Here you will find current applications for programs being administered by IFF.
Applications for Culture Forward Chicago from the Chicago's Cultural Treasures initiative are now open. You can apply below until applications close on March 3; for more information, please visit www.chicagosculturaltreasures.org.
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IFF is a mission driven lender and real estate consultant that offers support to nonprofit organizations throughout the Midwest.
Grounded in equity and deep sector expertise, IFF champions nonprofits to shape more equitable and vibrant communities through community-centered lending, development, and real estate consulting.
Since 1988, we have been working at the intersection of facilities and finance to help nonprofits serving a variety of sectors increase their financial stability and programmatic offerings, and achieve their missions. We do that by bringing together a powerful combination of financial solutions, real estate and development expertise, sector knowledge, and research and evaluation capacity to accelerate positive social impact and systems change.
Headquartered in Chicago, with regional offices in Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and St. Louis, we serve nonprofits and communities throughout the Midwest.
IFF is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and one of only a few nationally to hold the top-ranked Aeris four-star rating for impact management and AAA rating for financial strength and performance.
Culture Forward Chicago is the final phase of Chicago’s Cultural Treasures (ChiTreasures) — a four-year effort focused on bolstering the long-term financial resilience and sustainability of Chicagoland arts and cultural organizations that promote the creation and preservation of arts and culture rooted in the communities of Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color (BIPOC communities, for short).
To expand the reach of the ChiTreasures initiative to a new set of arts and culture organizations, Culture Forward Chicago will award up to 60 recipients a one-time, general operating grant of $50,000 - $60,000 each, for a total of $3 million. There will not be any reporting requirements with the grant.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for Culture Forward Chicago, organizations must:
- Not be a current Chicago’s Cultural Treasures grantee;
- Have 501(c)(3) status or be fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) organization; and
- Be headquartered in or primarily serving the Chicago metropolitan area, including the collar counties: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will
Selection Process
All application materials will be reviewed by a Review Committee — composed primarily of local arts leaders, current ChiTreasures grantees, and a minority representation of funders — that had been selected to create a balance of perspectives, backgrounds, and identities.
Application Deadlines
Applications for Culture Forward Chicago are due by March 3, 2025 at 11:59 PM CT, with decisions anticipated to be announced in mid-April.
For any questions or support regarding the Culture Forward Chicago grant application or process, reach out to chicagosculturaltreasures@iff.org.
Culture Forward Chicago es la fase final de Chicago's Cultural Treasures (ChiTreasures), un esfuerzo de cuatro años centrado en reforzar la resiliencia financiera y la sostenibilidad a largo plazo de las organizaciones artísticas y culturales de Chicago que promueven la creación y preservación de las artes y la cultura arraigadas en las comunidades de negros, indígenas y de color (comunidades BIPOC, para abreviar).
Para ampliar el alcance de la iniciativa ChiTreasures a un nuevo conjunto de organizaciones artísticas y culturales, Culture Forward Chicago otorgará hasta 60 beneficiarios una subvención operativa general única de entre $50 000 y $60 000 cada uno, para un total de $3 millones. No habrá ningún requisito de presentación de informes con la subvención.
Elegibilidad
Para ser elegible para postularse para Culture Forward Chicago, las organizaciones deben:
- No ser un beneficiario actual de Tesoros Culturales de Chicago;
- Tener estatus 501(c)(3) o estar patrocinado fiscalmente por una organización 501(c)(3); y
- Tener su sede o servir principalmente en el área metropolitana de Chicago, incluidos los condados principales: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry y Will.
Proceso de selección
Todos los materiales de solicitud serán revisados por un Comité de Revisión, compuesto principalmente por líderes artísticos locales, beneficiarios actuales de ChiTreasures y una representación minoritaria de financiadores, que había sido seleccionado para crear un equilibrio de perspectivas, antecedentes e identidades.
Plazos de solicitud
Las solicitudes para Culture Forward Chicago deben presentarse antes del 3 de marzo de 2025 a las 11:59 p. m. CT, y se espera que las decisiones se anuncien a mediados de abril.
Si tiene alguna pregunta o ayuda con respecto a la solicitud o el proceso de subvención de Culture Forward Chicago, comuníquese con chicagosculturaltreasures@iff.org.