What kinds of causes does Community Foundation of Northern IL support?

The foundation supports arts and humanities, education, health, human services, sustainable communities, youth and families, and scholarships. Recent grants also show committee-based funding for career pathways, youth and families, sustainable communities, health, and human services.

How does the foundation typically structure its grants?

It uses a mix of donor-directed and grant-specific gifts, with terms restricted to the application, fund agreement, or gift instrument. The foundation also operates named programs and focus committees, including community grants, scholarship streams, and issue-based grantmaking.

Does the foundation accept unsolicited applications?

Yes. Several active programs are marked as accepting unsolicited applications, including the Community Opportunities fund, the CFNIL Scholarship Program, In Youth We Trust grants, and the Carroll H. Starr Endowment Challenge.

What is the typical grant size?

The grant-size distribution is centered in the lower five figures: p25 is $11,279, median is $20,238, and p75 is $36,933. Recent awards also include larger committee and pass-through grants, but the middle of the distribution stays in that range.

Are its grants mostly local?

Yes. The scope of giving is local, 97% of grants go to recipients in Illinois, and the recipient-country distribution is 100% U.S. In the recent grant list, Rockford appears most often, with additional grants in nearby Northern Illinois cities and counties.

Community Foundation of Northern Il

Name: Community Foundation of Northern Il — subvenciones, estados financieros 990 y datos de financiamiento
Creator: Kindora

ActivoPhilanthropy & Voluntarism

ROCKFORD, ILSitio web8159622110

About Community Foundation of Northern Il

To inspire endowment and promote philanthropy for the current and future needs of the people of Northern Illinois.

Focus Areas

Arts & HumanitiesEducationHealthHuman ServicesSustainable CommunitiesYouth & FamiliesScholarships

Who They Fund

not specified / depends on grant application

Funding Style

donor-directed / grant-specificrestricted to application or agreementvariable terms per gift instrument

Topics

About Community Foundation of Northern Il

Community Foundation of Northern IL channels much of its recent grantmaking through committee-based and named funds tied to local needs in Northern Illinois. A large portion of the recent record points to community grantmaking in Rockford and nearby places, alongside donor-restricted gifts that support education, health, youth, and long-term local capacity. The foundation’s portfolio includes grants to CFNIL Education - Career Pathways Focus Committee, CFNIL Youth & Families Focus Committee, and CFNIL Sustainable Communities Focus Committee, showing a structure that funds through issue-specific committees as well as individual grant agreements. Its recent activity also shows support for institutions that anchor the region’s civic and educational life. Rockford University appears more than once in the grant list, and the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford is also among the recipients. The foundation’s approach includes both flexible community distributions and more specific purpose grants, with awards written to the terms of a grant application, fund agreement, or gift instrument. Across the record, the pattern is local, program-specific, and tied to Northern Illinois communities rather than a broad national footprint.

What Community Foundation of Northern Il Funds

Education appears in several forms. CFNIL Education - Career Pathways Focus Committee received $289,444 in 2025, and Rock Valley College Foundation received $161,631 in 2023, alongside a scholarship program that administers 130+ unique scholarships through a single application. Youth and family work is another clear thread. CFNIL Youth & Families Focus Committee received $258,976 in 2025, while the In Youth We Trust grants support youth-led and youth-serving projects in Boone, Ogle, Stephenson, and Winnebago counties. Health and human services also show up in the recent record. CFNIL Health Focus Committee received $152,339 in 2025, and CFNIL Human Services 2 Focus Committee (Basic Needs Compassionate Support) received $106,637 in 2025. Community development and sustainability round out the mix. CFNIL Sustainable Communities Focus Committee received $182,807 in 2025, and The MILL Foundation received $325,132 in 2025.

How Community Foundation of Northern Il Gives

Typical grants cluster in the middle five figures, with a p25 of $11,279, a median of $20,238, and a p75 of $36,933. The recent record also includes larger committee and pass-through awards, which helps explain the gap between the median and the largest grants. This is a community foundation, and the data show both donor-directed and restricted grants, with terms set by application, fund agreement, or gift instrument. Recipients appear across multiple years: Rockford University and Illinois Growth Enterprises each received grants in more than one year, suggesting ongoing relationships rather than one-off support. The foundation accepts unsolicited applications in several active programs.

