2027 Creative Catalyst Fellowship Open Call
Description: “The Creative Catalyst Fellowship supports individual artists whose work engages the public on critical issues facing Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) and can serve as a catalyst for civic participation. Selected artists join a cohort convened for peer sharing and learning, with access to communications consultation and promotion of their final work.”
Award Range: $30,000
Deadline: October 15, 2026
Innovation Vouchers Program
Description: “Innovation Vouchers will provide grants for companies to engage in research projects in partnership with an Illinois institute of higher education. This will facilitate the sharing of technologies, knowledge, facilities, and equipment, and ultimately lead to the production of more Illinois-based goods and services and spur economic growth in the state.”
Eligibility includes: “Illinois-based companies with 500 or fewer total employees; Commit to maintain operations in Illinois for duration of project; Businesses that operate in key industries, including agribusiness and agtech; energy; information technology; life sciences and healthcare; manufacturing; and transportation and logistics”
Award Range: “…cover up to 75% of the cost of the research engagement (not to exceed $75,000).”
Fempreneur Poder Hub 2026 Grant Opportunity
Description: “Fempreneur Poder Hub is committed to supporting microbusiness owners across Illinois by providing equitable access to entrepreneurship opportunities and business support resources.” Open statewide to eligible businesses.
Menlo Anthology Fund
Description: “The Anthology Fund is a $100M initiative between Menlo Ventures and Anthropic to fund the next generation of AI startups. We invest in Seed and Series A startups with check sizes starting at $100K”.
Award Range: several but includes “$30,000 in free Anthropic credits”
Deadline: rolling
Etsy Emergency Relief Fund at CERF+
Description: “The Etsy Fund at Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+) provides disaster relief grants to eligible Etsy sellers on a monthly basis”
Eligibility: “All Etsy sellers are eligible for a grant if they have experienced a federally declared natural disaster within the past year, have been an active seller on Etsy for at least one year, and their accounts with Etsy are in good standing”
Award Range: “Grants of $2,000 are available to sellers when they apply. The amount and frequency of grants will depend on the amount of money available in the fund at any given time”
Deadline: Rolling; “Your application will be viable for one year following the date of the disaster you suffered”
American Heart Association Ventures – Social Impact Funds
Description:
“The Social Impact Funds support community-led transformation by strategically deploying capital to social entrepreneurs who are using their lived experience to tackle three vital social drivers of health [health care access & quality, food security and economic empowerment]”. “…currently accepting applications for projects in Chicago, Florida, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York City, Philadelphia, Toledo and West Virginia. Both for-profit and nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply for funding from the Social Impact Funds.”
Award Range: $150,000 – $500,000
Deadline: Rolling
Menlo Anthology Fund
Description:
“The Anthology Fund is a $100M initiative between Menlo Ventures and Anthropic to fund the next generation of AI startups. We invest in Seed and Series A startups with check sizes starting at $100K”.
Award Range: several but includes “$30,000 in free Anthropic credits”
Deadline: Rolling
American Heart Association Ventures – Social Impact Funds
Description: “The Social Impact Funds support community-led transformation by strategically deploying capital to social entrepreneurs who are using their lived experience to tackle three vital social drivers of health [health care access & quality, food security and economic empowerment]”. “…currently accepting applications for projects in Chicago, Florida, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York City, Philadelphia, Toledo and West Virginia. Both for-profit and nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply for funding from the Social Impact Funds.”
Award Range: $150,000 – $500,000
Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC) – Food & Beverage Apprenticeship Grant
Description: “IMEC (Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center) works directly with manufacturers, including food and beverage companies, to design apprenticeship programs that fit real production environments leading to improved employee engagement and retention.” “IMEC manages everything for you: program design, registration, compliance, reporting, and funding guidance. You get a proven apprenticeship program without the hassle.”
Award Range: “Funding is limited and available on a first-come basis and slots are limited”
Deadline: Rolling
Down Payment Assistance Program (DPAP)
Description: “SomerCor helps small businesses purchase owner-occupied commercial real estate through the Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 financing. With SomerCor’s new Down Payment Assistance Program (DPAP), eligible businesses in Cook County can receive a grant to reduce upfront costs when purchasing their first building.”
