Illinois nonprofits invited to apply to receive funding this fall
CHICAGO, IL – Field Foundation this week announced the fifth cycle of Healing Illinois, a statewide initiative managed in partnership with the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) that has supported racial and community healing efforts across Illinois since its launch in 2020.
Healing Illinois has distributed more than $4.3 million annually to nonprofit organizations supporting racial healing, community connection, and civic renewal across Illinois. At the heart of the initiative is the belief that every Illinois resident can contribute to healing by respecting one another’s experiences and honoring the histories of the state’s diverse communities.
During the 2025–2026 grant cycle, Healing Illinois made grants to nearly 200 nonprofit projects to advance healing in meaningful and lasting ways — from developing engaging community programming to building infrastructure that supports long-term healing. A survey of grant recipients indicated more than 80% of attendees at Healing Illinois-funded events reported caring about racial progress and the stories of their local communities. Additionally, 41% of the selected nonprofits used their funding to establish an entirely new healing initiative.
For the 2026–2027 grant cycle, Healing Illinois will build on this momentum around the principle that healing is not separate from civic life, it is foundational to it. The initiative seeks projects that bring people together to build trusted relationships, foster understanding, and strengthen community bonds. Healing Illinois will also continue to expand support for projects that reach communities across multiple regions of the state.
“What makes Healing Illinois noteworthy is not simply the scale of its investment, but the philosophy behind it. Rather than prescribing solutions from the top down, it trusts local organizations to design efforts rooted in the realities of their communities’ challenges — and closest to the people with the wisdom, relationships and creativity to address them”
– Daniel O. Ash, President, Field Foundation
Healing Illinois is placing explicit emphasis this grant cycle on projects that bring people together across differences and align to the following priority areas:
Healing through Narrative
Elevating stories that have been untold, excluded or misunderstood — and projects that create opportunities for those stories to travel across communities.
Healing through Dialogue
Creating the conditions for people to find their shared humanity, build trust, and develop a sense of shared purpose.
Healing through Place
Using community spaces — parks, libraries, cultural sites, public art, and neighborhoods — as sites for healing, remembrance, and belonging.
Healing Illinois will host two virtual information sessions to share application guidance and updates with interested nonprofit organizations:
Session #1: Tuesday, September 8 | 11:00am-12:30pm CT | Register
Session #2: Tuesday, September 15 | 12:00-1:30pm CT | Register
“Five years into Healing Illinois, we have witnessed the power of investing in organizations that understand their communities and are creating meaningful opportunities for connection and racial healing. As we begin this next cycle, we continue to support locally driven work that strengthens communities and helps move Illinois toward a more equitable future.”
– Caronina Grimble, Director of the Office of Strategy, Equity and Transformation, IDHS
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through Monday, September 28, 2026, or until available funding has been expended.
Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) public charity nonprofit organizations in good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State and certified under the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA). Organizations that are not GATA-certified may be eligible to participate through an intermediary organization.
Additional information about Healing Illinois and how to apply for funding is available at www.healing.illinois.gov.