Vision: Every child in Illinois grows up healthy. ILCHF focuses on improving children’s access to oral and mental healthcare through prevention, systems-building, grantmaking, and partnerships across Illinois.
Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation funds Illinois children’s health through systems-building in oral health and mental health, with a visible pattern of large, multi-year awards to organizations working in schools, clinics, and community systems. In recent grants, that has included $450,000 to Kane County Health Department for a county system-of-care project and $440,070 to Juvenile Protective Association for Project CARES, which connects schools to resources that promote equity. The foundation also backs integrated care models, such as $433,928 to Rush University Medical Center for BRIDGES, a project focused on intergenerational trauma and the clinic-community gap on Chicago’s West Side. Across the portfolio, the emphasis is not narrow service delivery alone; it reaches workforce development, care coordination, and service expansion for children and adolescents in Illinois. Recipients include public agencies, hospitals, health systems, family-serving nonprofits, and community organizations working with students, families, and county-level populations. The grant record shows a consistent focus on children’s access to oral and mental healthcare, often through partnerships that strengthen existing services rather than one-time program launches.
In mental health systems work, the foundation gave $439,406 to Methodist Medical Center Illinois for the Greater Peoria Area Youth Mental Health Initiative and $437,500 to Chestnut Health Systems Inc for St. Clair County Systems of Care Coordination. School-based support is another clear theme: it awarded $366,000 to the Board of Trustees of the U of Illinois for the Gage Park Expansion Project and $300,000 to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago for Youth Counseling Department: School-Based Services. Oral health remains a parallel priority. The foundation supported Howard Brown Health Center with $308,972 for Expanding Low-Barrier Pediatric Dental Services to the North Side and Erie Family Health Foundation Inc with $300,000 for Expanding Access to Oral Health for Children in West Garfield Park. It also funds health equity and COVID-19 recovery work, as shown by $300,000 to Association House of Chicago for the COVID-19 School Wellness Initiative.
$4.6M
$151M
$57M
$7.9M
Most grants fall between $32K and $150K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$32K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$150K
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Typical awards cluster around a six-figure range: p25 is $32,163, the median is $100,000, and p75 is $150,000. The recent grant list also shows repeated funding to the same organizations across multiple years, including Kane County Health Department, Heritage Behavioral Health Center, Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley, Primo Center for Women and Children, and Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation. That pattern points to ongoing partnerships rather than isolated awards. The foundation operates as a grantmaker and also funds individuals, while making no program-related investments. Several active programs accept unsolicited proposals, including Health Equity Grants and COVID-19 Capacity Renewal Grants, Youth Workforce Development 2.0 RFP, and Bright Minds, Bright Smiles: Mental and Oral Health Integration Initiative RFP.
Grantmaking is heavily concentrated in Illinois, with 94% of grants going to recipients in the state and a local geographic scope. The recent grants list shows awards landing in Chicago, Aurora, Peoria, Decatur, Rockford, Bloomington, Kankakee, Downers Grove, Carbondale, and West Frankfort, along with county-level work in Kane County and St. Clair County. Chicago appears often through school, oral health, and mental health initiatives, while Peoria and Aurora also receive repeated support. Outside Illinois, the recipient-country distribution is entirely US-based in the data provided.
The foundation focuses on children’s oral health and mental health, especially through systems-building, prevention, school-based services, care coordination, health equity, and workforce development. Recent awards also support integrated behavioral, primary care, and dental services for children and adolescents in Illinois.
Typical grants sit in the six-figure range. The distribution provided shows a p25 of $32,163, a median of $100,000, and a p75 of $150,000, with some recent awards reaching $400,000 or more.
No. The recent grant list shows multiple recipients funded in more than one year, including Kane County Health Department, Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley, Heritage Behavioral Health Center, Primo Center for Women and Children, and Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation. That suggests ongoing partnerships and follow-on awards.
Yes for some active programs. The Health Equity Grants and COVID-19 Capacity Renewal Grants, Youth Workforce Development 2.0 RFP, and Bright Minds, Bright Smiles: Mental and Oral Health Integration Initiative RFP all accept unsolicited proposals.