Award Range: up to $25,000
Down Payment Assistance Program (DPAP)
Description:
“SomerCor helps small businesses purchase owner-occupied commercial real estate through the Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 financing. With SomerCor’s new Down Payment Assistance Program (DPAP), eligible businesses in Cook County can receive a grant to reduce upfront costs when purchasing their first building.”
Award Range: up to $25,000
Deadline: Rolling
ComED Small-Medium Business Customer Relief Fund
Description: “The fund is intentionally designed to support small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) customers by offering one-time matching grants up to $500 to help offset a past-due bill balances and improve financial stability.”
Eligibility: “The fund is available to eligible small- and medium-sized business (under 500 kW) customers who are behind on electric bill payments.”
“Business must meet these eligibility criteria to apply including:
- Active service at the time of application
- Past-due bill balance
- No unpaid tampering fees and no bankruptcy
- Commercial Meter Account
- Home-based businesses and Non-Profit organizations are ineligible not eligible; these groups qualified to receive assistance from last year’s customer relief fund.”
Award Range: “Funding will be available on a first-come, first-served basis while funds last.”
Deadline: September 15, 2026
Carroll and Jo Daviess counties – Genz Small Business Development Fund
Description: “the Genz Small Business Development Fund was formalized in 2020 to assist individuals in the Galena Trade Area who have been turned down for a traditional bank loan. The fund, which totals over $500,000, is intended to serve as gap financing, to aid with pilot projects, or fill in gaps not filled by equity and traditional capital.”
Eligibility: includes “retailers, small manufacturers, wholesalers, those in the hospitality industry, along with farmers and food processors.”
Award Range: Varies, past awards range from $4,000 – $19,000
Deadline: Varies
Will County On-The-Job Training Grant (OJT)
Description: “This program will subsidize up to 50% of an eligible new hire wages while learning their new skill.”
Eligibility: Employers “in a targeted industry, including Healthcare, Manufacturing, IT, Finance/Professional Services, and Transportation/Distribution/Logistics.”
Award Range: Up to 50% of the wage rate of the participant
Deadline: Varies
City of Carbondale – Downtown Facade Program (Loan Program)
Description: “The downtown façade improvement loan program was established in August 1990 and has been amended to meet the changing needs of downtown property owners. Structures eligible for the program must be located within the loan program area…”
Deadline: Rolling
City of Champaign Storefront Improvement Program
Description: “The Storefront Improvement Program helps business and property owners improve the appearance of storefronts in the City’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts. The program provides financial assistance for exterior building improvements that make commercial areas more attractive and welcoming for customers.”
Eligibility: business owners in TIF districts
Award Range : up to $10,000 per building
Deadline: Rolling
Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council Commercial Lease Grant
Description: “To lease vacant commercial space in McLean County (must be new lease space, not a relocation).”
Eligibility: “The grant is targeted for Small Businesses registered to do business in the State of Illinois and with a business plan approved by the Illinois Small Business Development Center of McLean County at Illinois Wesleyan University.”
Award Range : $10,000
Deadline: Varies
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready $10,000 National Grant
Description: Verizon, in partnership with LISC, will award $10,000 national grants to small businesses throughout the year. Each month, 10 small businesses will be selected for grants.
Award Range : $10,000
Deadline: Rolling from June – December 2026
WomensNet – Additional Grants for Women Entrepreneurs
Description:
Beyond the Amber Grant, WomensNet occasionally offers additional themed or specialty grants for women-owned businesses. One simple application is typically used to be considered for multiple opportunities.
Award Range:
Varies by grant; often several thousand dollars
Deadline :
Rolling – deadlines vary
City of Moline: Business Improvement Grant (BIG) Program
Description
“The BIG Program is funded in large part through the City of East Moline’s Business Development District #2, established in 2024 to provide economic incentives through a 0.75% sales tax. Under the BIG Program, grant awardees are reimbursed for eligible project costs…” “Eligible Projects: Commercial or Industrial projects that are located or locating within the City of East Moline’s Business Development District… This area includes all major commercial and industrial areas of the city.”
