6,413Training
ZEUS Battery Products (Power Cell LLC)
$6,305Training
Morreale Communications
$5,629Training
Blue Water Builders Inc
$5,125Training