Illinois receives nearly all of it: 94% of grants go to recipients in the state. The recent grants also show a strong Chicago presence, along with repeated awards in Aurora, Peoria, Decatur, Rockford, Kankakee, and other Illinois locations.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Methodist Medical Center Illinois | Peoria, IL | $439,406 | 2025 | Greater Peoria Area Youth Mental Health Initiative |
| Chestnut Health Systems Inc | Bloomington, IL | $437,500 | 2025 | St. Clair County Systems of Care Coordination |
| Rush University Medical Center | Chicago, IL | $433,928 | 2025 | BRIDGES: Using BRIDGES to Address Intergenerational Trauma, Close the Clinic-Community Gap and Improve Children's Mental Health on Chicago's West Side |
| Rosecrance Foundation | Rockford, IL | $408,285 | 2025 | Coming Together for Healthy Children - Building a Youth Mental Health System of Care |
| OSF Healthcare Foundation | Peoria, IL | $305,958 | 2025 | OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center - Oral Health |
| Heritage Behavioral Health Center | Decatur, IL | $300,000 | 2025 | CMHI Implementation Grant - Community Together |
| Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley | Kankakee, IL | $300,000 | 2025 | CMHI 2.0 Implementation - Project SUN - A Strong & Unified Network |
| Kane County Health Department | Aurora, IL | $300,000 | 2025 | CMHI 2.0 Implementation - Kane County System of Care Project |
| Primo Center for Women and Children | Chicago, IL | $300,000 | 2025 | Kids Connected |
| Centerstone of Illinois Inc | W Frankfort, IL | $300,000 | 2025 | Building Compassionate Communities |
| Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation | Naperville, IL | $250,000 | 2025 | H2O on the Go Program |
| Southwest Organizing Project | Chicago, IL | $250,000 | 2025 | Southwest System of Care |
| Bridgeway Inc | Galesburg, IL | $225,000 | 2025 | CMHI Youth Empowerment |
| Bridgeway Inc | Galesburg, IL | $216,666 | 2025 | Youth Empowerment Services (YES) System of Care |
| Advocate Health And Hospitals Corporation | Oak Brook, IL | $145,000 | 2025 | Pediattric Mobile Dental Van |
| Tri-State Food Bank Inc | Evansville, IN | $125,000 | 2025 | BackPacks and Mobile Food Distributions |
| Eastern Illinois Foodbank | Urbana, IL | $125,000 | 2025 | Healthy Food for Growing Kids |
| St Louis Area Food Bank Inc | Bridgeton, MO | $125,000 | 2025 | Food for Better Childhoods |
| Peoria Citizens Committee for Economic Opportunity Inc | Peoria, IL | $125,000 | 2025 | Feeding Children and Families With Children Program |
| Northern Illinois Food Bank | Geneva, IL | $125,000 | 2025 | Providing Access to Healthy Food for Children and Families |
| River Bend Food Reservoir | Davenport, IA | $125,000 | 2025 | Backpack Program for Hungry Illinois Children |
| Central Illinois Foodbank | Springfield, IL | $125,000 | 2025 | Children's Healthy Food Initiative |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository | Chicago, IL | $125,000 | 2025 | Food Purchase for Hunger Relief Initiatives |
| Erie Family Health Foundation Inc | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | Expanding Access to Oral Health for Children in West Garfield Park |
| Erie Neighborhood House | Chicago, IL | $55,000 | 2025 | The Camino A Mejor Salud Project |
| Board of Trustees of the U of Illinois | Urbana, IL | $52,000 | 2025 | Mile Square Health Center Dental Assistant Certification Program |
| Metropolitan Family Services | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | Metropolitan Peace Initiatives Youth Intermediary |
| Enlace Chicago | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | Improving quality of life for New Arrivals |
| Pillars Community Health | La Grange, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | The Loft at Eight Corners |
| Sinai Health System | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | Population Research on Mental Health of Middle-School and High-School-Aged Girls in Chicago |
| Forefront | Chicago, IL | $22,308 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Role Model Movement Inc NFP | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | Save Street Ball |
| Association of Latinosasxs Motivating Action | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | LGBTQ+ Youth and Families Support Services |
| Strides for Peace Inc | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | Community Partners Project Support - Paving the Way |
| Think Outside Da Block | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | Peace Pushers |
| Comprehensive Community Solutions Inc | Rockford, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | PSA of Gun Violence in our Community |
| Share Our Space | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | Providing diapers and basic needs to Migrants in Chicago |
