Open nowRolling / open intake
After School
child nutritionafterschool mealsfood access
Who can apply: Site must be a public or nonprofit group offering enrichment activities for kids and located in a low-income area.
About Northern Illinois Food Bank
Providing nutritious food and resources for our neighbors with dignity, equity and convenience.
Focus Areas
food securityemergency food distributionnutritionchild nutrition programs (CACFP, SFSP, backpack programs)SNAP enrollment assistanceeconomic mobilityvolunteer mobilization
Who They Fund
food-insecure individuals and familieslow-income communitiespeople experiencing homelessness
Funding Style
capacity buildingdirect service support
About Northern Illinois Food Bank
Northern Illinois Food Bank’s giving is organized around feeding neighbors with dignity, equity, and convenience, and its largest recent grants show how that work is carried out through local partner organizations. In 2024, the biggest award in the recent-grants list went to Loaves & Fishes Community Services in Naperville for Feed the Hungry, followed by a large grant to Dupage Township in Romeoville for the same purpose. The pattern continues across community pantries, township partners, and regional food-access organizations, all tied to hunger relief rather than a broad mix of unrelated fields. The foundation funds at a substantial scale: annual grants given total $238,512,854, and the latest 990 year on file is 2024. Recent awards also show repeated support for established local providers, including Food for Greater Elgin and Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry. Across the list, the same program theme appears again and again: moving food and resources through neighborhood-based distribution points so low-income communities and food-insecure families can access them through trusted local sites. The foundation’s structure and programs suggest a grantmaker built for direct service, capacity support, and ongoing delivery of food assistance in Northern Illinois.
What Northern Illinois Food Bank Funds
Child nutrition is one of the clearest areas in Northern Illinois Food Bank’s portfolio. Through its Child Nutrition Programs, it supports approved public and nonprofit sites in low-income areas with free afterschool snacks, cold suppers, breakfasts, lunches, and summer meals. The program description also notes staff training, documentation support, and weekly or daily meal delivery, depending on the model. BackPack Program funding adds another child-focused layer, providing food-filled backpacks to supplement weekend meals for children identified by school staff. Beyond youth nutrition, the foundation also supports partner organizations serving neighbors through its food-access network. Recent grants to People’s Resource Center Southeast - Westmont, West Suburban Community Pantry, and Kendall County Community Food Pantry all align with that neighborhood distribution model. The grantmaking also reaches food rescue and supply channels. Food Industry & Agriculture Donations, including MealConnect for some donations, gives manufacturers, retailers, restaurants, and agriculture partners a pathway to offer product donations for the 13-county service area.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$154.1M
Total Assets
$76M
Total Revenue
$189.1M
Total Expenses
$186.1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $30K and $331K, with a median of $96K.
25th Percentile
$30K
Median
$96K
75th Percentile
$331K
Geographic Reach
Local24 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
JULIE YURKO
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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