The Community Foundation of East Central Illinois (CFECI) aims to enhance the quality of life in the region it serves by strengthening the nonprofit sector. This is achieved through providing critical funding and support to empower local organizations to achieve their missions and goals effectively.
The grant program from the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois is designed to support nonprofit organizations in need of durable goods and items that are important for their service provision but might not be prioritized in their budget. The grants cater to a wide range of fields including arts and humanities, environment, education, health and human services, urban affairs, and youth activities. The foundation looks for proposals that address community problems or opportunities in east central Illinois with practical approaches, promote agency collaboration and cooperation, generate community support (both professional and volunteer), enhance an agency's effectiveness or stability, and focus on prevention as well as remediation. Grants typically range from $500 to $5,000, with potential consideration for larger amounts in cases of significant agency collaboration. Evaluation criteria include the financial health and needs of the organization, grant history with the Community Foundation, the number of people served, and whether the grant addresses community problems, supports collaboration, generates support, addresses prevention, extends the Foundation’s geographical reach, or reaches an underserved population.