| Trauma & Resilience Initiative Inc | Urbana, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | Healing Communities - Evaluation Project |
| Fox Valley United Way | Aurora, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | Children's Mental Health Initiative |
| Well Child Conference of Elgin | Elgin, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | The Importance of Oral Health in Immigrant and Refugee Children |
| Beyond the Ball NFP | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | Maker Space: Exploring Interests and Creating Objects |
| Family Christian Health Center | Harvey, IL | $6,000 | 2025 | Lynnwood Family Dental Expansion |
| Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley | Kankakee, IL | $425,000 | 2024 | CMHI 2.0 Implementation - Project SUN - A Strong & Unified Network |
| Kane County Health Department | Aurora, IL | $400,000 | 2024 | CMHI 2.0 Implementation - Kane County System of Care Project |
| Heritage Behavioral Health Center | Decatur, IL | $400,000 | 2024 | CMHI Implementation Grant - Community Together |
| Centerstone of Illinois Inc | W Frankfort, IL | $400,000 | 2024 | Building Compassionate Communities |
| Primo Center for Women and Children | Chicago, IL | $400,000 | 2024 | Kids Connected |
| Advocate North Side Health Network | Downers Grove, IL | $300,000 | 2024 | A New Home for Dentistry at Advocate Illinois Masonic-Closing the Gap Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Children in Need |
| Erie Family Health Foundation Inc | Chicago, IL | $300,000 | 2024 | Expanding Access to Oral Health for Children in West Garfield Park |
| Southwest Organizing Project | Chicago, IL | $250,000 | 2024 | 2023 Southwest System of Care |
Methodist Medical Center Illinois
$439,406Greater Peoria Area Youth Mental Health Initiative
Rush University Medical Center
$433,928BRIDGES: Using BRIDGES to Address Intergenerational Trauma, Close the Clinic-Community Gap and Improve Children's Mental Health on Chicago's West Side
Coming Together for Healthy Children - Building a Youth Mental Health System of Care
OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center - Oral Health
Heritage Behavioral Health Center
$300,000CMHI Implementation Grant - Community Together
Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley
$300,000CMHI 2.0 Implementation - Project SUN - A Strong & Unified Network
Kane County Health Department
$300,000CMHI 2.0 Implementation - Kane County System of Care Project
Centerstone of Illinois Inc
$300,000Building Compassionate Communities
Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation
$250,000H2O on the Go Program
Peoria Citizens Committee for Economic Opportunity Inc
$125,000Feeding Children and Families With Children Program
Providing Access to Healthy Food for Children and Families
Expanding Access to Oral Health for Children in West Garfield Park
Board of Trustees of the U of Illinois
$52,000Mile Square Health Center Dental Assistant Certification Program
Metropolitan Family Services
$50,000Metropolitan Peace Initiatives Youth Intermediary
Pillars Community Health
$50,000The Loft at Eight Corners
Population Research on Mental Health of Middle-School and High-School-Aged Girls in Chicago
Association of Latinosasxs Motivating Action
$10,000LGBTQ+ Youth and Families Support Services
Strides for Peace Inc
$10,000Community Partners Project Support - Paving the Way
Comprehensive Community Solutions Inc
$10,000PSA of Gun Violence in our Community
Share Our Space
$10,000Providing diapers and basic needs to Migrants in Chicago
Trauma & Resilience Initiative Inc
$10,000Healing Communities - Evaluation Project
Well Child Conference of Elgin
$10,000The Importance of Oral Health in Immigrant and Refugee Children
Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley
$425,000CMHI 2.0 Implementation - Project SUN - A Strong & Unified Network
Kane County Health Department
$400,000CMHI 2.0 Implementation - Kane County System of Care Project
Heritage Behavioral Health Center
$400,000CMHI Implementation Grant - Community Together
Centerstone of Illinois Inc
$400,000Building Compassionate Communities
Advocate North Side Health Network
$300,000A New Home for Dentistry at Advocate Illinois Masonic-Closing the Gap Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Children in Need
Expanding Access to Oral Health for Children in West Garfield Park
Current and upcoming funding from Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Requests must not be for budget shortfalls, general operating support of existing programs, intermediary funding agencies, individuals, endowments, medical facility capital campaigns, general medical research, or legislative influence.
Deadline: No deadline; inquiry route is available on an ongoing basis.
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