Award Range:
up to $50,000
Deadline:
Ongoing
Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability’s (DES) free Businesses Reducing Impact on the Environment (BRITE) program
Description
Open to businesses in suburban Cook County who have 500 or less employees, were negatively impacted by COVID-19 pandemic, were in operation prior to January 1, 2020 and are in the following industries:
- Dry cleaning facility
- Auto body or auto repair shop
- Metal finisher
- Metal fabricator
- Food and beverage manufacturer
Award Range:
up to $300,000 (please note, “To receive a BRITE grant, small businesses must complete the interest survey by DES or must have had a similar environmental assessment conducted by a DES partner or third party.)
Village of Gurnee – Impact Grant
Description
“This is a 1:1 matching grant open to a business of any size located within the Village of Gurnee corporate limits, generate sales tax, in good standing with the Village and compliant with all obligations, & a building owner of a qualifying business. No minimum project size with a rolling application period.”
Award Range:
$10,000 – $20,000
Small Certified Supplier Innovative Finance Program
Description
Open to certified minority-, women-, veteran-, and LGBTQ+ owned businesses (certified by national or state organizations) in the following states California, Georgia, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Pennsylvania, or New Jersey.The annual revenue of the business should be between $250,000 to $10 million.
Award Range:
$5,000
National Grassroots Organizing Program (NGO) from Ben & Jerry’s Foundation
Description
“The National Grassroots Organizing Program (NGO) offers two-year unrestricted, general operating support grants of up to $30,000 per year, with an average grant size of $20,000 per year, to small (budgets under $350,000), constituent-led grassroots organizations throughout the United States and its territories.” Organizations must be a nonprofit, 501(c)3 or have a fiscal sponsor.
Award Range:
up to $30,000 per year
The Affirm Cares Employee Foundation
Description
“Affirm Cares funds 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations who seek to make a positive impact in one or more of our core three pillars; financial literacy & inclusion, technology education & training, and vibrant communities.”
Award Range:
$1,000 to $10,000
Deadline :
Rolling until funds are exhausted
The Community Foundation for McHenry County – Emergency Grants
Description
“The Community Foundation for McHenry County is committed to enhancing county services and expanding financial support to local non-profits.” “The Emergency Grant program supports nonprofits facing unexpected expenses that significantly impact their ability to fulfill their mission or deliver services. This grant is intended to help organizations address unbudgeted, unforeseen, and time-sensitive emergencies.”
Award Range:
unknown
Deadline :
“This grant operates on a rolling application cycle”
Amber Grant for Women (WomensNet)
Description:
Monthly grants for women-owned businesses across the U.S. and Canada. All industries, including nonprofits and early-stage ventures, are eligible. Monthly winners also become eligible for larger year-end awards.
Award Range:
$10,000 monthly grants, plus potential year-end grants (up to $50,000 total)
Deadline :
Rolling – monthly awards; applications accepted year-round
City of Chicago: Small Business Improvement Fund
Description
“Promotes economic development by providing small businesses and property owners with reimbursement grants for permanent building improvement costs.”
Award Range:
$75,000 multi-tenant properties, $150,000 commercial properties, and $250,000 industrial properties
Deadline:
Varies
Freed Fellowship Grant
Description:
Monthly micro-grant program for U.S.-based small business owners, with a focus on underrepresented and overlooked entrepreneurs. Includes funding, feedback, and community access.
Award Range:
$500 monthly + eligibility for $2,500 year-end award
Deadline :
Rolling
Allies for Community Business (A4CB) – Small Business Grants
Description:
A4CB partners with public and private funders to deliver grants to small businesses in Illinois and Indiana, especially in underserved communities. Updated frequently as new programs launch.
Award Range:
Award Range:
Varies by program; some past awards offered tens of thousands per business
Deadline :
Rolling