Financial Snapshot

Annual Giving

$8.6M

Total Assets

$156.3M

Total Revenue

$14.8M

Total Expenses

$5.5M

Typical Grant Size

Most grants fall between $11K and $37K, with a median of $20K.

25th Percentile

$11K

Median

$20K

75th Percentile

$37K

Geographic Reach

Local6 states funded

Intensidad de financiamiento

Baja

Alta

Sede

Leadership

DAN ROSS

Accepts unsolicited proposals

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Recipient	Location	Amount	Year	Purpose
Community Grants Annual Grant Pass-Thru	Rockford, IL	$998,872	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Ronald F Peterson Area Economic Development	Rockford, IL	$411,485	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
The MILL Foundation	Loves Park, IL	$325,132	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
CFNIL Education - Career Pathways Focus Committee	Rockford, IL	$289,444	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Robert A Schlichting Family	Rockford, IL	$262,717	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
CFNIL Youth & Families Focus Committee	Rockford, IL	$258,976	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Ronald F Peterson Area Economic Development	Rockford, IL	$205,743	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Illinois Growth Enterprises	Loves Park, IL	$195,887	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Community Grants Annual Grant Pass-Thru	Rockford, IL	$191,974	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
CFNIL Sustainable Communities Focus Committee	Rockford, IL	$182,807	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
CFNIL Health Focus Committee	Rockford, IL	$152,339	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
CFNIL Arts & Humanities Focus Committee	Rockford, IL	$137,105	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
The Kjellstrom Family Foundation	Rockford, IL	$132,205	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
CFNIL Human Services 2 Focus Committee (Basic Needs Compassionate Support)	Rockford, IL	$106,637	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
William and Catherine McCoy Scholarship	Rockford, IL	$105,461	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Walter D Williams Operating	Rockford, IL	$105,155	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Stateline Down Syndrome Foundation Director Designated	Rockford, IL	$100,000	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Carroll H Starr Endowment Challenge	Rockford, IL	$100,000	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Friends of Nachusa Grasslands	Franklin Grove, IL	$99,667	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Jeremiah Development Endowment	Rockford, IL	$89,195	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Ernest A Schlichting Scholarship	Rockford, IL	$87,572	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Boylan Catholic High School	Rockford, IL	$80,176	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Rockford University	Rockford, IL	$77,967	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
United Way of Rock River Valley	Rockford, IL	$77,920	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Rockford University	Rockford, IL	$76,341	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Brightpoint	Chicago, IL	$75,000	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Rock Valley College Foundation	Rockford, IL	$71,450	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Rock Valley College Foundation	Rockford, IL	$70,986	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Rochelle Area Community Foundation	Rochelle, IL	$57,780	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
KFACT	Rockford, IL	$57,500	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Community Life Center of Rockford	Rockford, IL	$57,204	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Carpenter's Place	Rockford, IL	$50,973	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Community Grants Annual Grant Pass-Thru	Rockford, IL	$50,089	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Friends Endowment for Nachusa Grasslands	Rockford, IL	$50,000	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
The Arc of Winnebago Boone and Ogle Counties Endowment	Rockford, IL	$50,000	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Rockford Public Schools #205	Rockford, IL	$50,000	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Rockford University	Rockford, IL	$47,415	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Oregon CUSD 220	Oregon, IL	$46,000	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Community Grants Annual Grant Pass-Thru	Rockford, IL	$42,085	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity Inc	Loves Park, IL	$40,154	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Habitat for Humanity of Boone County	Belvidere, IL	$40,000	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Comprehensive Community Solutions Inc	Rockford, IL	$40,000	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Alignment Rockford	Rockford, IL	$40,000	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
The Liam Foundation	Rockford, IL	$39,000	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Community Grants Annual Grant Pass-Thru	Rockford, IL	$38,239	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Diocese of Rockford	Rockford, IL	$37,134	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
The Sandquist Family	Rockford, IL	$36,725	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
CFNIL Education - Complementary Education Focus Committee	Rockford, IL	$35,222	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Burpee Museum of Natural History	Rockford, IL	$34,939	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.
Shelter Care Ministries	Rockford, IL	$34,500	2025	For purposes as specified in a grant application, fund agreement or gift instrument.

Recipient

Location

Amount

Year

Purpose

Community Grants Annual Grant Pass-Thru

Rockford, IL

$998,872

2025